2024 Dr. Tim Ogilvie AVC Vet Camp begins!

The Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) will welcome future veterinarians for the next month at the 2024 Dr. Tim Ogilvie AVC Vet Camp. 

Third year doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) students Julia Skinner and Megan Haggerty are the camp coordinators, and are joined by a team of counselors—third-year DVM student Alissa Flight, and UPEI pre-vet students Hannah Johnston, Molly Park, and Ariana McGrattan—who are all excited to share their passions for animal care with a whole new generation.

Skinner, who is returning for the second year as a camp coordinator, says the activities the campers do more than provide a fun week; they inspire and build confidence. “AVC Vet camp is a unique program that gives campers a great overview of the veterinary profession, but we also show them how they can one day be a student, a veterinarian, or, in some cases, play another role in veterinary medicine.”

Over the next four weeks, more than 200 eager campers from grades 7–12 will take part in a variety of hands-on activities such as learning how to do physical examinations on dogs and large animals, suturing on a silicone suture pad, educational labs, field trips, and more.

While all the vet camp sessions have an educational component, some will stand out as an experience of a lifetime. Falconry demonstrations, a field trip to a dairy farm, and even learning about how to care for animals with disabilities are geared toward helping the young campers learn how to care for their own pets while also appreciating the care and work veterinary medicine professionals do each and every day.

The camp is sponsored by P3 Veterinary Partners, NVA Canada, VCA Canada, Morell Credit Union, Dana Catering, and Ren’s Pets.