The University of Georgia’s newly constructed Veterinary Medical Center will become the training ground for third- and fourth-year veterinary students when it opens March 25. The 300,000-square-foot complex includes the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the Veterinary Education Center, an equine performance arena, and the Field Services Building, which will feature an equine dental suite and housing for mares and foals. The facilities replace a 35-year-old teaching hospital that sees more than 24,500 small and large animal visits a year and ranks as one of the smallest in the United States. “The future of veterinary education in Georgia will be well served through this facility for many years to come,” said Sheila Allen, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. The new hospital can be expanded as needs change and is three times larger than the old building, which will be turned into research and instructional space. Among the architectural features are open lobbies and corridors partly illuminated by natural light, an outdoor courtyard and green space. The adjacent Veterinary Education Center offers 80-seat and two 40-seat classrooms for third-year students as well as a 160-seat auditorium for lectures and continuing education courses. First- and second-year students and most of the college’s basic science departments and administrative offices will remain on the main campus, the university reported. The $97 million Veterinary Medical Center was funded by the state and private donors. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Feb. 13.
