Vet Med program set to nearly double in size

Right now, for every student accepted at the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM), nine students are turned down. With only 30 first-year seats up for grabs, there are a lot of disappointed applicants.

But thanks to a decision by the provincial government to increase funding to UCVM’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, enrolment will increase from 30 to 50 students each year.

• Pictured above from left are the Dean of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Baljit Singh, UCVM student Jessica Newman, Minister of Advanced Education Marlin Schmidt, and Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Dru Marshall. 

Currently, the government funds Alberta students to study at both UCVM and at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon. This is because of a long-standing arrangement that was made decades before Alberta established its own veterinary college at the University of Calgary in 2012. Before UCVM started its program, the college in Saskatoon was the only option for Alberta students.  

“The University of Calgary’s veterinary program has grown into a world-renowned institution, and with this new funding we will now have the capacity to train all of our students right here in Alberta,” Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt said in announcing the news Thursday. “The partnership with the other provinces worked for many years, but by focusing our support on one Alberta-based program, we will achieve provincial cost savings and increase access. This will make life better for students, families, and communities.”

The changes take effect starting in 2020 and by 2023, the province will no longer fund students in the Saskatoon program. The gradual phasing in of the funding allows Alberta students currently studying in Saskatoon to complete their studies.

“I appreciate the Government of Alberta's decision to support the expansion of our world-class teaching and research programs at UCVM,” said Dr. Baljit Singh, UCVM dean. “This investment gives more Alberta students the opportunity to enter our community-embedded veterinary medical training programs and increases our capacity to graduate local veterinarians to support the province's food animal, equine, and pet-owning communities.” 

Singh says a larger annual class size gives the faculty flexibility to target more students with an interest in working in rural Alberta.  

“In a short period of time, the University of Calgary has established a globally competitive school of veterinary medicine. Increased funding provided by the Government of Alberta allows more Alberta students the opportunity to study in their home province and serve rural and remote communities,” said Dru Marshall, provost and vice-president (academic). “This investment cements the leadership role taken by the Government of Alberta to specifically support its livestock industry and the public health of all Albertans.”