Academia & Education
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Does hot job market mean there's a veterinarian shortage?
12/5/2019
Profession grapples with responding to swings in demand
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Straight A's not necessary to enter new UK veterinary school
12/3/2019
Manual dexterity, communication skills among the competencies to be considered
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Inside veterinary education at Long Island University
11/21/2019
New veterinary program at center of private institution's rebirth, officials say
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Long Island University veterinary college is accredited
10/21/2019
Program to admit 100 students by fall 2020
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University of Arizona veterinary college earns accreditation
10/18/2019
Fall 2020 opening planned
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Texas Tech to break ground on veterinary school facilities
9/17/2019
Program endures amid efforts by opponents to undermine it
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How veterinary students view practice consolidation
8/5/2019
Top essay contest winner had a big-fish-eating-small-fish experience
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COE seeks to retain authority over U.S. veterinary schools
7/29/2019
Hearing before federal panel scheduled Tuesday
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September opening of LIU Post veterinary college in doubt
7/19/2019
Proposed program's quest for accreditation from AVMA COE continues
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Texas Tech gets $17.4 million to open veterinary college
5/30/2019
Lawmakers help program clear funding hurdle; A&M remains opposed
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Western Canada veterinary school weighs two-tiered tuition
5/9/2019
Some applicants willing to pay a lot more to attend program
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AVMA survey: 2018 graduates earn more, owe more
5/9/2019
Education debt outpaces earnings; questions about data persist
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South Dakota to veterinary school graduates: Come home
4/29/2019
Law requires that some state-aid beneficiaries return to state to practice
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Where Lincoln Memorial’s first veterinary graduates landed
4/4/2019
Answer offers lesson for schools trying to supply underserved regions
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Mending broken hearts in dogs
2/14/2019
Canine mitral valve repair surgery comes to U.S.
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LMU veterinary college earns full accreditation
1/15/2019
Number of accredited programs in U.S. climbs to 30
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Veterinary technician program shutters, marooning students
12/28/2018
Vatterott College joins a growing list of failed for-profit career schools
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Veterinary student business group seeks former members
12/26/2018
Veterinary Business Management Association establishes alumni branch
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South Dakota State aims to admit veterinary students in 2021
12/12/2018
Plans joint DVM program with University of Minnesota
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COE invites review of veterinary-accreditation standards
12/10/2018
Public comment period ends Dec. 31
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Midwestern earns U.S. accreditation while Lincoln Memorial waits
11/30/2018
COE, LMU mum on why veterinary program is not fully accredited
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Texas Tech pushes ahead on veterinary school
10/18/2018
Emerging program works to move past political drama
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LIU accreditation decision slated for spring
10/8/2018
Controversy surrounds veterinary college proposed in New York
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S. Dakota-Minnesota veterinary school plan advances
9/19/2018
South Dakota VMA lauds goal of enhancing rural veterinary education
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The dwindling supply of academic radiologists
9/6/2018
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Texas universities at odds over veterinary education
8/15/2018
Rivalry brews between Texas Tech and Texas A&M
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LIU Post scores veterinary-accreditation coup
7/5/2018
Governor-backed school jumps to top of COE schedule
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New veterinary school in Japan stirs debate
6/25/2018
Question of workforce demand echoes long-standing issue in U.S.
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Veterinary college planned for Long Island University Post
5/30/2018
New York state invests $12 million to jumpstart new school
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UK veterinary schools use new guide to vie for talent
5/24/2018
Overall, applicants have a 50 percent chance at admission
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University of Wisconsin veterinary hospital aims to expand
5/7/2018
Program seeks $115 million for upgrade
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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
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UT hires Thompson as dean
8/12/2008
Appointment effective Oct. 1, officials say
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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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Ohio State's new specialty practice pits school against alumni, critics say
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April 11, 2013
By Jennifer Fiala
 VIN News Service photos
Ohio State's decision to open an emergency and specialty referral practice in Dublin, less than 10 miles from the university's Columbus campus (above, right) has riled area veterinarians who
say competition from academia is unfair to private practices. MedVet Medical and Cancer Center for Pets (above, left) will be one of several direct competitors. Officials with The Ohio State University gathered April 9 at Confluence Park Restaurant in Columbus as part of an eight-city tour to talk with practitioners about the issues impacting the profession, including the veterinary college’s new emergency and specialty practice opening this month in Dublin, nine miles north of campus.
Given that half a dozen or so specialty and emergency practices reside within 20 miles of the Ohio State satellite hospital, contention is brewing about the added competition.
Strife between the veterinary college and some Ohio veterinarians — an estimated 85 percent of whom are alumni — has been building around the 10,000-square-foot satellite hospital since plans for its construction were announced last summer.
Dr. Barbara Lightner, a board-certified surgeon and co-owner of Capital Veterinary Referral Center, located less than 10 miles south of Ohio State’s Dublin practice, learned she’d have to compete with her alma mater for clients the morning plans for the new practice made the local papers.
“There are some significant issues when a (university supported) enterprise comes in to compete with people who’ve had to undertake private loans to start their businesses,” said Lightner, whose practice employs 10 veterinarians.
Ohio State's specialty practice in Dublin, like the veterinary college and university, is not-for-profit and tax exempt. Revenues above expenses will be reinvested into the academic and clinical program on campus, officials say.
“Anyone can come to a corner and set up a practice,” said Dr. Lonnie King, dean of Ohio State's veterinary college. “Columbus is growing. Why shouldn’t we be in that market?”
Because it’s already oversaturated, critics say. Between New York and Chicago, Columbus is a hotbed of tertiary veterinary care. At least half a dozen area practices already provide 24-hour emergency care and/or specialized veterinary medicine.
“In these economic times, the market cannot absorb another specialty referral practice,” Lightner contends.
Whether or not that’s true is debatable. King reports that the small animal caseload at the veterinary teaching hospital on Ohio State's campus grew 37 percent between 2008 and 2012; nearly 35,000 cases came in last year. “And that’s during a recession,” he noted.
Dr. Rex Riggs, owner of a general veterinary practice in Powell, Ohio, shares KIng's perspective and encourages Ohio State's move to Dublin. He notes that referring veterinarians now will have more choices for specialized care.
"... I feel this allows practices to choose the best for their patients," Riggs said by email.
He insists that negative feedback surrounding the project is being generated by a minority of area practitioners: "I really do think that we should look at this as a positive thing."
For many, however, the Ohio State-Dublin deal is less about slicing the economic pie than a philosophical, if not moral, quandary: Should academic institutions encroach on the businesses of private veterinary practices, many of which are owned by their former students?
Some, such as Dr. Michael Kotlikoff, dean of Cornell University’s veterinary college in Ithaca, N.Y., believe that moving out beyond campus is key to growth for many academic programs, including his own. Cornell opened a satellite specialty referral practice two years ago in Stamford, Conn.
“If you don’t want someone to compete with you, there’s a lot of reasons you can find why they shouldn’t do it,” he said. “No one wants to destabilize someone’s livelihood, but referral practices will only succeed if they are perceived as valuable by referring veterinarians. This is about market competition, and it can be done with sensitivity.”
If that’s the case, some veterinarians destined to compete directly with the Dublin specialty hospital aren’t feeling it. They counter that academia has a financial leg up compared with private practitioners looking to start a business. What’s more, a veterinary college dean has less to lose if a business goes south than the owner of a private clinic whose livelihood depends on it.
There’s “no skin in the game” for academicians, says Dr. William DeHoff, co-founder of MedVet, the Columbus region’s largest emergency and specialty referral practice. MedVet employs more than 70 veterinarians and is less than 10 miles from the new Ohio State-Dublin practice.
“Ohio State sponsoring this kind of activity against small business entrepreneurs is wrong,” he said. “Imagine if they opened a law firm in downtown Cleveland, or a dental practice in the suburbs. I think any other profession would go bonkers.”
Dr. Eric Schertel, also of MedVet, put it this way: “Who wants an unlimited supply of money plopped down next door to them? This is counter to anyone’s sense of fair play. Why would the university want to go against the veterinarians they graduated?”
Ohio State's name-recognition gives another advantage to the school hospital over nearby private-practice specialists, Lightner added.
“This appears to be a for-profit venture, and we’d like to know how it is germane to the college of veterinary medicine’s mission to benefit society through the education of veterinarians and protect the health of animals,” she said.
The answer, King said, is that the Dublin satellite will help finance the education of veterinary students on Ohio State’s main campus. He hopes that opening a hybrid specialty hospital with academic ties will help alleviate dwindling state support of the college’s $80-million annual budget.
“This practice will be a revenue generator,” King acknowledged. “And it fits with our mission: teaching, discovery and service. We will have our students, those who have an interest, do elective rotations through the facility. This will be a supplemental and complementary learning experience.”
King isn’t alone in his quest to shore up new streams of revenue. In recent years, at least half a dozen accredited veterinary medical colleges have turned to satellite practices to buttress their bottom lines and diversify revenues in the face of tremendous budgetary strains.
Cornell University’s veterinary college is one of them.
Changing landscape of academia
In June 2010, Cornell announced that it would launch “the world’s largest and most comprehensive university-affiliated veterinary satellite facility, employing 40 veterinarians.” The 20,000-square-foot Cornell University Veterinary Specialists, or CUVS, opened on Jan. 14, 2011, in Stamford, Conn., where Dean Kotlikoff says it’s been successful.
The location was chosen over Westchester County, an area of New York known for its wealth, after veterinarians there said the market couldn’t absorb another specialty practice, Kotlikoff said.
“When we first thought about starting this project, we had a large, open meeting in Westchester County and veterinarians there clearly had a number of concerns about competition,” he recalled. “They said, ‘We’re saturated,’ and we listened.”
That’s when Cornell administrators set their sights on Connecticut. “What we said was for this practice to be successful, we’d have to have the support of referring practitioners,” Kotlikoff said. “We looked specifically at Stamford because it was a fairly large area with no ER or specialty practice.”
That doesn't mean the area is devoid of tertiary care. While the VIN News Service could not identify a privately owned specialty referral practice in Stamford, a VCA general practice that employs board-certified veterinary surgeons is on Main St., a seven-minute drive from CUVS. Several other specialty hospitals are within a 20-minute drive, including VCA Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, less than eight miles from CUVS in Stamford.
Officials with VCA did not return phone calls from the VIN News Service. A receptionist who answered the phone warned that because VCA owns the practice, veterinarians working there likely would not be permitted by the corporation to speak publicly about Cornell moving into the area.
Phone calls to other veterinarians in Stamford were not returned. Dr. Cheryl Sackler, who practices 18 miles north in Fairfield, says there are so many specialists in the state, “they’re cannibalizing each other.”
“I would never, ever consider opening a referral practice here,” she said. “We have traveling surgeons, plenty of referral oncology options and more general practitioners are keeping cases. The clients are getting sick of the expense. I’ve had more and more people absolutely turn me down for referral.”
Kotlikoff believes that most Connecticut veterinarians are OK with the Cornell satellite practice. “We had a good dialogue,” he recalled of meetings Cornell held with private practitioners. “The bottom line is that CUVS has grown tremendously through the referrals of surrounding general practices, who perceive it as valuable. The practice has an advisory group of local veterinarians who suggest services, procedures, and Continuing Education Programs that they would like CUVS to offer. We did our market analysis, and we did this in a collaborative manner.”
As for competing with the VCA specialty hospital, he notes that it's owned by a large corporation. “I think you could equally argue that providing referring veterinarians with more choices is not a pernicious activity. The only way we succeed is if individual veterinarians choose us over someone else,” he said.
What’s more, Cornell’s satellite practice operates as a for-profit, which levels the playing field, Kotlikoff said. “We pay our taxes.”
Still, there will always be naysayers, he added.
“I don’t think you can discount the fact that there is a conflict of interest if you go into any market and ask existing businesses, ‘How do you feel about me competing with you?’ You’re not likely to get overwhelming enthusiasm,” he said.
Conversely, campus teaching hospitals face competition from specialists who’ve set up shop in their areas. “Why shouldn’t Ohio State go out and compete with large specialty referral practices owned by groups of veterinarians?” Kotlikoff asked. “Are you saying that it is OK for those practices to compete with Ohio State’s teaching hospital, but not OK for Ohio State to offer a competing product and let it succeed or fail on its own merits? You could just as well say, ‘Ohio State trained you with referral cases, and now you’re coming in and taking those cases.’ I don't think that these practices went to the dean and asked, ‘Should we compete here?’”
Inside the Dublin deal
Competition aside, Columbus-area veterinarians have questions about the innerworkings of the soon-to-open Dublin specialty practice. In what some characterize as an unusual arrangement, Ohio State has outsourced the day-to-day management of the satellite practice’s operations, including the hiring and payroll of the practice’s employees.
Ohio State’s contract is with Veterinary Specialty Management Services of Ohio, which spent $840,000 last August to purchase the Dublin practice’s building in the name of a sister company — VSMS Real Estate Group.
The Dublin specialty practice appears to be the first academic client of Veterinary Specialty Management Services of Ohio, a company founded last year by Ohio State alumnus Dr. Douglas Hoffman and his longtime business associate Joseph Hoelker, a CPA.
Hoffman co-owns two specialty practices: Cincinnati Care Center and Dayton Care Center. Both are competitors of MedVet’s sister practices in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas.
How Ohio State’s deal with Hoffman’s management firm evolved is unclear; however Dr. Rustin Moore, chairman of Ohio State’s department of veterinary clinical sciences and associate dean for clinical and outreach programs, insists that the company was thoroughly vetted before the deal was made. Asked why the contract to run Ohio State’s Dublin practice wasn’t put to bid, university officials explained that the finance department has the authority to approve special purchases without going through a competitive bidding process, which Ohio law requires of most state agencies.
“State universities are specifically exempted from those requirements," communications official Shelly Hoffman said by email. She explained that the exemption is spelled out in the state's regulatory code.
Hoffman did not respond to a request by email from the VIN News Service to talk about the Dublin practice’s opening on April 29. In an interview last October, he explained his involvement with the project by stating, “Ohio State has traditionally contracted with outside entities when the university feels it lacks the needed expertise in a particular area …”
The 10-year contract between Ohio State and Hoffman’s company, received via a public records request, specifies that Hoffman’s Veterinary Specialty Management Services of Ohio will be paid a $403,164 fixed fee during the first 14 months of the practice’s operation, or $28,797 a month. From there, payments will be based on revenues: 8 percent in year two; 7 percent in years three and four; 6.8 percent in year 5; and 6.3 percent in years six through 10.
The management firm will receive bonuses based on the practice's success.
Any leftover revenues will go to the veterinary college, explained Moore. The university extended the veterinary college up to $2 million in loans to get the practice running, which must be paid back at a 4.5 percent to 4.75 percent interest rate within five years of opening.
"No donor or tuition dollars are involved," Moore said. "The revenue generated beyond expenses will get reinvested into the veterinary medical center.”
King added: “There’s no state money going into this project."
For now, several Ohio State veterinary students have been hired to work as assistants in the Dublin practice. In the future, fourth-year students and residents will have the opportunity to spend time in the Dublin practice through elective rotations, Moore said.
Student involvement is outlined in an Ohio State-authored FAQ about the Dublin facility, published in the January/February edition of the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association's magazine. In it, officials acknowledged that some clients prefer not to interact with students. "The (veterinary specialty practice) at Dublin will offer these clients an alternative delivery model where students are not required to be part of the visit ..." The FAQ went on to say that students "will not be involved with cases the same way they are at the main (veterinary medical teaching hospital)."
Whether or not Ohio State’s new facility serves an educational role matters little to Renee Kelly, owner of Noah’s Ark Veterinary Hospital, a non-profit 24-hour emergency and primary care practice that’s a 15-minute drive from the Dublin emergency and specialty hospital.
She vows to avoid referring cases there.
“I’m just one small owner, so my opinion won’t change a thing, but I think opening in Dublin is disrespectful to the veterinary community here,” she said. “I’m not anxious to be in competition with the university for emergency patients.”
Dr. Tom Klein, a private practitioner in Hilliard, just outside of Dublin, offers a resounding "absolutely not" when asked if he will refer cases to Ohio State's new practice.
"We've taken this as an affront," he said. "We're all private business owners here, and Ohio State sprung this on us. Clearly, this is about Ohio State making money. It wasn't a community-minded decision."
King, dean of the veterinary college, believes such comments represent a “small group of vocal people.”
“We’re not going to please everybody, and I can’t be in that business,” he said. “I’m in the business of developing this academic program.”
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.
Information and opinions expressed in letters to the editor are those of the author and are independent of the VIN News Service. Letters may be edited for style. We do not verify their content for accuracy.
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