Open House
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine's Open House
April 15, 2023
Doors open to the public from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Open House is our opportunity to share the joys of our profession with the community. Veterinary students and members of the faculty and staff host this annual event that provides a chance for those interested to get a closer look at veterinary medicine. We invite you to tour our college and learn more about our facilities, our equipment and what we do every day.
Students, faculty members and staff will be on hand to answer your questions about a career as a veterinarian, a veterinary technician or an animal care specialist. Careers in veterinary medicine have traditionally involved working with dogs, cats, cows, horses, sheep and pigs. However, this rapidly growing field also provides opportunities to work in the animal health industry, government, armed forces and with many other species in zoos, wildlife refuges and developing countries.
Please note: Personal pets are NOT allowed at Open House. Admission to the event is free. Donations are welcome! Registration is not required.
Schedule of Activities
Events, Demos and Tours 2023 (Times to be determined)
- K9 Officer Demonstration: See our canine police officers in action - first come, first serve!
- Ithaca Dog Sports Club Canine Agility Demonstration: Watch canine athletes run through an obstacle course and learn more about this fun owner-dog team sport - first come, first serve!
- Raptor Flight Demo: The Raptor Program will give their annual talk on our birds and get to meet them firsthand.
- Teaching Dairy Barn tours every half hour. Tours are approximately 50 minutes.
- Virtual Hospital and Animal Health Diagnostic Center tours
- Ultrasound demos throughout the day
- Canine water treadmill demo: throughout the day
- Equine treadmill demo: throughout the day
- MRC Tours: Get a sneak peek of the models the veterinary students use
- Lecture Schedule 2023
Admissions Information and Veterinary Career Sessions
For those interested in applying to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as for those who just want to know more about veterinary education and careers in veterinary medicine, there will be admissions and veterinary career information sessions throughout the day:
Admission Presentations and Student Panels
In LH4 with Jennifer Mailey, Director of Admissions
(get there early as it fills up fast)
Toxicology
In LH1
Poultry
In LH2
Dentistry
In LH2
Beekeeping
In LH2
Shelter Medicine
In LH1
Interactive/Educational Exhibits 2023
We will have a wide range of exhibits for you to enjoy, many back by popular demand!
-
Acupuncture
- Dentistry - learn about tooth health in your dogs and cats
- Cardiology - learn all about animal CPR with our lifelike animal models
- Canine Water Treadmill - watch a dog use a water-filled treadmill and learn about rehabilitation
- Imaging (ultrasound and radiology) - see the inside like the veterinarians do! Discover more about the anatomy of your pets
- Pathology Club’s Gross Science - all kinds of weird, creepy and downright nifty specimens
- Small Animal Physical Exam - get your hands on a pup or a cat and learn how the veterinarians do it
- Camelids - meet a camel
- Equine treadmill - see a HORSE. On a TREADMILL. See a demonstration of our state-of-the-art performance treadmill used to study orthopedic and cardiovascular diseases of horses
- Painted horse - get a beautiful image of a horse’s insides
- Milking cow - learn how to milk a cow
- Hole-y cow - Blossom, our famous fistulated cow, will once again be showing off her rumen! Learn how cows digest their food
- Petting zoo - come and meet a variety of farmyard friends
- Pocket pets - chinchillas and rats can be awful sweet, come see
- Herptiles - snakes and lizards to meet
- Wildlife health - identify skulls, learn how to wrap an injured wing, dart a wild beast and learn about our Wildlife Health Center
- Dress like a surgeon - get on all the gear you’ll need for your future
-
Teddy Bear ER - got a busted bear? Let the Cornell Vet Students fix it up. Vet Students will surgically repair your wounded stuffed animals* with TLC.
*PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN INJURED STUFFED ANIMAL FOR TEDDY BEAR ER. WE ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH STUFFED ANIMALS FOR SURGERY. - Face painting - Get your face painted with your favorite animal ($1.00 minimum donation)
- Watch as our expert farrier fabricate horse shoes throughout the day
Booths 2023
Local Non-Profits - These groups are animal shelters and other animal-focused organizations within our community. Many bring animals along with them, and they’re all ready to answer questions and fill you in on what they do!
- Cornell Companions
- Cornell Herpetological Society
- Finger Lakes Adopt-A-Grey
- Golden Retriever Rescue of CNY
- Guiding Eyes for the Blind
- House Rabbit Society
- Humane Society of Schuyler County
- Oxbow Animal Health
- Purpose Farm
- SPCA of Tompkins County
- Southside Healthy Pet Clinic
- Standardbred Retirement Foundation
- Tompkins County Dairy Princess
Corporate Sponsors, Government Agencies, Technician Schools - Come learn about some of the other aspects of animal health, from public health with the Health Department, to how to become a veterinary technician. We’ll also have a few sponsors with information on their pet products!
- Royal Canin
- The Farmer's Dog
- Purina
- Banfield
- Hill's
- IDEXX Laboratories
- Boehringer Ingelheim
- Nutramax Laboratories, Inc.
- Blue Pearl
- Blue Buffalo
- HyTec
- Trupanion
Other features
Annual SAVMA Sale of Cornell Apparel
The Cornell Dairy Bar, just a 5 minute walk from the veterinary school, sells an array of food items including sandwiches, snacks, and Cornell’s very own ice cream! Just follow the signs placed outside of the vet school to find the dairy bar.
Directions
Our doors will open at 10 am. Open House lasts until 4 pm. Parking and admission are free. Donations are accepted.
For your GPS use: 930 Campus Road, Ithaca, NY 14853
The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine is at the intersection of Route 366 and Tower Road in Ithaca, New York. Open House visitors should park in the large "O" parking lot just off Tower Road and enter the college through the Veterinary Medical Center Public Entrance. The doors are under the open house banner in the Veterinary Education Center.
From the north: Take Route 34 South to Route 13 South to Ithaca; turn onto Buffalo Street; turn right onto Albany Street; turn left onto Green Street; turn left onto Route 366; at the Y intersection, bear right; turn left on to Tower Road across from Cornell Orchards.
From the northeast: Take Route 13 South toward Ithaca; turn left onto Route 366 (by NYSEG); turn right onto Tower Road across from Cornell Orchards.
From the south: Take Route 13 North to Ithaca; turn right onto Green Street; turn left onto Route 366; at the Y intersection, bear right; turn left on to Tower Road across from Cornell Orchards.
From the east: Take Route 79 West to Ithaca; turn right onto Pine Tree Road; continue until 4-way stop sign; turn right onto Route 366; turn left on to Tower Road across from Cornell Orchards.
From the west: Take Route 79 East, Route 96 South, or Route 89 South to Ithaca; after you cross the inlet bridge, turn right onto Fulton (one-way street); at the Route 13/Meadow Street intersection, continue straight across onto Clinton Street; turn left onto Albany Street; turn right onto Green Street; Green Street turns into State Street and continues to be Route 79 East; continue up State Street; bear left onto Mitchell Street; bear left onto Ithaca Street; turn right onto Route 366; turn left onto Tower Road across from Cornell Orchards.