Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Veterinary Science Certificate Program(VSCP) Food Animal Medicine & Production Exposure

Recipient Organization
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
750 AGRONOMY RD STE 2701
COLLEGE STATION,TX 77843-0001

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
This project will directly work to increase youth awareness to expose students in grades 11 and 12 to provide education and career opportunities in food animal medicine. This project will provide education and extension, including hands on experiential in person exposure to careers in areas such as veterinary care for food animals, regulatory, and for students to have exposure to different areas of food animal medicine. The Texas A&M AgriLifeExtension Veterinary Science Certificate Program(VSCP) will work to collaborate with key school personnel, homeschool organization and parents, as well as 4H/FFA members to provide education for students in areas that show interest in veterinary education and pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. 11th and 12th grade students who meet the criteria of pursuing education, experiences and coursework at the high school level and/or have desires to careers in food animal medicine will have access to the 5 events yearly to expose them to specific experiences such as poultry or regulatory careers. These courses are designed for student hands on learning and administered by VSCP Program Staff. Students will attend and have access to various day short courses throughout the school year. Each course will exhibit and highlight both successful individuals in the current field but also the education needed to pursue as a career. Students will be tracked by VSCP Program Staff after high school to document student choices. These courses are designed to promote and provide recruitment for each respective field/area of food animal medicine.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
806	3399	3020	30%
806	3260	3020	30%
806	3499	3020	30%
806	3599	3020	10%

Knowledge Area
806 - Youth Development;

Subject Of Investigation
3499 - Dairy cattle, general/other; 3260 - Poultry meat; 3599 - Swine, general/other; 3399 - Beef cattle, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;

Keywords

Goals / Objectives
Develop relationships among education stakeholders to provide opportunity to students in grades 11 and 12 to provide education in the field of veterinary science in food animal medicine.Implement and strengthen the relationship with key stakeholders and current industry professionals in food animal medicine.Develop or expand the outreach of marketing and information specific to food animal medicine educational opportunities to focus specifically on 11 and 12 grade students for a career in veterinary medicine.Motivate participants by providing opportunity and experiences to students via hands on, in person events at no cost to the student, parent or school system.

Project Methods
The project coordination team will implement 4 objectives to fulfill the objectives of the funding opportunity announcement (FOA). Subsequent activities/milestones under each objective will be performed by the project coordination team members and subject matter expert consultants. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, as lead of the project coordination team, will provide project oversight utilizing project management principles among all activities within each and provide USDA-NIFA with all deliverables on behalf of the project coordination team.

Progress 08/01/24 to 07/31/25

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience is 11th and 12th grade students from across the country that are interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine specifically in food animal medicine. The ideal targeted students for this project donot have access to veterinary hands on experiences with food animal facilities, professionals or veterinarians.Students addressed in this outreach effort are interested in pursuing education and experience as a veterinarian in food animal medicinewhile completing their high school education. Changes/Problems:We just began this project. At this time we do not have any changes or problems. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?As we enter the full first year of this project we plan to continue offering similar events to our first one to include more food animal species such as dairy cattle, poultry and swine.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We were able to develop relationships among education stakeholders to provide opportunity to students in grades 11 and 12 in the Texas panhandle to begin this project. We hosted 18 students in the 11th and 12th grade that are interested in food animal medicine to a hands on clinical experience day in Hereford, Texas. We were able tostrengthen the relationship with key stakeholders such as the local agriculture teachers, local food animal veterinariansand current industry professionals in food animal medicine. The day consisted of both a veterinary clinic as well as a feedlot where students are able to ask questions, see first hand day to day operations and experience the real world aspect of food animal medicine. Students were able to talk and discuss opportunities and better understand from experienced professionals to motivate them to enter the field of food animal medicine.

Publications