• by Tanya Gazdik , March 6, 2019

Royal Canin pet food is sponsoring a contest that encourages young people to consider a veterinary career. 

Vet Set Go’s 2019 “Become a Veterinarian Camp Contest” will give three aspiring veterinary students a spot at Auburn University’s Junior Vet Camp.

Royal Canin is supporting the contest with social media and public relations. There will also be a syndicated TV segment with daytime parts to promote.

Winners (who must be in grades 6 to 8) will receive free tuition, meals, and housing for the program. In addition, every student who enters will receive a free Vet Set Go quiz, which helps identify the most important activity categories for future veterinarians and gives an actual score in each area. 

Children in the program will learn about public health, food, animals, wildlife, anatomy, x-rays, and first aid, as well as gain valuable mentoring about veterinary science careers while on the campus in Auburn, Ala.

The third annual contest, which Royal Canin has sponsored since its beginning, runs through March 29. To enter the contest, students can share their personal story on why they want to become veterinarians and include a photo of them helping or enjoying time with animals.

The New York Life 2017 Imagination Survey of children 12 and under found that the second most popular future job for children is veterinarian. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of veterinarians is projected to grow 19% from 2016 to 2026, which is much faster than the projected growth for all other occupations.