By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Young people who desire a career in animal health but do not want to pursue a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree now have an alternative at Mississippi State University.

MSU's College of Veterinary Medicine will begin a four-year undergraduate program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in veterinary technology in the fall of 2009. The college is establishing the degree to address a national shortage of veterinary technologists and help veterinarians provide the highest standard of health care to animals and society.

“We are committed to providing a flexible curriculum that is responsive to the educational needs of students, the changing requirements of the veterinary profession and the diverse biological needs of the animal kingdom,” said Dr. Kent Hoblet, CVM dean. “We are truly excited about this new venture.”

The veterinary technology program is the first undergraduate degree the college has offered. Currently the college awards a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, a Master of Science degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree. The college also provides clinical education experiences for students pursuing a two-year associate's degree in the veterinary technician program at Hinds Community College in Raymond.

“Many higher learning institutions and medical research facilities need veterinary technologists who have had the training and education provided through a bachelor's degree program,” said Dr. Mikell Davis, director of the new veterinary technology program. “The career opportunities available to such graduates are unlimited, and the contributions they can make to the profession of veterinary medicine are significant.”

Students must complete all university core curriculum coursework and have a grade-point average of 2.5 or higher to be eligible as juniors for the 24 available slots of each class. Those who qualify for the first class of the program will start the fall semester of 2010 and will graduate in the spring of 2012.

Students at other institutions are eligible to apply for admittance, but they also must meet MSU's prerequisites.

“Our admissions process is competitive, and we will only accept highly qualified students with the necessary knowledge and abilities to meet the needs of the people we serve,” Hoblet said.

Juniors who begin the veterinary technology program will study basic care and handling of animals, principles of normal and abnormal life processes, and routine laboratory and clinical procedures. They will spend their senior year in clinical rotations.

The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine is only the third veterinary college in the United States to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in veterinary technology. The veterinary medical colleges at Michigan State University and Purdue University are the other two.

“We have begun this program so that we can provide these opportunities and advance the purpose of comprehensive land-grant institutions to improve the quality of life for the people they serve,” Davis said.

Pet owners, agricultural producers and the general public expect veterinarians to provide the same state-of-the-art health care for animals that humans have. The Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association and all other state associations that comprise the American Veterinary Medical Association cite a serious shortage of veterinary technologists.

In the “Letters to the Editor” section of the Oct. 1 issue of the “Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association,” Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association president David Schwarz wrote that more than 20,000 new veterinary technologists are needed each year just to maintain services provided by 58,000 veterinarians in clinical practice.

“Most practices need at least two technicians per veterinarian,” Schwarz wrote.

Veterinary technologists are trained to administer both routine and specialized procedures so a veterinarian can concentrate on diagnosis, prescription and surgery. An individual with such training can choose to work for a private practice, a public health or regulatory agency, an animal management facility, the pharmaceutical industry, a food manufacturer or a biomedical research institution.

“We are confident that our new program will have a dynamic impact upon the profession of veterinary medicine and help meet the need for qualified technologists so very necessary to ensure the highest quality of health care for animals,” Davis said. “This option can allow students who want to work in the animal health-care field to enjoy a rewarding and satisfactory career.”

Individuals interested in the program can contact Davis at (662) 325-1388 or davis@cvm.msstate.edu.

Contact: Dr. Mikell Davis, (662) 325-1388