TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona's very first public veterinary school is coming to Oro Valley.
According to UA spokeswoman Pam Scott, the university has received a letter of reasonable assurance from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council.
After receiving its accreditation, UA is now offering a DVM (Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine). UA's new College of Veterinary Medicine is said to have a unique design, setting it apart from most other programs across the nation by graduating students in three years; a year earlier than traditional vet programs.
"We have a unique feature to do a distributive-clinical model of education. So we will partner with practices throughout the southwestern United States, primarily focused in Tucson and Phoenix, embedding our students in real-world learning environments," said James Maciulla, the associate dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
UA says, the school will help fill a need for qualified veterinarians in the Grand Canyon State and in the country.
"We're really excited about the benefits of this program to the people of Arizona. We believe the people who learn in Arizona will stay in Arizona. And so the veterinarians who graduate from this program will provide great service to the people of the state."
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Arizona has veterinary shortages in eight of the state's 15 counties.
"As a Tucson-native I went to college here at the University of Arizona and I, as with most of my cohort, went out of state for my veterinary education. We will eliminate the need to do that," said Maciulla.
An official open house will be hosted on the Oro Valley campus, at 1580 East Hanley Blvd., on Nov. 13.
Classes are expected to begin in 2020, and will graduate its first class in 2023.
