The next dose of reality television will be prescribed by MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
MSU’s campus will be the setting for “Vet School Confidential,” a brand new program for the Animal Planet cable network.
The lives of several MSU veterinary students will be documented in the 13-episode series, to air next fall.
“You aren’t going to watch it and learn how to be a vet,” said Chris Oldroyd, a producer with Rocket Pictures, which is creating the show for Animal Planet.
“But it’s a show for animal lovers and we are just trying to accurately portray the life of a vet med student.”
The company researched veterinary medicine schools throughout the country before narrowing its search for the show’s setting down to two schools - MSU and the University of Florida at Gainesville.
“But we fell in love with (MSU’s) campus, the school and the students,” Oldroyd said.
Janver Krehbiel, associate dean for Academic Programs in the College of Veterinary Medicine, said Rocket Pictures visited MSU for the first time about two years ago.
Representatives interviewed nearly 75 students and toured the campus and veterinary medicine facilities.
Krehbiel said he wasn’t surprised MSU was chosen because of the quality of its facilities and students.
“There is a lot of state-of-the-art technology and we have a teaching hospital that really lends itself nicely to instruction, but also to service,” he said. “They were pleased with the demeanor of the students and thought there were some unique individuals.”
The college was informed last summer that it would be featured in the new show.
Producers and a camera crew began filming the show this semester and will continue until May. They have been following featured MSU veterinary students to classes, to work in the clinics and anywhere else they may go.
“These are real people who really are interesting and have a lot going on in their life,” Oldroyd said. “You will know who they are as people.”
The cameras followed Rachel Cezar, a third-year veterinary medicine student, out for a night of dancing recently. Soon, they’ll document her work with horses.
Each episode will focus on one or two animal cases being treated by a student. Rocket Pictures also produces “Emergency Vets,” an Animal Planet program about emergency animal care.
Cezar said she’s a little nervous about working in the spotlight, but hopes she’ll inspire future veterinarians who watch the show.
“It’s good for younger people to see that the vet school isn’t really as intimidating as many people assume it to be,” she said. “It’s hard but you can get through it.”
Danielle Chapman, also a third-year veterinary medicine student, said the show will be both educational and entertaining.
“They just want to film us doing our own natural thing,” she said. “But right now, there’s so much we are learning and there’s many mistakes we can make.
“When the camera is there you kind of learn just to laugh at yourself.”
Krehbiel said the faculty at the college is excited to be recognized on national television.
“It is a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase the College of Veterinary Medicine, MSU and our profession,” he said. “And I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for the general viewing public to learn more about the profession of veterinary medicine.”
