Colorado State University’s Veterinary Medicine Program Holds Top Position in Coveted Ranking of Programs of Its Kind
The veterinary medicine program at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences was ranked second in the nation today in the coveted U.S. News and World Report annual rankings of America’s best university graduate schools.
The college boasts a number of the most prestigious programs in the veterinary medicine discipline, and the majority of discoveries made within the program can be directly related to medicine that also benefits humans.
"Colorado State continues to set standards of excellence in veterinary medical programs, with internationally-recognized research and clinical programs, as well as a world-class hospital. Our faculty and staff provide an exceptional education to future veterinarians and consistently strive to improve the health of all animals, translate veterinary medicine breakthroughs into human therapies, and provide students with a holistic sense of the responsibilities – medical, ethical, scientific — of practicing and studying in this field," said Dr. Lance Perryman, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
"This ranking also reflects our commitment to meeting the health needs of animals as well as societies here and abroad. In addition, this achievement echoes the determination and devotion that our graduate students give to the program."
Colorado State’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences leads all other schools of its kind in external research funding. Research into disciplines such as infectious disease, biodefense and oncology is extensively supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Agriculture and NASA.
Colorado State continues a leading role in Veterinary Medicine educational programs, outpacing other strong programs at University of Pennsylvania, North Carolina State University, Texas A & M University-College Station, Michigan State University, University of Wisconsin-Madison and The Ohio State University. Cornell University topped the 2007 list in veterinary medicine, while Colorado State University and University of California-Davis were tied at second.
Celebrating its 100th year, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences was founded in 1907 when the Department of Veterinary Sciences was established by the Colorado State Board of Agriculture, the board that governed Colorado State University at that time.
Admission into the college is extremely competitive with more than 1,600 annual applications to the professional veterinary medicine degree program alone, with admission limited to 134.
The college is a leader in the advancement of small animal medicine including the fields of cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, pain management and scientifically sound alternative medicine. The college’s veterinary programs provide innovative equine and agricultural animal medical advancements that are changing the way health, disease and injury in large animals are managed.
The college’s James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital provides routine, specialized and emergency care for more than 24,500 small animals each year, with faculty and students providing medical services for animals. Some services are not available to animal owners anywhere else in the world.
The veterinary diagnostic laboratory at Colorado State was selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as one of seven labs in the nation to test for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.
The college’s Animal Cancer Center is the largest center of its kind in the world and has trained more veterinary surgical, medical and radiation oncologists than any other veterinary institution. The center has been funded by the National Cancer Institute for more than 25 consecutive years.
The college includes the first successful canine open heart surgery program in the world, as well as world-recognized programs in equine medicine and equine orthopedic medicine.
The Argus Institute is another exclusive center in the college. It trains future veterinarians to better communicate with clients and provide services that better serve the emotional bonds clients form with their pets.
In addition, the college continues to lead veterinary fields in exploring and teaching animal ethics and pain management.
The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences also is the leading college in the university’s new and unique Supercluster approach to technology transfer. MicroRx, a first-of-its-kind technology transfer structure at a university, will speed the transition of life-saving research on infectious diseases from the academic world into the global marketplace. MicroRx, the first Supercluster at the university, is comprised of alliances of academic researchers, economists and business experts designed to encourage collaboration and bridge the vastly different worlds of business and academia.
U.S. News and World Report rankings are based on the results of peer assessment surveys at accredited degree programs or schools in each discipline. The rankings of health programs are compiled every four years.
Colorado State’s veterinary medicine program has consistently ranked in the top two positions of veterinary education in the rankings after climbing from fourth place in the late 1990s.
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