Parsippany, N.J. – Zoetis Inc. and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) will partner again in 2020 to provide scholarships to second- and third-year veterinary students in the United States and Caribbean. Recipients of the 2020 Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarship Awards will each receive $2,000 for the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year. Interested students can apply now through December 2, 2019, at www.vetvance.com/opportunities or via the VETVANCE® mobile app, which is available for download from the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store. To date, the Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarship program has awarded over 3,300 scholarships totaling more than $6.7 million. VetVance, a free educational resource, provides veterinarians, veterinary students, recent graduates, and veterinary technicians with online content relating to professional development, business skills, professional stewardship, financial literacy, and personal wellness.
“Zoetis remains committed to its long-standing mission of assisting veterinary students ease financial debt related to their education,” said Dr. Christine Jenkins, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President, Veterinary Medical Services and Outcomes Research at Zoetis, in a press release. “These awards have helped ameliorate some of the expenses related to a veterinary education and in many cases, enabled students to participate in other learning opportunities such as externships.” The average debt load of veterinary students is more than $170,000.1
Eligibility criteria include academic excellence, financial need, diversity, sustainability, leadership and career interest. Scholarships will be awarded to students in all areas of professional interest, including food animal medicine, small animal clinical medicine, research, government services, public health, and organized veterinary medicine.
“The AAVMC is proud to be able to partner with Zoetis on this strategic program,” AAVMC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe said in the press release. “Scholarship support has never played a greater role in the success and wellbeing of our DVM students, and we’re extremely grateful to Zoetis for the investment they are making in the future of the profession.”
Now in its eleventh year, the Veterinary Scholarship Award operates as part of Zoetis’ Commitment to Veterinarians™, a platform created by Zoetis to support leadership and diversity among future veterinarians, while also helping to offset the significant costs associated with a veterinary education. Winners will be announced at the 2020 Student American Veterinary Medical Association Symposium.
To learn more about the Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarship Award or to apply for a scholarship, please register at VETVANCE.com or download the VETVANCE mobile app to get started. VETVANCE is a free educational resource sponsored by Zoetis that provides veterinary students and recent graduates with online content relating to professional development, business skills, professional stewardship, financial literacy, personal wellness, and much more.
1Average debt among veterinary students was $174,117 in 2018, according to the Annual Data Report 2018-2019 [Internet]. Washington, DC: Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges; 2019 January p. 1-59. Available from: http://www.aavmc.org/About-AAVMC/Public-Data.aspx.