Dr. Christine Long grew up on a farm in Columbus County, got her undergraduate degree and DVM from NC State and then went back home to care for her neighbors and their animals.

Rural veterinarians like her are in short supply today. To encourage students to follow her lead, Dr. Long now mentors Randall B. Terry Jr. Rural Veterinary Scholars at her hospital and mobile service.

The NC State College of Veterinary Medicine created the program in 2024 and has supported a total of 18 veterinary students as they immersed themselves at rural veterinary practices across the state. This summer, our scholars have served at practices based in Johnston, Randolph, Catawba County. McDowell and Person counties in addition to Columbus.

Check out what Dr. Long and four scholars say about their incredible experiences at the link in our profile. #problemsolvers #ruralveterinarians #thinkanddo

http://ncst.at/9UO950ZtoB7

What does a veterinary student do during the summer? More students than ever before are in NC State’s Veterinary Scholars Program — the largest of its kind. Check out the link in our bio to see how these students are pushing beyond the curriculum and advancing modern research.
http://ncst.at/b3vI50ZssTm
#VeterinaryMedicine

#FromtheField correspondent Kristen Folk`s interest in becoming a DVM was sparked when, as a child, she took home a free goat and began breeding and showing meat goats through 4-H. This summer, she has returned to those roots.

A part of the Veterinary Scholars Program, Folk is working in Dr. Jennifer Halleran`s lab on a research project involving goats with obstructive urolithiasis, a condition in which a blockage, generally caused by excess minerals clumping into stones, prevents adequate passing of urine. 🐐

"It was fascinating to evaluate trends based on the types of stones that formed," Folk says. "Unlike small animals, where nutrition can often be managed through formulated pet food, large animal nutrition is much more complex. Hay, pasture, supplements and even regional soil composition all influence the minerals animals consume in addition to their preformulated grain rations, and I learned just how important those environmental differences can be when diet is a factor in this condition."

Don`t miss the rest of her report, linked in our profile. #vetstudent #VSP2026 #ruminanthealth

#FromtheField On Nebraska and Kansas cattle farms, correspondent Isabella Black has now experienced the full range of cow life, watching embryo transfers on one end and helping with necropsies on the other. With anatomy and pathology classes recently completed, Black says she was excited to put those classroom lessons to use in a real-world practice.

Helping vaccinate 2,100 piglets, observing anesthetized goats and checking cows for pregnancies also added to her summer internship experience.🐷

"As my week progressed, I helped the veterinarians with their dairy herd health checks," she says. "I palpated more than 100 cows, checking for pregnancies. I highly recommend adding this to your gym routine because your arm will in fact turn into Jell-O." 💪

Don`t miss the rest of her report at the link in our profile.

#foodanimalvet #vetstudent #ncstatevetmed #ruminanthealth

Always at the cutting edge of uncemented hip replacements for larger dogs, @NCState is on its way to offering the life-changing surgeries for small dogs and cats as well.

A veterinary device manufacturer recently started offering the tinier implants for the first time, and our Dr. David Knazovicky, one of the few surgeons now completing a fellowship in joint replacement surgery, is on deck for training for the surgery on a smaller scale.

Get the full story and timeline here at the link in our profile.

#cuttingedge #veterinarymedicine #caninehealth #felinehealth

👉 `It was really, really cool, a really healthy dynamic.`
👉 `A great opportunity for anyone just to learn about research and how a lab works.`
👉 `Being able to continue working and see all of my research on this poster is really rewarding.`

The study has ended, the data is in and #NCStateVetMed is pleased to release the results:

✅ Our inaugural VetRISE summer program offering 11 North Carolina high schoolers an opportunity to immerse themselves in research with some of our most prominent scientists was a success in every category. 🎉

Conclusion: NC State will offer the program again next summer.

Read more about the experience at the link in our profile.

#VETRISE #researchpioneers #veterinarymedicine

Dr. Monique Pairis-Garcia is so exceptional at improving the lives of pigs 🐷 that, for the first time, the American Veterinary Medicine Association is honoring a researcher dedicated primarily to swine welfare with its annual Animal Welfare Award

Pairis-Garcia, a professor of global production animal welfare at @ncstate College of Veterinary Medicine, says she is proud to be recognized for her work advancing pain management for swine in partnership with the pork industry.

“I would not have been able to accomplish what I have in pig welfare without the open door policy from the industry and the commitment that our college and university have to serve our agriculture industries in our state,” she says.

Explore her fascinating career at the link in our profile.

#animalwelfare #swinevet #AVMA2026

Five states down, about 100 dairy workers representing eight countries interviewed and Kate Bessette is well on her way to becoming a well-rounded veterinarian. The #FromtheField correspondent, who recently visited dairy farms in Georgia and Florida to talk with workers about their knowledge of antibiotic use, has found the experience of working on a Veterinary Scholars Program research project incredibly rewarding.

"While our study focused on communication and antimicrobial stewardship among dairy workers, it also highlighted the tremendous opportunity we have to strengthen relationships between veterinarians, producers and the people who care for these animals every day."

Get the rest of her report at the link in our profile!

#fromthefield #veterinaryresearch #dairyfarms #antimicrobial