ANIMAL-HUMAN POLICY CENTER
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine (CSU)
CSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine is developing a degree program for a Master’s of Veterinary Clinical Care (MVCC). Graduates would be regarded as “veterinary professional associates” and represent mid-level practitioners between veterinary technicians and veterinarians.
Overview of Survey Initiative and Literature Review
- The CSU Animal-Human Policy Center as well as the CSU College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences is partnering to collect data and bring veterinarians, stakeholders, scientists, agency representatives, and other experts together to explore challenges and potential solutions to veterinary workforce and access to care challenges for companion/small animals in the state.
- Specifically, through this initiative, we are interested in developing a public survey and survey of small animal veterinary medical professionals in the state. The goals of the surveys are proposed as the following:
- Examine CO small animal veterinary professionals' perceptions of veterinary workforce issues, including challenges veterinarians face when providing care, resources that would assist them in providing effective care to more pets, and perspectives on a range of potential policy solutions to increase resources available to veterinarians
- Examine what CO small animal veterinary professionals believe are critical barriers to access to veterinary care in their community and whether and how they would utilize community grants or other resources to address these barriers to increase access to care
- Examine CO companion animal owners' perceived barriers to access to care as well as their perspectives on potential policy solutions to address the vet shortage and programs to increase access.
MASTER of VETERINARY CLINICAL CARE DEGREE
LINCOLN MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY (LMU)
LMU-CVM Announces Master of Veterinary Clinical Care Degree
By: Nikki Lockhart
- The Lincoln Memorial University-College of Veterinary Medicine (LMU-CVM) is proud to announce the first-of-its-kind Master of Veterinary Clinical Care (MVCC) degree. Licensed veterinary technicians may apply now for the fully online program slated to start in August 2022.
- “This is a customizable graduate program designed to provide credentialed veterinary technicians advanced training to support the myriad of industries that use veterinary professionals,” said Dean Stacy Anderson, LMU-CVM.
- The curriculum is developed by industry leaders and is composed of 30 credits of academic and clinical skills education to be taken over three semesters. Specific study tracks include small animal health, large animal health, practice management, and research with a One Health emphasis.
- MVCC graduates will be knowledgeable in clinical case management, research, critical thinking, practice management, clinical skills, and professional skills required to make a meaningful contribution to a veterinary health care team.
- Many of the courses do not have to be taken in sequence, allowing students to move through at their own pace. The first semester is focused on the normal veterinary physiology and anatomy. The second semester builds on the foundational knowledge to introduce diagnostic approaches and pharmacology. The third semester focuses on integration of prior knowledge to develop the students’ approach to clinical cases. Students will demonstrate mastery of clinical and professional skills through video submission via LMU-CVM’s learning management system, similar to what is currently used in fully online veterinary technology programs.
MASTER of BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE DEGREE WITH AN EMPHASIS IN VETERINARY SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
MU’s College of Veterinary Medicine Offers Online Master’s Degree Program
Online learning has made a major impact in the world of education. In 2014, distance learning accounted for nearly three-quarters of enrollment increases in U.S. higher education. The University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is blazing a trail in this transformative enhancement of the educational experience.
“Here at Mizzou, we have the nation’s first totally online graduate programs for veterinarians and veterinary technicians,” says Laurie Wallace, DVM, MVSc, DACVIM, director of the CVM’s Veterinary Online Programs. “There is no other college that has these programs or the scope of classes we have.”
“Here at Mizzou, we have the nation’s first totally online graduate programs for veterinarians and veterinary technicians,” says Laurie Wallace, DVM, MVSc, DACVIM, director of the CVM’s Veterinary Online Programs. “There is no other college that has these programs or the scope of classes we have.”
- “Ours is a master of biomedical science degree with an emphasis in veterinary sciences,” according to C.B. Chastain, DVM, MS, DACVIM, and an emeritus/adjunct professor in the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery. “Candidates for our program would be veterinary technicians who have a bachelor’s degree and who want to work in academia, research, or veterinary medical industries: pharmaceuticals, surgical supplies and animal feeds. “The average veterinary technician will have an associate degree. Some choose to go on and get a bachelor’s degree; some of those aspire to a master’s degree,” Chastain said. “We can offer them a master’s degree that’s relevant to their field. It’s asynchronous, 100 percent online, so they can continue to work full time and do the coursework during their discretionary time. They can fit it in as best suits their schedule.
- “We also have students who are veterinarians. They are primarily interested in working toward board certification,” Chastain continued. “Our program can help guide some of their study, that would otherwise be self-study. They’ll have support while they’re working toward certification. Plus, they end up with a master’s degree, so they get more reward for their efforts and more bang for their buck.” “We have a student who is a DVM practicing in the Nashville area,” Wallace said. “She is a board-certified specialist in canine and feline practice. She also has an MBA. And now, she’s about two-thirds of the way through our master’s program. She’s doing a really good job.” Students enrolled in online graduate training tend to be more mature and experienced, and frequently more motivated too. Many have already established a career and some, a family. Relocation is usually not an option, so they value the lack of geographic constraints that distance learning offers. The CVM’s online master’s program has a long reach. Chastain has had students from nearly every mainland state, Hawaii, and Guam in the Mariana Islands. Wallace has had a student who was deployed to Afghanistan.