Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine forms new partnership to help veterinarians, veterinary students

The Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine, part of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, has partnered with the U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA) to create mentoring, education, and networking opportunities for veterinarians and veterinary students.

In response to increased demands for veterinarians in the public sector, the Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine is working to expand its activities in the areas of public health, public policy, international veterinary medicine, organizational leadership, and the One Health Initiative. Through this partnership, the center and USAHA will identify opportunities for veterinary student involvement with USAHA member organizations and agencies to provide increased learning, networking, mentoring, and potential future employment for veterinarians and veterinary students.

“The breadth of expertise and experience that USAHA members have is a rich resource that veterinary students will have the opportunity to tap into and learn from,” said Dr. Valerie Ragan, director of the Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine.

“We view this partnership as a prime opportunity to attract veterinary students to public practice to help fill current and projected critical shortages, such as those in state animal health agencies,” added Dr. Richard Breitmeyer, California’s state veterinarian and president of USAHA.

Located on the University of Maryland campus near Washington, D.C., the Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine has a history of training veterinary students from North American veterinary colleges for careers in public practice.

U.S. Animal Health Association’s 1,200 members are state and federal animal health officials, national allied organizations, and individual members. The organization works with state and federal governments, universities, research scientists, veterinarians, and others to protect animal and public health, and control livestock diseases in the United States and globally.

For more information, contact Ragan at (301) 314-6820. For more information on USAHA, contact Executive Director Benjamin Richey at (816) 671-1144.