Questions about Boiler Vet Camp? Contact us.
625 Harrison St.
West Lafayette, IN 47907
765-494-7893
boilervetcamp@purdue.edu
The Senior Boiler Vet Camp focuses on the overall wellness care of a dog, especially those which come from a humane society. These animals are in need of a family to adopt them, so during our camp the young veterinary healthcare professionals learn the steps necessary to select the "right" animal as well as all of the aspects of healthcare they need to be ready for adoption.
The camper groups will meet for the first time their dog. This will be the dog which they will work with all week to take from a "Pooch to a Prince/Princess".
During these sessions, the campers will learn the fundamentals of animal behavior especially those which are important for the selection of a new dog into a home. In addition to these traits, campers will get to learn how to begin the process of training a new dog. These fun sessions come with training not only for their camp dog but for the campers themselves as fellow campers will try to "train" each other and counselors on simple tricks. This is a fun and interesting way to learn the ins and outs of training basics.
All dogs need a good bath. Much fun is had by all campers as everyone works to clean up their camp dog. It is not as easy as it sounds, as veterinary school instructional staff work with the camper groups to learn the many facets of a complete dog bath. The question at the end of this session who got the wettest, the campers or the dogs?
During these sessions as an entire group we come together to talk about what we learned during the day and what we should expect for tomorrow. The campers get to work alongside of their camp counselors as well as a faculty member to discuss the exciting knowledge that they gained that day. These are great sessions and everyone really enjoys putting the pieces of the knowledge puzzle together.
During this session campers will work with faculty and staff from our college to learn the basics of how to complete a physical exam. Working with their camp dogs, they will put these newly acquired skills to work as they examine their dogs to ensure that they are indeed healthy. It is a great way for the campers to use their new stethoscopes which everyone receives as participant in our Boiler Vet Camp.
Blood brings with it much information. Campers will spend time learning the invaluable information which veterinarians learn from a drop of blood. Whether it be what the blood cells look like or it be the normal enzymes which are in the patient's blood, all of this information gives a great picture of the general health of the dog.
This exciting lab allows campers to learn about and even see the many different types of parasites, both internal and external. These may be worms or even ticks and other creatures, but as a veterinarian, one must know the many different ones and how they affect the patient. During this lab the campers will become a parasite detective to discover if their dog has any parasites.
Spending a week on the greatest Big 10 University campus is fun, but now you get to know the fun facts about our great University. There are many sites to see. Along with your camp team, you will take creative pictures to compete against other camp teams for some cool prizes.
Every veterinarian must know how to run an operating room. As the surgeon the veterinarian must follow strict rules in order to stay sterile. During this session, campers get to learn how to properly scrub into a surgery as well as how to gown and glove. This is a fun time as campers learn just how hard it is to not touch things which are not sterile and more importantly how long you have to wash your hands before surgery. This is definitely a great photo op as you will look the part of a young surgeon.
In order to understand the surgical procedure which campers will get to observe (spaying or castration) of their camp dogs, a faculty member will thoroughly explain the procedure to the campers. This session allows the campers to have a hand's on experience with a cadaver dog in which the specific anatomy and surgical approach are discussed.
For many of the campers, their educational path is directed towards veterinary school. Campers will get to learn the specific courses, activities, and characteristics which veterinary school admission committees review for admission to veterinary school.
Veterinarians must understand and administer anesthetic medications for their patients. Working with veterinary anesthesiologists and veterinary nurses, who are specifically educated in veterinary anesthesia, campers will learn how to set up an inhalant (gas) anesthesia system as well as work with the many patient monitoring units which will be used in their camp dog's surgeries.
We will travel by Purdue motorcoach bus to the St. Joe County Humane Society (South Bend, IN) to spend the day learning how a large Humane Society operates as well as get to experience first hand how dogs and cats are accepted by the Humane Society. This is a great chance to see first hand how these animals receive great veterinary care in preparation for them finding new homes.
Along with your camper group you will get to tour the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital; including the new David and Bonnie Brunner Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex. This unique opportunity is certainly a privilege which is limited to Boiler Vet Campers. You will get to see the veterinary and veterinary nursing students working alongside of the instructional staff and faculty.
Each of camp dogs will undergo surgery for either their spay or castration. This extremely important routine procedure is a key step in their wellness care and needs for placement from the humane society. The campers will observe, tableside, these surgeries. The faculty surgeons along with fourth year veterinary students will perform the surgeries, but the campers are encouraged to ask questions and will have the opportunity to examine the tissues from the surgery. This a great, real-life experience that not only benefits the camper for the experience but also is a true benefit for the patient.
The ER is not just for people. Everyday animals are presented to veterinary emergency hospitals for various reasons. It is important as a veterinary healthcare professional that emergency procedures and life-saving skills are well understood and ready for any situation. Campers will work with a faculty ER doctor who will share with them the basics of life-saving skills (CPR) as well as other first aid skills. This hands on lab is a favorite by campers as they get to practice placing bandages and performing CPR on the resuscitation dummies.
During the week campers work in their camper groups alongside a second or third year veterinary student who is their camp counselor. The camper groups are taking photos and pooling all of the knowledge which they are learning. The end result will be their presentation to their family and friends who will attend the closing ceremonies on Saturday morning. The campers will present in their groups a 5 minute overview of all that they learned about taking their "Pooch" to a "Prince or Princess". With great photos and sharing of their new found knowledge, campers will impress their family and friends. These presentations are a great way for all of the excitement to come to a final point and the campers not only showcase their camp dogs but they also get to showcase themselves.
