This Saturday, the College of Veterinary Medicine will hold an open house event, offering students a chance to see their new hospital.

The annual open house event was put on a four-year hiatus, as construction of the Randall B. Terry, Jr. Companion Animal Veterinary Medical Center took place. With the addition of this cutting-edge veterinary hospital, students and faculty are excited to show off the College of Veterinary Medicine, which ranks third in the nation.

The open house is a culmination of months of hard work by students, who organize and run the event under faculty supervision.

“We haven’t had [an open house] in so long, so none of the current students have ever been through this kind of event before,” Charlie Jenkins, first-year student in the veterinary program, said.

Jenkins will spend the morning working with cows doing demonstrations, answering questions and helping visitors milk a cow Saturday. Her afternoon will be spent at one of the more light-hearted events, the Teddy Bear Clinic.

“Children usually like the anatomy lab. We also have a Teddy Bear suture clinic hosted by the surgery clinic,” David Green, director of communications for the college, said.

Several student demonstrations plan to cover topics such as how to safely move large animals, and what kinds of parasites to look for in your pet.

Several household animals will be present during the open house, including rabbits, hamsters and snakes. Pigs, cows and other large animals will also be there.

Jennine Lection, junior in animal science and member of the pre-vet club, is excited for the event.

“I used to go to the open house every year, and since then I’ve shadowed jobs at the school and volunteered,” Lection said.

Though she is required to attend the event, Lection is excited to volunteer for the day.

The first 10 exhibits take place in the Terry Center, where visitors can see the new equipment being used to pioneer both animal and human medicine.

75 percent of human diseases are seen in animals first, according to Green, who stressed the importance of making veterinary medical discoveries.

Another new addition to the event is the video, “Man’s Best Hope,” which will play on a looped reel throughout the day. The video demonstrates how veterinary medicine can be applied to human medicine.

“We want to show North Carolina what their veterinary school is doing,” Lection said. “It started because of the need for veterinary medicine in the state, and this is a great opportunity to have it open. Normally, you can only get in if you’re bringing in an animal for treatment.”

Green, though optimistic about the event, worried that a four year absence might mean a decrease in attendance.

“The first few years, I was flooded with phone calls asking if we were having the event. The last year or so, though, I haven’t gotten any,” Green said.

Despite this change, Jenkins says they are still expecting about 10,000 people to attend.

“Students have spent quite a lot of time on this. It’s a huge time commitment,” Jenkins said.

With such a large dedication of time and effort required, it’s interesting to learn the open house will not give students any class credit.

“We’re doing it because we love our school and we want everyone to see that,” Jenkins said.

This year’s event also marks the first public celebration of N.C. State’s 125th anniversary. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. No pre-registration is necessary.

The open house is located at 1060 William Moore Dr., on the corner of Hillsborough Street and Blue Ridge Avenue.