AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) – Boxes are being pushed and offices set up for the Texas Tech School for Veterinary Medicine, which is preparing to open its doors to its first class of undergraduate students next week.
Moving from her interim office at the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health to this new building took six months of logistical work.
The professors are already in the room and are happy that the final touches will be carried out on the east wing of their campus in Amarillo this week.
“That veterinary school we went to a year ago was just a mess, so we’re really excited to be moving into a facility like this,” said Jennifer Kozial, associate professor at Texas Tech School for Veterinary Medicine.
Inside there are classrooms, work areas and conference rooms that are available to students.
“This is going to be a great facility for teaching and educating the students to use in rural and regional communities so we’re really excited,” said Kozial.
Their Mariposa station, where the animals are kept, allows students to do hands-on training in animal research.
“The facility we’re designing is designed to give you instructions on day one,” said Scott Mitchell, facility director for the School of Veterinary Medicine. “The whole goal of producing this vet is to have them ready on day one when they graduate and get into the practice.”
They will also have simulation labs in the west wing of the Amarillo campus where students learn how to interact with patients and customers, and their learning experience here will create veterinarians for the area.
“In four years we will likely have over 400 faculty, staff, and students on campus, all of whom are living and contributing to the community.
The students will come through the doors from Monday morning for orientation.
The facilities are not yet open to the public, but a ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on October 22nd.
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