Fourth-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students at the University of Minnesota have more than 60 clinical rotation options to put their skills and knowledge to the test while gaining valuable hands-on experience. 

But, only one rotation puts them in front of thousands of people and tasks them with answering questions on the spot while caring for newborn animals and their mothers: the Miracle of Birth Center during the Minnesota State Fair. 

There, these students spend two weeks working alongside volunteers from the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association, College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Minnesota Future Farmers of America. Their duties include conducting health assessments, updating medical records, monitoring animals in labor, and answering questions posed by fairgoers. 

Planning to pursue a career in food animal medicine, veterinary student Mikayla Schlosser enjoyed having a chance to share that passion with the public while also building communication skills vital for practicing medicine after graduation. 

“From my experience, it was a wonderful opportunity to show people how much care, love, and passion farmers and veterinarians have for these animals, as well as the work that goes into providing them with a high quality of life and producing safe, high-quality animal products,” she says. 

Celebrating its 25th year at the fair, the Miracle of Birth Center (MOBC) is considered one of the most popular free exhibits, with tens of thousands of visitors passing through each day to peek at newborns and potentially see a birth. Keeping center operations on track requires successful teamwork and communication—a lesson in coordination that veterinary student Alison McIver says she will carry forward into her career. 

“It truly takes a village to provide animals with the care they need, and the MOBC gave me the opportunity to work closely with veterinarians, veterinary students, staff, and animal owners to ensure the animals were healthy and well cared for,” she says. “I also learned how important public education is to our role as veterinarians. Taking the time to answer questions, explain animal care and husbandry, and address misunderstandings can help people better understand the work we do and, ultimately, build trust between veterinarians and the communities we serve.”

The rotation also gave McIver valuable experience working with farm animals, a type of patient she likely won’t encounter in her planned career path of small animal emergency medicine. 

Throughout the 12 days of the fair, at least 160 animals were born at the center, including 125 piglets, 25 lambs and 10 calves. 

One of the most notable births that McIver assisted with was the delivery of twin lambs on the second day of her rotation. She shared the experience with her veterinary school best friend, and the pair were able to name the lambs, with McIver choosing Tuesday and her friend picking Poppi. 

“Getting to experience our first lambing together and then have the opportunity to name the twins made it especially memorable,” McIver adds. “It is a memory from vet school that I will forever hold close to my heart.”

For Schlosser, the birth that stuck in her mind was Dolly, a dairy calf. She had previously practiced the process on models at school, but this represented her first time delivering a real calf. 

“It was a wonderful learning opportunity, especially because I have an upcoming rotation on a large dairy farm where I will be able to build on this experience,” she says. “After getting to assist with a calf birth for the first time in front of an audience, I feel much more confident in my ability to do it again alongside farm staff.”