In September 2006, Alberta will open a veterinary medical school that will put the province at the forefront of research into animal diseases and food supply safety.

The school will provide research into the detection, containment and eradication of diseases that can spread from species to species and affect humans, and prepare veterinary medical practitioners and researchers focused on food supply safety. It will also specialize in producing large-animal veterinarians to address shortages of these types of specialists in the province.

Although the school will address the full range of veterinary medicine including small and large animal practice, students will specialize in three areas: Large Animal Medicine, Zoological and Wildlife Veterinary Medicine, and Mouse-based Genomics and Comparative Medicine.

The three-year program will be housed at the University of Calgary and will be linked closely with the University's Faculty of Medicine. It is expected to graduate 30 veterinarians each year.

To be considered for admission, it is expected that students will have completed at least two years of post-secondary study or a pre-veterinary program. Applicants will also be required to have some veterinary-related experience.

For further information, access the website at: www.vet.ucalgary.ca.