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Our State Fair
When it came time for Melissa Garcia Rodriguez to schedule her fourth-year rotations, one stood out among all others.
“I love attending the Iowa State Fair,” the Iowa native said. “My family goes every year to try the food, see shows, and visit friends.
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“That was very much a factor in me applying for this rotation. It was a chance for my friends and family to see what I do.”
Rodriguez was one of four fourth-year veterinary students who spent two weeks overseeing the health of all animals at the Iowa State Fair. Drs. Rachel Friederich and Megan Hindman, clinical associate professors of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, coordinated the two-week rotation.

“In high school, I showed livestock at the county and state fair for two years,” Rodriguez said. “It meant a lot to me to be able to continue to be involved with the youth and showing livestock and discussing the importance of animal health and welfare.”
Rodriguez and fellow fourth-year students Kelsey Gerwig, Amberly Van Hulzen, and McKenna Von Rentzell are all from Iowa. The four stayed overnight at the fairgrounds and were on call throughout the fair’s run. Rodriguez responded to two emergencies – a sheep choke and a bloated steer.


Overnight emergencies were unusual though as the fourth-year students focused their time on writing health papers, collecting drug samples and providing treatments to a wide variety of animals.
“What I loved about this rotation was the variety in species and cases we would see in one day,” Van Hulzen said. “Each case was different and just like in any mixed animal practice you have to be ready to shift gears and adjust to whatever comes next.”
Those cases included a horse that was colicking and a dippity pig – a condition show pigs can contract.
But the State Fair rotation isn’t just about the patients.
“This rotation has not only the client watching you work, but the public,” Rodriquez said. “Before going to calls we discussed how to approach exams with the different livestock species, treatment options and prognosis.
“We had limited diagnostics, so we had to use our critical thinking skills. It was a great way to utilize our education and our veterinarians were extremely helpful.”
Their time at the State Fair wasn’t all work. You can’t be at the fair without experiencing some of the excitement and fun. During the students’ down time, they would walk around and check out the buildings and exhibits.
“One the first day, I made a ‘Fair Food Bucket-List,’ and I completed that,” Van Hulzen said. “My favorite was the minty moo parfait from the dairy barn. I also really enjoyed watching some of the events including the mounted shooting and horse pulls.
“Two weeks at the fair was exhausting, but I would definitely do it again.” gd