USA - Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia
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Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) is one of the 28 Veterinary Medicine colleges in the USA. Founded in 1978 by the Virginia General Assembly, VMRCVM is considered a constituent college of both Virginia Tech, located in Blacksburg (VA) and the University of Maryland, College Park in Maryland. VMRCVM is supported by Virginia and Maryland and therefore students from those states are considered to be "in state" during their application process. VMRCVM is fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education (AVMA COE) and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC).
About Us
Historically, there was a shortage of veterinary colleges in the southern and Mid-Atlantic states. In 1950, the state of Maryland began a contract to allow 10 Maryland students to attend the vet school at the University of Georgia in exchange for the admittance of 10 Georgia residents into the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. By 1972, Maryland expanded its relationship with out-of-state vet schools to include Tuskegee University, Ohio State University, University of Florida, University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University. Virginia also tried to address the absence of an in-state veterinary school. In 1971, Virginia entered into contracts administered by the Southern Regional Education Board, allotting 15 seats to Virginia students in the University of Georgia's veterinary school and two seats at Tuskegee University's school.
In June 1971, the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association initiated a study of the need for and feasibility of a college of veterinary medicine. In 1973, a commission of veterinarians and members of the Virginia General Assembly found that Virginia did need a veterinary college to adequately meet its need for veterinary services. The commission recommended that this college should be a regional college, should emphasize service to farmers in Virginia, and should be located at Virginia Tech.
In 1978, the Virginia General Assembly officially established the college as a part of Virginia Tech, one of Virginia's two land-grant universities. Meanwhile, in Maryland, the State Board of Regents decided in 1977 to establish a veterinary school at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore; however, on May 11, 1979, the Board of Regents decided to join the Virginia school instead. In February 1980, a memorandum of understanding with the then-Virginia school stated that 24 slots in the entering class would be reserved for Maryland students and 40 places would be allocated to Virginia students. This founding class of 64 students entered the college on September 15, 1980 and graduated with DVM degrees in May 1984. The new college was fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association in 1990.
In 2009, the college established a partnership with the American University of Antigua (AUA) that permitted students to attend AUA for their first four semesters and then transfer to VMRCVM for their last five semesters; however, AUA ended its veterinary medical program in 2011.[1]
Education
VMRCVM provides a number of programs: D.V.M degree, D.V.M/ M.S degree, D.V.M/Ph.D degree and MPH.
D.V.M Program:
The college offers a 4 year full time program which leads to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree (D.V.M). The first three years are taught in a case based and traditional lecture-laboratory format where as the fourth year is the clinical and lasts 12 months[2]. At the end of the first year the students must choose one of the following tracks: small animal, food animal, equine, mixed species and public/corporate veterinary medicine. Each semester the students may choose a number of electives in addition to the core classes that they will be taking. This gives the opportunity to everyone to adjust their curriculum to their own needs and interests. During the fourth year, students spend most of their time at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in Blacksburg where they have the chance to interact with clients and patients. Also, based on the track that each student has chosen, other clerkships may be conducted at the Leesburg and University of Maryland campuses or off campus (private practitioners, zoos, etc.)[3].
Dual Programs and MPH (Master of Public Health):
Besides the D.V.M program, the College offers a D.V.M/M.S and D.V.M/Ph.D dual degree programs, which provide training in the field of research, thus giving students the appropriate biomedical background often required for engagement in academic, government or corporate careers[4]. The length of the D.V.M/M.S is 5 years and that of the D.V.M/Ph.D program is 6- 7 years. Each year there are limited positions available for these programs. Finally, the college also offers the 42 credit MPH, Master of Public Health program, which is administered through the Public Health Program of the Population Health Sciences Department of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Residency and Internships
The Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine provides students with discipline-specific residency programs. All VMRCVM residents must complete a graduate degree (M.S. or Ph.D.). Small-animal clinical residencies and large-animal clinical residencies are designed to provide three to four years of advanced training in specific disciplines in preparation for certification examination by appropriate specialty boards within the veterinary profession. The biomedical sciences and pathobiology residencies, which are part of a combined residency/Ph.D. program, prepare graduates for careers in veterinary clinical pathology or anatomic pathology. The Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center offers residency programs in equine internal medicine and surgery. These programs are fully approved by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Surgery.
VMRCVM internships are designed to provide post-DVM students with the opportunity for experience in advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques in medicine and surgery as well as seminary and manuscript preparation. Internships are also aimed at providing students with training and experience in clinical instruction and preparing them for residency and graduate study or clinical practice.
Current Research
Students may also gain experience through the college’s various research centers, which are spread out across Virginia and Maryland. Under the leadership of the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, VMRCVM conducts a broad spectrum of basic/molecular and translational/applied research with a focus on animal health and productivity as well as human health and wellbeing.
Additionally, the school operates a library on its Blacksburg campus that is a part of the Virginia Tech library system.
Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine
The Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine (CPCVM) is located on the College Park, Maryland campus of VMRCVM. Primarily, the CPCVM supervises the public and corporate track of the DVM program. It also coordinates internship opportunities and provides summer fellowship experiences for veterinary students from across the United States as well as from several other countries.
Center for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases
The central theme of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases (CMMID) is “Animal Model of Diseases.” The faculty specializes in using various animal models that include not only traditional laboratory animal models (mice and rats), but also non-traditional (chickens, pigs, dogs, fish, crab, equine) animal models. CMMID employs animal models to better understand the disease processes that impact both humans and domesticated species. The center is geared toward addressing current problems in public health that require the use of appropriate animal and tissue culture models, as well as gene-expression analysis.
Center for Comparative Oncology
The Center for Comparative Oncology (CeCO) is an academic center for basic and clinical research on cancer. The center, which opened in 2002, unites a variety of cancer research programs on the Virginia Tech campus. It seeks to understand the development of cancer in animals and in people, to develop new ways to diagnose cancer and to find new treatments to control and cure it.
Center for Animal Human Relationships
The Center for Animal Human Relationships (CENTAUR) is an academic center conducting instructional, research, and outreach programs designed to foster a greater understanding of the mutual benefits associated with human-animal interaction. It provides education, research, and service related to the therapeutic benefits of companion animals.
Center for Reproductive Excellence Using Advanced Technology and Endocrinology
The Center for Reproductive Excellence using Advanced Technology and Endocrinology (CREATE) has three board-certified theriogenologists, each with their own research and species interests. The CREATE Lab offers advanced reproductive services—from breeding soundness and infertility evaluations to genetic counseling—for the following species: equine, bovine, canine, feline, ovine, and caprine.
Laboratory for Neurotoxicity Studies
The Virginia Tech Laboratory for Neurotoxicity Studies conducts investigations studying the effects of toxins on the nervous system. Currently, the laboratory is conducting interdisciplinary research in experimental neurotoxicology studying the effects of agents such as pesticides, solvents, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and nanomaterials in in vitro and in vivo models, funded by federal agencies and industries. Faculty with expertise in toxicology, pharmacology, neuropathology, and veterinary pathology conduct this work.
Veterinary Medical Informatics Laboratory
The Veterinary Medical Informatics Laboratory (VMIL) is an interdisciplinary research and service program within the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. VMIL studies conceptual and structural features of the medical information unique to animals. VMIL also assists in analysis and development of medical information models, databases, and systems. In addition to its research, VMIL acts as a service program by developing terminologies for veterinary organizations.