07/01/1997

Animal and Dairy Science Program at AU Attracts Aspiring Vets

AUBURN, Ala. - One of the best routes to Auburn University's Veterinary School runs right through the College of Agriculture's Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. Of the department's 300 students, more than 200 aspire to go to veterinary school after graduation.

There seems to be a renewed interest in veterinary school, evidenced by the department's enrollment, which has been increasing over the last five years. Each year, the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine accepts about 15 to 20 students from the animal and dairy science department, according to Dale Coleman, coordinator of the department's teaching program.

Though the Department of Botany and Microbiology and the Department of Zoology and Wildlife Sciences in the College of Sciences and Mathematics at Auburn also offer a pre-veterinary option, the two programs do not really compete for the same students, according to Werner Bergen, head of the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences.

Whether a student chooses to go into the animal and dairy science department's pre-veterinary program depends on that individual's goals, Coleman said. Because of University core requirements and veterinary school requirements, three-fourths of the programs' credit hours are the same. The programs differ in that courses in the pre-veterinary option in animal science focus on domestic livestock, and the programs in the College of Sciences and Mathematics focus on zoology, wildlife or microbiology.
According to Coleman, the pre-veterinary option is really a pre-professional option, because students get the academic background necessary for medical school, pharmacy school, law school or other professional schools, too. For example, Scott Bolton, a June graduate of the program, will be attending medical school at Johns Hopkins University.

The main difference between the pre-veterinary option and the production option in animal and dairy science is the level of chemistry and physics classes the students take and what classes they would choose as free electives.

Those students who do not go on to professional school or graduate school are prepared for careers in production, management, marketing and agribusiness, Coleman said.

"Some do return to the home farm, but most people don't have a home farm these days," Bergen added.

"The most interesting thing about any animal science department is that people don't know what it is," he said. Animal and dairy science is a combination of agricultural production and modern biological and life science technology, Bergen said.

The curriculum in animal and dairy science is multifaceted, covering topics from biochemistry to livestock judging, Bergen said. Students learn about every stage in livestock production from reproduction, through growth, to the consumer product.

The hands-on experience with large animals may be the most interesting part of animal science classes, Coleman said. Even students from other majors are sometimes attracted to classes like "Introduction to Horse Management and Training," "Companion Animal Management" and "Behavior of Farm Animals."

"Courses are usually well received right across the board by students," Bergen said.

The department has one of the few strong meat science programs in the Southeast -- according to Bergen.

"We're a recognized leader in meat science, research, outreach and teaching," he said.

"We're teaching a full-service animal and dairy science curriculum," Bergen said. "When it comes to the graduate level, we are somewhat more focused."

The department has a strong graduate program with about 25 students specializing in areas from ruminant nutrition to horse behavior, Coleman concluded.

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News from:

Office of Ag Communications & Marketing

Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)

Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
by Anna M. Lee

July 1, 1997