Do you have a special passion for animals or pet care? Do the fields of biology, zoology, and medicine pique your interest? At the NSLC on Veterinary Medicine, you will get to step into the veterinary world and learn animal handling techniques, receive lectures on a variety of specialties in veterinary medicine, and receive training for important clinical skills.
Program Highlights
Hands-on experience
Practice skills including examination procedures, suturing, and proper animal restraint methods alongside praticing veterinarians.
Visit medical facilities
Interact with practicing veterinarians, nurses, and students in area animal hospitals, large animal care clinics, and working dog centers.
Clinical diagnostic rounds
Throughout multiple patient visits, you'll learn how to ask the right questions, order the proper tests, and provide an accurate diagnosis to pet owners.
One Health
Discover the interconnectedness of health care for humans, animals, and the environment.
Dates & Locations
Note: Space is limited. Please login to the online application to see up-to-date session availability.
Virginia Tech
- June 23 - July 1
- July 5 - July 13
UPenn School of Veterinary Medicine
Penn Vet has informed us that they will not be able to host the NSLC on campus this summer. The lab spaces typically held for the NSLC and professors who have participated in the program will be unavailable for the summer of 2023. Therefore, we have cancelled this year's programs taking place at Penn Vet.
Hands-on Simulations
Learn what it takes to work with animals in an everchanging profession! The NSLC program will allow you to practice relevant, hands-on skills, including: suturing, performing a physical exam, preparing yourself and your patient for surgery, and giving injections. You will use your communication skills to visit a client with a pet and, with your team, diagnose the animal and come up with a treatment plan! In addition, the NSLC will introduce you to various different career paths within the veterinary field.
While at the NSLC you will:
- Learn how to perform a physical examination
- Communicate with clients and practice diagnosing pets
- Study the anatomy of organs from a variety of animals
- Observe unique pathology and imaging cases
Exclusive Guest Speakers
While at the NSLC’s veterinary medicine summer program for high school students, you will meet with and learn from professionals in the veterinary world.
Examples of past guest speakers include:
Dr. Andrew Hoffman, DVM, DVSc
Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine, Penn Vet
Dr. Elizabeth Arbittier, BA, VMD
Clinical Equine Field Service, Penn Vet
Dr. Amy Durham, BA, MS, VMD
Faculty Director of Comparative Pathology, Penn Vet
Robert DiMeo
Director for Admissions, Penn Vet
Dr. Erica Miller, DVM
Wildlife Veterinarian
Dr. Paul Rothman
CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
An important part of the NSLC is seeing the sites around some of our nation’s greatest cities. These trips are designed as both sightseeing tours and exclusive educational trips specifically tailored to the area of veterinary medicine.
Trips may include:
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine | Veterinary Teaching Hospital | Copenhaver Sheep Center | Mill Mountain Zoo | William M. Etgen Large Animal Learning Center | Dairy Science Complex - Kentland Farm
UPenn School of Veterinary Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine | New Bolton Center | Ryan Veterinary Hospital for Small Animals | The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University | Philadelphia Zoo | Adventure Aquarium | Independence National Historical Park
Leadership Training
At the heart of the NSLC is a leadership curriculum designed to build concrete leadership skills that will help you succeed. Interactive lectures and small-group workshops will give you an opportunity to build upon your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.
Leadership topics tailored to Veterinary Medicine include:
- Personality Styles and Group Dynamics
- Conflict Resolution
- Negotiation
- Public Speaking
- Intrapersonal Communication
College Credit Option
American University (AU) and NSLC have a unique partnership that enables you to earn college credit by enrolling in a supplemental online course designed to correlate with your NSLC program’s area of study. By enrolling in this credit course, you will enjoy a stimulating, innovative, and personalized college-level learning experience that builds on your NSLC accomplishments. The course is for one credit and is taught in a self-paced, asynchronous format across six weeks, allowing ample time to complete assignments. The course is designed to work within the framework of NSLC; students are not expected to complete coursework while on campus. Students may register for college credit via their personal student portal (myNSLC) once they have enrolled in an NSLC session.
Click here to learn more about this opportunity.
Tuition
Program tuition includes housing, all on-campus meals, course materials, academic expenses, and activities. Tuition also includes chartered, air-conditioned motor coaches for off-campus briefings and tours. Note: Students are responsible for the cost of travel to and from the program as well as individual spending money for souvenirs, laundry, and a few off-campus meals during fields trips and tours.
Click here to view our cancellation and refund policy.
| Location | Tuition |
|---|
| Blacksburg and Philadelphia | $3,895 |
