Annual Open House
SCHEdule of Events
All-day activities, lectures, demonstrations, merchandise sales, and club booths!
Discover how we're making a difference in the world of veterinary medicine. Meet faculty, tour the college, learn about our programs, and enjoy food and activities. This is the perfect chance to explore your passion for veterinary medicine and see why our college is the best place to pursue your dreams!
When you arrive, please visit one of our check-in tables for a free event decal (while supplies last)!
TIE DYE PET BANDANAS
Grove Tent 1
Craft a tie dye bandana for your pet with student organization Pride SVMC.
WHAT'S IN MY WATER?
Grove Tent 1
Explore what's in samples of tap, bottled, pond, and even your own water! Public Health.
EAR TAG DECORATION
Grove Tent 1
Meet with members of the Food Animal Practitioners Club and learn about the world of production management medicine while you decorate an ear tag!
CARDS TO WARM HEARTH VILLAGE
Grove Tent 1
Brighten someone's day and join our DVM students in making cards for residents of Warm Hearth Village.
TEDDY BEAR REPAIR
Grove Tent 2
Members of the Surgery Club will demonstrate their surgical expertise by repairing your stuffed animal. Bring your own stuffed animal or adopt a new one!
NEONATE PUPPY CARE
Grove Tent 2
Adopt a new stuffed friend to take home, and learn how to care for your new puppy with the Theriogenology Club.
LIVE PAINTED HORSE
Tent 4
See internal anatomy painted on live horses by AAEP!
HORSHOE PAINTING
Tent 4
Let your creativity loose and paint horse shoes with AAEP and Class of 2026.
ULTRASOUND SIMULATION STATION
Seminar Room 1
Learn all about ultrasounds, an imaging method that uses sound waves instead of radiation, with the Imaging Club.
FUN WITH HISTOLOGY ROUNDS (10am-2pm)
Classroom 291
The event will be a display of how tissue samples are prepared and examined under the microscope through digital slides. Attendees will be able to visualize different microscopic structures and diseases that occur in veterinary species.Hosted by the Pathology Club.
SURGEON PHOTOBOOTH
Clinical Skills Lab
Take a photo in a surgery cap and gown to place in your passport. Hosted by the Class of 2024.
MERCHANDISE SALES
Waterfall Room
Get your college souvenirs and support our student organizations.
VETERINARY MEDICINE LIBRARY
Library
Come and see the 3-D printer and interactive technology that help our students learn about the latest information in animal and human health.
FUTURE VET PHOTO BOOTH
Classroom 121
"Scrub in" and pose as a Dr. for photos! Provided by LVMA + SNABV.
VETS OF ALL COLORS
Classroom 121
Learn about the importance of diversity and inclusion in veterinary medicine. Hosted by LVMA + SNABV.
EXOTIC PET SHOW & TELL
Classroom 129
See live exotic pet species owned by members of the Public Veterinary Practice Club.
BEHAVIOR MATCHING GAME
MDL 1
Learn about different animal behaviors with the Behavioral Club.
VETERINARY BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
MDL 1
Learn about all things veterinary business from the Veterinary Business Management Association.
IT'S A SMALL WORLD
MDL 2
Learn about the world of bacteria, fungi, and cells. Hands-on demonstrations will include the use of microscopes to view exciting samples, along with interactive models and an at-home DNA extraction method. Hosted by the Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences Graduate Student Association.
EMERGENCY TRIAGE STATIONS (10am-1pm)
MDL 3 Surgery Suite
SCVECCS presents several interactive stations to help prepare pet owners to act in emergent situations, including CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, and first aid. There will be free bandaging kits handed out while supplies last!
12 p.m.
MEET DEAN GIVENS
The Commons
Meet and greet with the opporunity to learn about the future of the college from Dr. M. Daniel Givens, our dean.
All Day
MEET & GREET TABLES
VMIA Lobby
VIRGINIA VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Meet members and learn about the VVMA.
THERAPY DOGS
Meet Virginia Tech's own therapy dogs and discover how they help the well-being of students on campus.
PUBLIC HEALTH
Explore the wide world of public health! Compare muscle and fat replicas, learn about vaccines, see how much sugar and salt is in common foods and drinks, and much more!
VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY
Learn about the Veterinarian Technician career opportunity.
VTH BLOOD BANK
Just like human hospitals, the Veterinary Teaching Hospital is home to a blood bank that helps dogs and cats in need. Learn about the blood bank and the donor program that helps pets in the New River Valley.
VMCVM ADVANCEMENT
Learn the different ways you can make your impact and be part of the future of the veterinary college.
10 a.m.
"A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VET STUDENT"
Classroom 100
Hear stories from the source about daily life as a VMCVM DVM student.
11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
APPLYING TO VETERINARY SCHOOL: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Classroom 100
A member of our admissions team will debunk common misinformation about being a competitive DVM applicant and will share the steps for applying to our DVM program.
(Intended for prospective students who are in high school or older)
2 p.m.
RECOVER Initiative (The Veterinary CPR course)
Classroom 100
Learn about the RECOVER Initiative (the Veterinary CPR course) and how the Veterinary Teaching Hospital is working to get the entire hospital CPR certified.
10am - 12 p.m.
DOG SPORTS DEMONSTRATIONS
Tent 5
Did you know there many different sports you can do together with your dog? Local dog sport enthusiasts will be showing off agility, disc dog, nosework, and tricks. Information will be available on how to get started in these sports locally and you'll be able to meet some of the canine athletes!
11 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1-2 p.m.
HORSESHOEING 101
Farrier's Shed
If you've ever watched farrier videos online--now's your chance to see it live! Learn from our farrier's team the craft of trimming and shoeing horse hooves.
11 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1-2 p.m.
ULTRASOUND LIVE DEMONSTRATION
Seminar Room 1
See what the doctor sees during an ultrasound! Ask questions and learn about this interesting technology.
1 p.m.
RADFORD POLICE K-9 UNIT DEMONSTRATION
Tent 5
Come see a demonstration from the Radford Police K-9 Unit.
event Maps
Take a tour
Exclusive access to the college's behind-the-scenes facilities and Veterinary Teaching Hospital!
Led by students, tours in groups of ten leave every 15 minutes starting at 10:15 a.m.
Walk-up tours will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
On the day of Open House, please visit a registration table to sign up for a walk-up tour.
Enjoy local food trucks
BBQ Bootleg
Empanada Nirvana
Grandpa Ike’s Donuts
Sam’s Hot Dogs
Space Rabbit Coffee
DIRECTIONS and Parking
The Blacksburg campus is located at 205 Duck Pond Drive. Virginia Tech is hosting many events on campus during the day, so we recommend guests enter campus using the Southgate Entrance off of US Route 460 (Exit 6).
There are several parking lots near the college, but we recommend parking in the Veterinary Medicine Lot across from the college or the Duck Pond Lot. More information about parking and maps can be found using this link.
Special parking considerations for April 14-16 Campus Notice.
Leave fido at home, please
We care deeply about all animals at VMCVM. So for the safety of patients at the hospital and open house demonstration animals, we ask that guests do not bring pets to the event.
Questions & Accommodations
If you have a question or are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact the Office of Advancement at (540) 231-3927 or cvmadvancement@vt.edu.