Academia & Education
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AAVSB pushes to forefront of telemedicine debate
4/6/2018
Model practice act aims to unleash remote veterinary care
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COE to reconsider University of Arizona's veterinary program
3/23/2018
UA inked six-figure deal with consultant Mark Cushing
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UK veterinarians cautious on plan for new school
2/16/2018
Low wages, long hours in profession a concern
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Veterinary student essay contest seeks 'solutions for the profession'
1/24/2018
Last year's winners tackled school debt, mental health, leadership gender imbalance
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COE amends standards to address veterinary student well-being, debt
1/4/2018
Jan. 31 deadline to comment on revisions to standard 11
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MSU dean leads efforts to make veterinary college affordable
12/7/2017
Baker pushes reforms in fight against debt but plans to step down in 2018
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Banfield joins employer trend with offer to defray student debt
12/1/2017
Well-intentioned programs might be ill-advised for some borrowers, experts caution
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PennVet receives long-awaited $30.1 million from state
11/3/2017
Contentious budget negotiations end positively for university
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Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Looking for a unicorn
10/30/2017
Federal program matures amid high uncertainty
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South Dakota State mulls joint veterinary school with Minnesota
10/13/2017
Proposed 2+2 would be fifth such partnership in the U.S.
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Synthetic dogs now used in veterinary education
8/11/2017
Can veterinary students adequately learn surgical skills by practicing on fake patients?
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How much pre-veterinary experience is enough?
8/3/2017
As applicants rack up hours, schools rethink the requirements
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UC Davis veterinary hospital makeover in the works
7/26/2017
$508 million price draws concern
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COE seeks veterinarian input on accreditation changes
6/21/2017
Comparison: Does COE independence match that of accreditor for human medicine?
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Letters: Is COE autonomy for real?
6/19/2017
Veterinarian shares doubts; AVMA responds
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Budding veterinary programs battle on
5/19/2017
Plans renewed for University of Arizona, Texas Tech veterinary colleges
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AAVMC: Fewer men, more debt in veterinary academia
4/24/2017
Pool of veterinary school applicants narrows to 1.7-to-1; tuition increases slow
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What role does accreditor play in protecting students?
4/11/2017
Q&A with CVTEA on veterinary-technology program closures
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Penn responds to governor’s plan to defund veterinary school
4/3/2017
Gov. Tom Wolf lays groundwork to strip $30.1 million from program
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Abrupt Heritage College closure strands vet tech students
2/3/2017
For-profit vocational schools failing in droves
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When safety, learning conflict in veterinary school
11/16/2016
On aggressive patients, school policies differ widely
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University of Illinois reports largest veterinary class
10/12/2016
Spike in class size meets funding, space woes at veterinary college
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Education costs, student debt top COE agenda
9/16/2016
USDE verdict could help accrediting body shed troubled past
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COE rejects Arizona veterinary program
8/11/2016
University of Arizona to appeal COE decision
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Federal panel finds in veterinary accrediting body’s favor
7/5/2016
Concerns linger as AVMA COE earns positive recommendation
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Accreditation hangup delays veterinary college opening
6/23/2016
University of Arizona: 'We have people beating down our doors to come in'
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‘How could I get duped by these people?’
6/21/2016
Veterinarian spurred to handle own debt repayments
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Student borrowers susceptible to shady debt-relief pitches
6/20/2016
Veterinarians among vulnerable population
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Make price paramount when choosing veterinary school, many advise
5/10/2016
Other considerations include campus culture, location, program emphases
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COE extends probation for Tuskegee’s veterinary school
4/29/2016
Status of University of Arizona's bid for accreditation unclear
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Another review of AVMA COE nears
3/31/2016
Public comments due April 8
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A call for ‘weird and wacky’ cats
1/22/2016
Geneticist aims to analyze genomes of 99 felines
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Economist forecasts recession, strains on veterinary education
1/15/2016
Dicks discusses upshot of more veterinary schools
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Report rekindles debate on rural veterinary workforce
12/21/2015
Methodology questioned in provocative study on Appalachia
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Leaders aim to end battle over veterinary accreditation
7/24/2015
House rejects bids to study or alter how COE functions
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Leininger appeal culminates without resolution
7/8/2015
Hearing kicks off days of debate on veterinary accreditation
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Veterinarians challenge AVMA status quo
7/3/2015
USDE taps COE to evaluate foreign schools amid calls to upend how the accrediting body operates
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Help a colleague become debt-free
6/17/2015
Private student loan consolidation: why it's not for most veterinary graduates
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Student-loan advising company in trouble
3/12/2015
Graduate Leverage LLC accused of investor fraud
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Veterinary internships lack uniform quality
2/24/2015
Concerned about exploitation, AAHA offers new accreditation option
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Resolve to review student-loan payment strategy
2/10/2015
Tax season a good time for the task
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Government orders COE to mend rift with veterinarians
12/16/2014
Auditors want to know why AVMA accrediting body removed council members
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First canine Ebola quarantine met with good luck
11/17/2014
Texas veterinarians recount 16 days with Bentley
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New veterinary degrees may not pay off, economists find
10/29/2014
AVMA conference highlights debt, salary issues
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Government review of veterinary accreditation nears
9/22/2014
Deadline to submit comments to review panel is today
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University of Arizona eyes 2015 opening for veterinary program
9/10/2014
Inaugural classes begin at Lincoln Memorial, Midwestern
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Tuition hikes flatten as high cost of veterinary school gains attention
8/26/2014
Deans explore ways to contain students' expense, debt
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'Call to action' sounded in long battle over veterinary accreditation
7/21/2014
Political wrangling over COE headed to Washington
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Settlement proposed for Michigan State University borrowers gives little comfort
7/1/2014
Program participants lost promised interest subsidy
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Dr. Murray Fowler's legacy lives in those he inspired
5/29/2014
Veterinarian who revolutionized zoo animal medicine dies at age 85
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Bill giving veterinarians leeway to carry controlled drugs advances
4/25/2014
Little opposition surfaces
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Boyce ushers major changes to NAVLE while eyeing retirement
3/3/2014
Partnership with human medicine poised to modernize veterinary exam
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Equine hospital by New York racetrack revived
2/27/2014
Cornell University signs lease-buy agreement
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Bid to end foreign veterinary accreditation dies at AVMA meeting
1/16/2014
House of Delegates votes to continue spreading U.S. standards internationally
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Alaska veterinary education advocates cite unique needs
1/3/2014
Partnership with Colorado State begins in 2015
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Printing 3-D models eases complicated veterinary surgeries
12/20/2013
Auburn University radiologist promotes new tool
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Biomedical science master’s for veterinary professionals extends online
12/10/2013
University of Missouri touts convenience, flexibility
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Overseas opinion dulls repute of AVMA accreditation as ‘gold standard’
9/16/2013
Critics question AVMA’s mission to elevate veterinary education in Europe
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Montana doubles support for veterinary education
9/13/2013
Washington-Montana veterinary school partnership won’t boost class size
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Veiled results from AVMA membership survey rile veterinarians
7/26/2013
Delegates asked to sign confidentiality in exchange for access
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Lincoln Memorial’s veterinary college receives accreditation go-ahead
7/17/2013
Proposed veterinary education in Buffalo, N.Y., reportedly busts
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Midwestern veterinary college earns nod toward accreditation
6/20/2013
Program to open area densely populated by veterinarians
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When dental schools closed: lessons for veterinary profession?
6/10/2013
Student applications, not practice economics, drove decisions
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AVMA leaders mull organization's future in international accreditation
6/4/2013
Veterinarians lambaste AVMA report that avoids workforce, economy issues
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Veterinarians react to academia’s expansion into private sector
4/11/2013
Ohio State's new specialty practice pits school against alumni, critics say
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Final destination for Ross veterinary students — Buffalo?
3/7/2013
Abandoned medical facility could become veterinary teaching hospital
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Government orders veterinary-school accreditor to correct problems
12/14/2012
Veterinarians air criticisms before education panel
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AVMA’s role as education accreditor scrutinized
12/11/2012
USDE addresses critics as scheduled review of COE draws near
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Satellite practices: academic evolution or unfair competition?
10/26/2012
OSU to open emergency, specialty practice in Columbus suburb
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Welfare college receives provisional recognition
8/16/2012
Veterinarians eager to watch specialty group evolve
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Delegates punt move to eliminate AVMA vice presidency
8/13/2012
Task force to assess relevance of leadership position
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Can MDs and DVMs bridge the cultural divide?
7/24/2012
Physician champions concept of 'zoobiquity'
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Veterinarians try to make sense of Cuddon case
4/5/2012
CSU seeks permanent restraining order against veterinary neurologist
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‘Special Direct Consolidation Loan’ offer confuses borrowers
3/19/2012
Limited offer exemplifies complexity of school-debt repayment options
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Economist's talk rouses debate among veterinarians in academia
3/16/2012
New models for veterinary education presented
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Clinic to serve needy pet owners, veterinary students
2/22/2012
High school setting believed to be a first
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Student debt relief option: Instant gain, distant pain
1/4/2012
Pros and cons of Income-Based Repayment
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Purdue veterinary school becomes ‘college’
12/28/2011
Name change ratified by Board of Trustees
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AUA closes veterinary medical program
12/12/2011
Students forced to seek education elsewhere
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Bid to bring veterinary education to Alaska stirs debate
11/9/2011
Fears of oversaturation weigh on need for more veterinarians
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AAVMC leadership change puts Osburn at helm
10/21/2011
Dr. Marguerite Pappaioanou resigns to pursue work in public health
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Veterinarian campaigns for awareness of mammary gland cancer
9/30/2011
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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St. George’s veterinary school receives U.S. accreditation
9/23/2011
Roughly 90 percent of program's graduates draw from North America
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Dr. Donald Patterson: veterinary genetics pioneer and more
9/8/2011
Award recognizes lifelong medical research contributions
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Homeopathy group sues AAVSB over CE credits
8/16/2011
Controversy shines spotlight on inner workings of RACE
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Colorado State to examine rubble in fire's wake
8/2/2011
Source of blaze that destroyed Equine Reproduction Laboratory unknown
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AVMA task force to review merits of foreign accreditation
7/20/2011
Resolution stripped of economic language on advice of AVMA lawyer
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New Jersey forgoes AVMA House of Delegates
7/8/2011
‘Dramatic gesture’ underscores doubt about House’s relevance
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ISU settles lawsuit with veterinarians
6/29/2011
Specialty referral practice to pay ISU
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Resolutions ask AVMA to explore foreign accreditation, globalization efforts
5/20/2011
Members seek greater transparency into AVMA's international activities
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AVMA terminates online CE venture
4/22/2011
AVMA Ed to close by Dec. 31
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New Utah veterinary education program wins approval, funding
3/11/2011
Plan stirs concerns about a potential oversupply of practitioners
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Ross’ veterinary medical school earns U.S. accreditation
3/9/2011
First Caribbean program to receive COE's approval
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Renowned veterinarian Dr. Robert W. Kirk dies
1/20/2011
Veterinarian had worldwide impact on profession
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Physicians and veterinarians to share perspectives
1/7/2011
“Zoobiquity” conference aims to bridge medical divide
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Veterinary student debt continues to climb
1/4/2011
Despite years of concern, solutions remain elusive
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Debt problem is everyone’s
1/4/2011
Most student loans financed by taxpayers
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Proposed welfare specialty college bends to veterinarians' concerns
12/16/2010
AVMA welfare principles no longer a point of contention
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AVMA seeks third-party audit of accreditation program
12/10/2010
Voluntary review meant to allay scrutiny, concerns raised by veterinarians
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Utah Regents approve new veterinary school
12/9/2010
Final decision rests with Legislature
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Utah Regents to vote on new veterinary medical program
12/8/2010
Plan requires millions of dollars in support from Legislature
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Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program gets off ground
11/9/2010
First USDA awards go to 62 recipients
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Texas veterinarians mull reviving bid to examine AVMA’s role in global accreditation
8/19/2010
Those calling for audit face accusations of racism; issue clouded by politics, some contend
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Proposed animal welfare college challenged by veterinarians
8/5/2010
Critics lambast mandate to sign AVMA welfare principles
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Foreign-school accreditation clash continues in JAVMA
7/21/2010
Editorial letters express concern in July 15 edition
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What's happening with accreditation of foreign health professional schools?
7/13/2010
Veterinarians in heated debate; dentists pushed to test water; physicians eye from a distance
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Veterinarians question AVMA's role in international accreditation
7/13/2010
Texas resolution calls for self-study
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Veterinarians to AVMA: Talk to us
7/6/2010
In VIN survey, group rates low on communication, high on leadership
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Renowned statistician to teach course for veterinarians
6/1/2010
Course outlines main statistical concepts used in veterinary research
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St. George's shuns rumors of closing, seeks U.S. accreditation
5/14/2010
Federal student aid could soon be available to students
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UNAM appeals failed bid for U.S. accreditation
4/22/2010
AVMA COE tight-lipped on findings that led to negative decision
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CSU professor remains in critical condition following accident
4/2/2010
Support pours in from community
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Prospect of accreditation for Mexican program fuels concern from U.S. veterinarians
3/12/2010
COE silent on recent UNAM verdict
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Western U receives full accreditation
3/5/2010
COE grants three-year window
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Accreditation under fire in veterinary medicine
2/26/2010
Concerns surface with the accreditation bids of two controversial programs
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Osburn resigns from Banfield board of directors
2/13/2010
UC Davis dean cites potential conflict of interest as impetus for decision
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Animal welfare initiative could divide Ohio veterinarians
2/11/2010
HSUS 'serious' about winning ballot measure to ban cramped housing for farm animals
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AVMA seeks to deter news investigation
1/21/2010
Alleges reporter misappropriated confidential documents
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Colleges grow with satellite clinics
10/21/2009
Ventures breed hostility from private sector in some cases
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UI clinic opens shop in Chicago
9/22/2009
Supporters express high hopes for satellite clinic
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H1N1 virus played no part in UC Davis worker's death
8/12/2009
Official cause of death pending
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UC Davis death prompts warning of Type A H1N1 pandemic flu
8/10/2009
Administrative assistant complained of flu-like symptoms prior to death
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AU veterinary student missing in Thailand
7/30/2009
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Revision to AVMA’s policy on acquiring research animals gets ax
7/13/2009
'Pound seizure' illegal in 17 states
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UC Davis opens stem-cell program for horses
6/23/2009
Stem-cell therapy: a highly active field
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Father of veterinary cardiology remembered for unceasing labor, curiosity
3/3/2009
Dr. David K. Detweiler leaves legacy in veterinary medicine
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Vet Schools: Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
1/30/2009
Colleges bruised by ailing economy
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Fanconi-like cases continue in Australia
12/15/2008
Company recalls chicken treats made in China
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Canine open-heart surgery coming to UC Davis
12/15/2008
History of veterinary cardiac surgery suggests formidable challenges ahead
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Internships, residencies skyrocket in popularity, AVMA says
10/17/2008
40 percent of 2008's graduating class to seek advanced training, report shows
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Researchers seek dogs for chronic renal disease study
10/1/2008
LSU investigates statin's power to slow disease
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Lawsuit against Ross University heads for trial
9/30/2008
Student alleges harassment, deceit concerning terminal surgeries in curriculum
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Mexican university seeks AVMA accreditation
9/22/2008
COE nod could usher Mexican veterinarians into the United States
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International Animal Welfare Training Institute kicks off at UC-Davis
9/17/2008
Welfare group seeks partnerships with agriculture, research sectors
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AAVMC spurns third-party rankings of veterinary colleges
9/12/2008
U.S. News and World Report scale breeds friction, leaders say
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Nation’s 29th veterinary program...
9/10/2008
Second UC school headed for San Diego area
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Veterinary medicine’s future incites debate
9/8/2008
Topics include limited licensure, tracking, accreditation
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Purdue offers certificate in veterinary homeland security
9/8/2008
Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Homeland Security to create “critical mass” of experts
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Inaugural class kicks off new Canadian veterinary program
9/5/2008
University of Calgary boasts 'innovative' program
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CDC creates residency program for veterinarians
9/3/2008
Effort addresses 'national shortage' of DVMs working in biomedical research
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UC-Davis to create Animal Welfare Institute
8/28/2008
Development meeting slated for Sept. 5
-
UT hires Thompson as dean
8/12/2008
Appointment effective Oct. 1, officials say
-
Cornell earmarks $25,000 gift for equine research
8/6/2008
Company with horse-racing ties issues funds to College of Veterinary Medicine
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Wind power explored at Tufts veterinary school
7/8/2008
Study to determine feasibility of renewable energy source
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OSU names interim dean following Rosol's resignation
7/2/2008
Dr. John Hubbell now heads OSU's veterinary program
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LSU to host dermatology conference
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AVMA COE tight-lipped on findings that led to negative decision
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April 22, 2010
By: Jennifer Fiala
For The VIN News Service
Officials with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City wants the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to take a second look at the institution’s veterinary medical program following a recent decision to deny it U.S. accreditation.
The petition for review, received by AVMA officials in writing, marks the latest move by UNAM officials in a five-year quest to earn recognition by the AVMA’s Council on Education (COE) — a volunteer body charged by the U.S. Department of Education with making accreditation decisions for veterinary education in the United States.
Details of the COE decision, handed down during a meeting in late February, have not been released in keeping with the group’s policy that such findings must remain confidential. Events in the appeals process are conducted in private as well.
But the filing of an appeal, required within 30 days of receipt of a COE decision, is public record. According to COE policy, a final ruling on UNAM can be expected within the next six months — October, at the latest.
UNAM veterinary school Dean Francisco Trigo did not return repeated requests from the VIN News Service to weigh in on the COE vote. However, Trigo, a veterinarian, has publicly expressed his belief that UNAM’s program is on par with its U.S. counterparts, making reference to a 15,000-square-foot teaching hospital sponsored by Banfield, the Pet Hospital as well as the millions of dollars that UNAM has spent to bring its facilities, curriculum and staff in line with the COE’s 11 accreditation standards.
In a 2008 interview with the VIN News Service, Trigo characterized the COE’s prospective recognition of UNAM as historic — a distinction that could open doors for the 350-plus students who graduate from the veterinary medical program annually.
“For our students, this could mean training and jobs in the United States. We could be the first non English-speaking program recognized by AVMA,” Trigo stated.
The COE’s stamp of approval allows students of foreign programs to circumvent costly and time-consuming U.S. foreign graduate equivalency exams and sit for the same state and national boards posed to graduates of American veterinary medical programs. To date, the COE accredits nine foreign veterinary schools worldwide, including programs in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and Ireland. Most have received the council’s nod during the past decade, as part of the AVMA’s self-imposed charge to become the “premier” global accrediting authority. UNAM is the first of an estimated 30 veterinary programs in Mexico to seek U.S. accreditation.
Earning that status has not been easy for UNAM, plagued by widespread criticism that the veterinary program is substandard compared with U.S. veterinary education. Opened in the 1950s, the veterinary program admits students out of high school without an entrance exam. At any one time, there might be more than 2,000 students studying to be veterinarians at UNAM, yet only 65 percent graduate.
By contrast, the number of seats at U.S. veterinary medical institutions, where a bachelor’s degree is a usual prerequisite for attending any of the 28 four-year DVM programs, range from 56 to 142 per class. This year, 2,567 veterinarians are anticipated to graduate from programs in the United States.
Those who doubt UNAM’s ability to train practitioners with skills akin to those of U.S. veterinarians criticize everything from the program’s acceptance of high-school graduates — a practice of many other foreign but COE-accredited programs — to the impact of Mexico’s culture, which reportedly is more focused on animal use and husbandry than that of America, a country fixated on pets.
A prime example of the cultural divide: Non-veterinarians legally provide veterinary healthcare in Mexico, whereby lay practice is largely prohibited and punishable by law in the United States.
Others in the United States fear that the COE’s accreditation of UNAM could send a flood of Mexican practitioners migrating north, taking jobs from American graduates that are already saddled by low starting salaries and high educational debt. While the price tag for earning a DVM in the United States can reach upwards of $200,0000, tuition at UNAM, the country’s largest university with 270,000-plus students enrolled annually, is heavily subsidized by the state and amounts to roughly $100 per semester, regardless of a student’s ability to pay.
As a means for earning a return on that investment, UNAM veterinary graduates are required to spend six months working in a government job, providing for the needs of the country's citizenry.
Speculation also exists that the real engine behind the UNAM’s accreditation quest is Banfield, The Pet Hospital, which has long looked to Mexico to one day provide the manpower needed to supply its ever-growing number of clinics, most nestled inside the 750-plus PetSmart stores that now dot Canada and the United States.
Dr. Brian Speer, an avian practitioner who founded the Oakley, Calif.-based Medical Center for Birds, recently lectured at UNAM and came away with a positive opinion of how the program functions, stating that the faculty and students are “passionate to raise care standards.”
Still, he hesitates to suggest that the program is ready for U.S. accreditation: “My limited impression is that the facilities and focus and the enthusiasm of the instructors that I met is similar to that of U.S. schools. But there’s work to be done there. The thing that caught my eye was the humongous Banfield sign and the corporate over and undertones.
"Of course, that also is occurring at U.S. schools,” Speer notes.
Banfield representatives including corporate spokeswoman Kathy Baumgardner have repeatedly declined to discuss UNAM’s bid for accreditation with the VIN News Service. Dean Trigo has previously disregarded any notion that UNAM students would set out for America in droves, stating that area job prospects are proliferating and students are tied to their families and communities. Rather, UNAM officials seek COE accreditation to earn what they deem to be the "gold standard."
Debate on what UNAM’s accreditation could mean for U.S. practitioners, especially new graduates, is not likely to come up during the appeal process, as COE policy notes that subject matter must not deviate from the council's findings. Within the next month, UNAM is expected to submit documentation to the AVMA supporting its petition for review along with a $10,000 deposit to pay for expenses tied to its hearing to defend its program.
The hearing panel, appointed by the AVMA’s Executive Board, is comprised of five members, none of whom are COE members or AVMA staff. All parties will meet near AVMA headquarters in Schaumburg, Ill., no later than 120 calendar days following AVMA’s receipt of the petition for review. That's early April, in this case.
With AVMA and its accrediting arm, the COE, mum on the topic, it’s unclear whether the hearing panel has been appointed or a date for the meeting has been set. Both sides — the COE and UNAM — can call witnesses and submit documentation or other materials that are relevant to the case, and legal counsel is advised but not required.
The hearing panel may either affirm the COE’s decision or recommend that the council reconsider the case. That report will be considered at the COE’s next regular meeting. The COE gathers biannually at AVMA headquarters for spring and fall sessions.
According to the policies and procedures that govern the COE, much of what happens concerning the appeal, or review process, is confidential, unless the program in question wants to release the information. With its members required to sign a string of legal and declaratory documents — confidentiality agreement, statement on integrity and conflict of interest statement — it is not expected that the COE will reveal any indication as to why UNAM was denied accreditation.
The topic of accrediting UNAM has incited hundreds of comments from practitioners on the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) message boards, where some of the more recent posts concern the lack of transparency of COE processes.
One concerned VIN member writes: “I still don't understand why the accreditation process is secret. Nothing carries substance like those things done in the light of day instead of the cover of night.”
VIN News Service commentaries are opinion pieces presenting insights, personal experiences and/or perspectives on topical issues by members of the veterinary community. To submit a commentary for consideration, email news@vin.com.
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