I recently attended the NAVC’s Evolve VetEd HiVE event, a two-day gathering on igniting discussion, fostering collaboration and inspiring action to shape the future of veterinary education. The conference brought together thought leaders from across the profession — educators, associations, employers and regulators. Through interactive panels, roundtables and small-group discussions, we explored potential partnerships, examined emerging educational models and shared ideas.
As the demand for medical care grows, the need for more veterinary professionals is undeniable. The impending launch of new veterinary schools offers an opportunity to refine and reimagine education for the next generation, building on past successes while addressing today’s challenges.
The academic community has made significant strides in recent years, including:
- Adopting a competency-based veterinary education framework.
- Increasing emphasis on client communication, leadership, teamwork and financial literacy.
- Addressing personal well-being.
- Creating hybrid-distributed programs.
- Advancing the admissions process to open the applicant funnel.
Veterinary education has never been static. It evolves in response to the needs of students, employers and society.
A Nod to Veterinary Educators
Before I go further, here is a quick shoutout to veterinary educators. You are among our profession’s most passionate and dedicated individuals. You devote your careers to preparing the next generation of veterinarians, often at the expense of higher pay outside academia. Your commitment to students and the profession is inspiring. Thank you.
Practice-Ready Graduates
One of the most common critiques I hear from employers is that new DVMs are not practice-ready. The other? We need more DVMs.
The reality is recent graduates are idealistic, intelligent, compassionate and eager to contribute and learn. However, they face the dual challenges of skyrocketing expectations and an ever-expanding body of medical knowledge.
Academia’s mission is to prepare entry-level veterinarians for a variety of careers, not just practice. Still, we must consider how educational approaches can better meet the needs of graduates and employers.
Key Takeaways
The six topics below — all discussed at Evolve VetEd HiVE — stood out to me as critical to our profession’s future.
1. Emerging Needs
Among our profession’s challenges are doctor and staff retention, rising tuition, faculty shortages, high student debt and burnout. Meanwhile, societal and workplace changes necessitate that our educational systems evolve.
Despite the challenges, our issues are ones of abundance. The growing need for veterinary expertise underscores our profession’s immense value. Educational approaches must adapt to address the obstacles collaboratively with educators, students, employers and regulators.
2. Rethinking Admissions
Admissions processes should reduce barriers rather than create them. High GPAs don’t necessarily predict workplace success. Steps like waiving the GRE test, reducing volunteer-hour requirements, not requiring in-person interviews and embracing nontraditional applicants can help. Veterinary educators must take a more holistic view of applicants by supporting learners from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Encouragingly, while college enrollment declines across the board, veterinary schools continue to attract a growing pool of talented applicants.
3. From Inputs to Outcomes
Historically, veterinary school accreditation has focused on facilities, staffing and research requirements. While those are important, modern education should prioritize outcomes. Do graduates possess the skills and competencies they need to succeed? Flexible, outcomes-based accreditation could cut costs, streamline processes and better prepare students for the workforce.
Kudos to the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges for introducing a competency-based veterinary education framework that is learner-centered and outcomes-based.
4. Interprofessional Education
The time has come to educate veterinary technicians and DVMs side by side. Other health professions have embraced team-based care for decades. For credentialed technicians to practice at the top of their licenses, doctors must trust and delegate. If we model the roles and responsibilities for students, demonstrate collaboration, highlight good communication skills and build trust, the next generation of veterinary professionals will be better equipped to work as a team, help more pets and enjoy greater job satisfaction.
5. Professional Focus
Allowing veterinary students to concentrate on specific career paths has been discussed for decades. In the late 1980s, the Pew National Veterinary Education Program conducted a study, Future Directions for Veterinary Medicine, that led to advances in allowing students to acquire greater knowledge and clinical skills in their chosen areas of career emphasis. Seventeen years later, the Foresight report made several key recommendations, including “Acceptance of the fact that veterinary licensure will not cover all areas of professional focus, but rather will lead to public assurance of competency in a selected area of veterinary medicine.”
Veterinary schools in Australia and New Zealand recently published the report Rethinking Veterinary Education. Among its recommendations is that “Veterinary schools progressively expand the proportion of the curriculum devoted to ‘tracking’ to produce new graduates with a higher level of proficiency (including technical skills) in their chosen early-career paths.”
While maintaining a broad-based curriculum is essential, offering additional hands-on training in students’ areas of interest could better prepare them for success and address employer demands for practice-ready graduates.
6. The Cost of Education
Veterinary education remains one of the most expensive professional programs. Schools face rising costs due to the need to satisfy accreditation demands, maintain teaching hospitals and fund research. Higher tuition, more out-of-state students and larger enrollments have had to fill the gap, but that model is unsustainable.
Distributive education, which leverages private partnerships and real-world training environments, is a cost-effective alternative. Schools can also share lectures and resources, reduce redundancies, and further explore three-year degree programs to reduce costs and student debt.
Today’s graduates are brilliant, collaborative and compassionate. Veterinary medicine and education will look vastly different tomorrow. It’s up to us to shape that future. After all, it takes a village to raise a profession.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT MENTORSHIP
The Evolve VetEd HiVE conference also explored whether the United States should adopt a profession-wide mentorship program for new graduates akin to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Veterinary Graduate Development Program. Such programs provide structured support by helping graduates transition smoothly into the workforce. U.S.-based initiatives like MentorVet and Ready, Vet, Go have demonstrated mentorship’s value in improving confidence and employee retention.