This November, MSU College of Veterinary Medicine students taught K-4^th graders about veterinary medicine during an annual Girls’ STEM Day event hosted by the MSU College of Engineering. A group of us, led by Dr. Jane Manfredi, assistant professor for the Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, hosted an “Animal Hospital” activity. We offered a variety of activities, and taught participants how to dress like a surgeon, read radiographs, identify parasites under a microscope, suture and bandage wounds, and listen to hearts and lungs using a stethoscope.

The participants had an absolute blast. They were able to see what it is like to be a veterinarian, and I could see their eyes light up when they learned something new, like what bones looked like on radiographs or what their heart sounds like. Our volunteers really enjoyed their time at the event. It was a wonderful opportunity for stress relief and a lot of fun to interact with the students.

The Girls’ STEM Day event is important in showing young women that all career paths are open to them, and they should follow their dreams wherever they lead.

Volunteers from the College who made this activity possible include Kaity Denney, Sydney Dudley, Genevieve Eickholt, Shreya Gowda, Ellen Launstein, Rachel Mandelbaum, Lauren Opar, Megan Peterson, Katie Rigby, Pedro Soto, Laurel Stucky, Taylr Wells, Jessie Zenchak, Emily Boccia, Tori Brua, Reanna Cantrall, Polly Chen, Alli Harju, Kyra Heirich, Katelyn Haydett, Amanda Hanes, Nicole Insko, Katie LeBlanc, Sarah Marhofer, Shelbey Moore, Anna Mukhina, and Alyssa Richter.