I've heard from tech relatives that they're playing poker, hoping to force their hand.

Bucketrunner said:

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I've heard from tech relatives that they're playing poker, hoping to force their hand.

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Sounds like a way to change a "No" vote to a "Hell no" vote.

FisherCoAg had an interesting comment over on the Premium thread regarding the pending HECB decision:
"If your second paragraph is correct they will not get accredited. I think at this point tech will have a vet school. I was adamantly opposed at first, but in three years of trying to sell a mixed rural practice I have had zero serious interest from Aggie grads. I don't think techs model will solve it, but if something doesn't change there will be fewer practices in small to medium sized towns in the future." My question, should the HECB decision go in our favor, what length of time should the struggling areas of the state (which BTW are consistent with the map Canyon provided above for human doctor shortages) consider as reasonable for the Aggie plan to have its proposed impact?

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My question, should the HECB decision go in our favor, what length of time should the struggling areas of the state (which BTW are consistent with the map Canyon provided above for human doctor shortages) consider as reasonable for the Aggie plan to have its proposed impact?

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Well the WTAMU plan already has Aggie vet students at College Station that started at WT. And more are in the pipeline, a pipeline that should get bigger in the future.

So if the model of "train them here, they stay here" has any merit, which I doubt, the WT kids should start showing up in 3-5 years.

The bigger question is CAN we do anything? As long as new vets have freedom of choice, they are going to chase money and lifestyle. While there are those of us who love this part of the country, I know it's an acquired taste.

Maybe the solution is free market, you let the supply of vets drop so low that the people of West Texas are willing to pay more for vet service

Maybe it's private, some sort of scholarship/loan payoff to entice vets to practice here for a time, and hopefully come to love the area.

Or maybe it's government. The state hires vets and stations them out this way. Sort of like they do county agents.

I agree - Buffs deserve it more

DAMN!!E What a waste! It will take years now to prove this is a mistake and only after wasting MILLIONS of taxpayer's $$

https://www.amarillo.com/news/20191211/higher-ed-board-paves-way-for-texas-tech-vet-school?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%20Dynamic%20Ads&utm_content=GMPG_AGN&utm_term=121219

Higher ed board paves way for Texas Tech vet school

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The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on Wednesday paved the way for opening the state's second school of veterinary medicine.
Board members gave degree approval to Texas Tech University's proposal, putting it one step closer to opening a vet school in Amarillo.
"This initiative grew out of our desire to serve the needs of the state to address a worsening veterinarian workforce shortage, particularly in rural areas," Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec said. "And also to provide opportunity to students who seek a career in veterinary medicine and increasingly find they have to leave the state to receive that education."
The school still has to receive accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association before it opens its doors in fall 2021, but Texas Tech already broke ground on facilities in September, and Wednesday's approval by the board means things are progressing smoothly, Schovanec said.
"To get degree program approval from the coordinating board is clearly one of the most critical benchmarks we had to achieve," he told the American-Statesman.
For nearly 100 years, Texas A&M University has sought to remain Texas' sole provider of doctors of veterinary medicine degrees. But in May, the Legislature approved $17 million for Texas Tech to begin the process of forming a second program in Amarillo. Tech leaders argue A&M alone cannot produce enough veterinarians to meet the state's needs. As of 2017, Texas A&M's veterinarian class size is about 140 students. According to Tech leaders, its first veterinary class will be about 40 students. By 2026, Tech plans to have about 240 students being taught by 65 to 70 faculty members.
Tech says adding another veterinary school will help provide animal care in parts of the state that desperately need it. Some counties, especially those in West Texas and the Panhandle, have very few to no veterinarians, according to the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.
Guy Loneragan, a Texas Tech professor of food safety and public health, told board members Wednesday the shortage of veterinarians in Texas is likely to get worse in the coming years. Across Texas, a quarter of licensed veterinarians are over 60. In the counties with fewer than 50,000 people, it's more than 40%, Loneragan said.

The $17 million in state funding approved in the spring was championed by a cohort of Lubbock- and Amarillo-area lawmakers, including Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock.

"The Legislature has always recognized the value of robust and competitive university systems to meet the needs of a growing state that has an integral role in the success of our nation and global economy," Perry said in a joint statement with lawmakers in May. "The Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine (TTUSOVM) will help address the shortage of large and mixed animal veterinarians in rural parts of the state."
Having Amarillo as the school's location is key, Schovanec said.
"What makes Amarillo the ideal location is that it's in the epicenter of a growing dairy industry and it's always been the most important area in the state as it relates to feedlots," he said.
The city of Amarillo has been supportive of Texas Tech's vision, and it recently donated about $60 million for construction of the teaching center. The school expects to rely on additional money from the state for the next several years. Schovanec said Texas Tech will request about $43 million from the Legislature over the next three sessions, after which the program will run solely on tuition revenue and the standard state formula funding every college receives.
"We think that's a very responsible and reasonable request to establish the new school of veterinary medicine," Schovanec said.

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https://www.statesman.com/news/20191215/our-view-vet-school-now-one-step-closer-to-becoming-reality/1

Austin American Statesman View: Vet school now one step closer to becoming reality

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Texas Tech University and Amarillo cleared another important, mandatory, hurdle this past week as the school moved one step closer to seeing the hard-fought dream of a veterinary school in West Texas come to life.
Last Wednesday, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved Tech's Doctor of Veterinary degree proposal. The decision was not unexpected as Tech officials have made a compelling case that the state needs a second school of veterinary medicine, but as people in these parts know, nothing is really certain until it is certain.
The process is not yet complete. Tech still must receive accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association before it can officially roll out the welcome mat for its first class of students in the fall of 2021.
Things are proceeding apace, though. Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony in Amarillo in September, and the importance of Wednesday's approval cannot be underestimated. The coordinating board basically wields veto power over degree programs at the state's four-year universities.
"To get degree program approval from the coordinating board is clearly one of the most critical benchmarks we had to achieve," Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec said in our story.
While there might have been plenty of drama around Tech's desire to bring a second Texas vet school online at one time, it disappeared, at least from public view, once the Texas Legislature included the item in the state budget that was approved this past spring. Thanks to the yeoman work of the West Texas delegation in building consensus for and awareness of the need, lawmakers approved $17 million for Tech to begin the process of launching its own vet school.
"The Legislature has always recognized the value of robust and competitive university systems to meet the needs of a growing state that has an integral role in the success of our nation and global economy," State Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) said in a joint statement with lawmakers last May that was included in our story. "The Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine (TTUSOVM) will help address the shortage of large and mixed animal veterinarians in rural parts of the state."
President Schovanec indicated Tech officials will likely request more than $40 million to further sustain the vet school over the next three sessions. After that, the program will run on tuition revenue and the standard state formula funding every college receives, he said.

Meanwhile, Tech officials have sung the same verses from the same hymnal all along the way, framing the vet school as a long overdue necessity to address a pronounced shortage of Texas veterinarians, most apparent in rural areas. It also will expand access for students seeking a veterinary medicine career at a time when many have had to leave Texas in pursuit of their educational dreams.

In other words, the initiative perfectly aligns with Tech's vision to serve all of West Texas.
By the same token, Tech has never seen its plan as a threat to or encroachment upon the excellent program at Texas A&M, which has had the state's veterinary medicine degree market cornered for the past 100 years. The cause was never to knock A&M; instead, it was an opportunity to keep up with a growing demand.
University leaders relied upon black and white statistics to tell the story. The state's population has swelled steadily, and there is a dearth of veterinarians across West Texas in general and providers specializing in large animals in particular. Numbers indicate there are only 180 large-animal veterinarians serving rural Texas counties that's 3 percent of the state's registered veterinarians.
According to statistics from the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, a number of counties across West Texas and the Panhandle have few to no veterinarians. The shortage, critical now, is projected to grow worse in the years ahead as 25 percent of licensed vets are over age 60. In counties with fewer than 50,000 people, the number increases to 40 percent.
The long-term vision for Tech's school is to usher in 40 students the first year and steadily increase population to 240 students being taught by as many as 70 faculty members by 2026.
The vet school has been on the Tech radar for more than a decade, and it is no secret how strongly the people of Amarillo have supported the initiative all along the way, recently contributing $60 million toward the construction of a teaching center.

As President Schovanec pointed out, placing it in the heart of cattle country makes sense on every level.
"What makes Amarillo the ideal location is that it's in the epicenter of a growing dairy industry, and it's always been the most important area in the state as it relates to feedlots," he said in our story.
The Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine is one of the region's greatest success stories. It has been marked by cooperation, perseverance and inspiration, and one that, beginning in the not to distant future, will transform West Texas by transforming lives, one life at a time.

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https://www.newschannel10.com/2019/12/20/texas-techs-veterinary-school-receives-multiple-approvals/

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We're going through a lot of faculty interviews and reviews of applications to get our first team on board. And we're also working on the curriculum. So we have to get the syllabi formed, finalize what the first-year student program is going to be like and then prepare all that stuff for our site visit from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council of education," said John Dascanio, senior associate dean of academic and student affairs for Texas Tech's veterinary school.

The Texas Tech veterinary school could receive a provisional accreditation after the site visit next summer and then could receive full accreditation after they graduate their first class.

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could receive full accreditation after they graduate their first class.

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Pretty typical for new programs. They have to graduatethe first class to start the accreditation process. WTAMU just graduated their first class of electrical engineers and is working through accreditation. Once they receive accreditation, they'll grandfather everyone in who graduated beforehand.

Still, it'd be hard to take the risk as a student.

https://www.amarillo.com/news/20191226/texas-tech-moves-forward-with-amarillo-vet-school-baseball-field-construction?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%20Dynamic%20Ads&utm_content=GMPG_AGN&utm_term=122819

Texas Tech moves forward with Amarillo vet school

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The Texas Tech Board of Regents earlier this month approved early construction work for the School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillo.
Regents made the votes for the vet school at a meeting earlier this month.
After a brief presentation, regents approved spending $15 million for beginning construction on the Amarillo project expected to cost a total of $90 million.
According to Tech, the $15 million approved this month is for earthwork, underground utilities for fire protection, electrical and plumbing, elevators and limited concrete.
"We're to the point in our design and our pricing that we've got this scope of services already priced," Billy Breedlove, vice chancellor for facilities planning and construction, told the board. "If we approve this today then this'll allow us to mobilize immediately and get a shovel in the ground by the end of the month, or right at the first of the year."
The academic building will take shape on the north side of the existing TTUHSC campus in Amarillo. Plans call for the school to open for the fall 2021 semester with anticipated enrollment of 60 students.

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Gonna be fun watching this train wreck. I'm sure there will be subtle ways to impact funding and faculty.

And on a related note...

https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/state-regional/ttuhsc-is-trying-to-combat-physician-shortage-in-texas/

Sound familiar? This is exactly the basis on which the Texas A&M approval for developing Medical Doctors was founded.

There are two parts to why I posted this:
1. A&M told Austin the state of Texas needed rural practitioners and the basis for the proposed A&M Medical School would be to focus on providing healthcare professionals to fill that need.
2. The "short cut" program TT is apparently trying to use to fill that gap is exactly the same type of Vet care being proposed - i.e., a "short cut" without providing all the traditional requirements to obtain certifications to provide care.

To my knowledge A&M has not taken the "short cut" in either programs nor does it intend to.

I will acknowledge however that the original intent at A&M to provide rural practitioners has fallen short in that the A&M graduates are as qualified (or moreso) as any other graduate of renowned accredited long-standing medical schools for advancing into board certified specialities and therefore often end up generally in large metro facilities where their referrals from general family medicine practice and into more sophisticated facilities available to support their narrowed speciality focus.

https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/state-regional/ttuhsc-is-trying-to-combat-physician-shortage-in-texas/

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AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) A nationwide shortage of physicians in rural areas is causing concern for many in the medical field.
The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is working to combat that the problem.
TTUHSC has developed a program called Family Medicine Accelerated Track (FMAT). The hope is to get students working in the medical field faster, and by doing so, hopefully retaining doctors in the areas that need it most.
The program works by shortening the duration of their medical education usually, it takes a year off.
This allows students to begin residency and practicing medicine sooner.
"When we set up the family medicine accelerated track we were able to take away some of the time they might have had and allowed them to complete some of the requirements that you need to finish medical school in three years instead of four," Dr. Rodney Young, explained.
FMAT is aimed at medical students looking to practice family medicine. The reason they are aiming the program to future primary care physicians is those are the doctors most needed in rural areas.
Since the program has been in effect they have had more than two-thirds stay and practice in West Texas.
Dr. Young said other campuses have adopted similar concepts to address the local shortages they have.

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https://abc7amarillo.com/news/local/texas-tech-university-system-regents-approve-90m-for-vet-school

Texas Tech University System Regents approve $90M for Vet School

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LUBBOCK, Texas (KVII) During a special meeting on Wednesday, the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents approved $90 million for the Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine.
The approved project budget is an increase of more than $69 million from a budget approved in December, according to FOX34 in Lubbock.
The revised budget helps fund the compensation of the more than 185,000-square-foot facility in Amarillo. The facility will accommodate 400 students with break-out rooms, office suites and student lockers.
TTU officials broke ground on the facility in September.

The Amarillo campus will join Texas A&M University as the only other vet school in the state when it's scheduled to open its doors in the fall of 2021.

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Tech has been very active on the hiring front. Lots of DVMs making career moves to academia. Not a fan. As a Canyon boy, there is a reason I didn't go back. Not enough work. Really bad waste of money.

I pointed this out to 3 state legislators last fall. They couldn't agree but fell all over themselves trying to explain. Basically I asked why they thought spending 30mil on a vet school In west Texas was preferred to spending 500k on loan repayment to fill the labor shortage. Loan repayment program has been on the books for years but has never been funded.

Do I know you? My son was A&M '09, and graduated Canyon High.

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, the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents approved $90 million for the Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine.

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Yearly budget of $940m, spending nearly 10% on construction that benefits 240 students out of about 53,000 students, or less than 1/2 of 1% of the student population.

Brilliant!

Wonder what the folks at Angelo State think about this.

https://today.tamu.edu/2020/01/28/texas-am-system-partnership-announces-update-to-veterinary-program-in-texas-panhandle/

Texas A&M System Partnership Announces Update To Veterinary Program In Texas Panhandle

Additional funding will support the increased faculty needed for VERO's 2+2 program and will help large animal needs in rural communities

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Officials from The Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) announced on Jan. 28 a $5 million commitment to the developing 2+2 veterinary program through the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences' (CVM) Veterinary Education, Research & Outreach (VERO) program on West Texas A&M University's (WT) campus.
The additional funding from TAMUS will be used to increase faculty members from 5 to 23 for the VERO program. Current faculty members were secured with the support of a Legislative Appropriations Request by the Texas Education Agency.
The VERO 2+2 program is a continuation of initiatives led by the TAMUS to support the state agriculture industry and the young people of Texas. In 2019, the System committed $90 million to the establishment of a 22,000-square-foot VERO facility to house the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) curriculum and externship programs for the new clinical rotations in the Texas Panhandle, as well as the 2+2 program. The 2+2 program will allow Texas A&M veterinary students to elect to spend their first two years in Canyon on WT's campus for increased exposure to large animal needs in rural communities.
"Texas A&M's 100-year-old veterinary program is an established, accredited route for students seeking their D.V.M degree," Walter V. Wendler, president of WT, said. "Paired with WT's prime location for the cattle industry with ample opportunities to work with large animals through extern- and internships is a recipe for a prosperous veterinary services industry in Texas. We are thrilled with the seamless collaboration between these two campuses and eager to be a part of educating Texas A&M veterinary students on WT's campus."
Dr. Karen Cornell, associate dean for Professional Programs, visited West Texas A&M for Chancellor Sharp's announcement.
The first cohort of fourth-year veterinary students will begin clinical rotations at the Agricultural Sciences Complex on WT's campus starting summer 2020. The first cohort of up to 18 first-year veterinary students will begin their DVM education at the VERO in fall 2021.
Every year after, there will be two cohorts at one time cycling through the Canyon location before their third year at the CVM in College Station, with the option of returning to Canyon a portion of their fourth-year clinical rotations.
"Through our VERO program, Texas A&M, the CVM, and WT are prioritizing the need for rural and food animal veterinarians, needs that affect citizens of the Texas Panhandle and citizens in rural communities across the state," said Dr. Eleanor M. Green, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M.
"Our VERO educational team, led by Dr. Dan Posey, is working to meet these needs by helping West Texas A&M gather and mentor regional students, to help them produce the best veterinary school application possible. In just three and a half years, under Dr. Posey's leadership, the number of successful veterinary college applications from West Texas A&M has tripled," Green said. "The next step is to bring them back home to serve their hometowns in the Texas Panhandle region, and the 2+2 program will be a key part of this critical next step."
Combining the power of the two campuses' resources will expose students to unique, diverse learning opportunities in a large state with some underserved regions. Faculty of the VERO program encourage incoming students to engage locally and consider working in communities that have a greater need for a large animal veterinarian.
"We are pleased to expand our veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences program to the campus of West Texas A&M University," Texas A&M President Michael K. Young said.
"The increased funding will provide support and be of great benefit to all Texans. The 2+2 program will especially benefit large-animal care needs that are often isolated and will enhance the educational and medical care opportunities for rural Texans."

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The only time Texas Tech was mentioned in the press conference was when it accidentally slipped out of the mouth of one of the speakers (who I will not name!)

LOL......There was only one person on that podium who is famous for Freudian Slips!

Who? How old? How long has he been a Vet? From where? Graduated from what? Hmmm

https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/world-renowned-horse-veterinarian-joins-ttu-school-of-veterinary-medicine-as-associate-dean/

World-renowned horse veterinarian joins TTU School of Veterinary Medicine as associate dean

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The faculty of Texas Tech University's School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillo continues to take shape as renowned horse expert and veterinarian Britt Conklin has been hired as the new Associate Dean for Clinical Programs.
Conklin, who earned his undergraduate degree in 1997 from the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources (CASNR), has served as the senior equine professional services veterinarian for Boehringer-Ingelheim Animal Health since 2012. He also established a breakthrough veterinary practice in Weatherford after graduating from veterinary school.
"Being raised here in the Texas Panhandle, in production agriculture, has shaped the character and veterinarian I have become," Conklin said. "I am thrilled to be part of this exciting program and, as part of the Texas Tech family, I look forward to fostering those fundamental values we hold dear in the students who pass through this program."


Thanks to the generosity of Amarillo and communities across Texas, and the commitment of legislators from around the state, the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine, established in 2018, is working to enroll its first class in the fall of 2021, pending approval by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE).
The School of Veterinary Medicine will recruit and select students with a passion to practice and succeed in small, agricultural and regional communities and utilize a curriculum focused on the competencies and skills necessary to be successful in practices that support these communities. Texas Tech's innovative and cost-efficient model partners with the wider community of veterinary practices across the state to provide clinical, real-world experiential learning.
In June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law the biennial state budget, which appropriated $17.35 million for the School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillo that will go toward operational needs in order to get the school up and running. The appropriation included language directing Texas Tech to move forward in establishing the school.
Donors and civic leaders have pledged more than $90 million toward infrastructure, construction and scholarships for the School of Veterinary Medicine on the site of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Amarillo.

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https://www.amarillo.com/news/20200228/dean-provides-ttu-vet-school-project-update

https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/state-regional/large-animal-expert-joins-ttus-school-of-veterinary-medicine-to-pursue-dream-career/

Like it or not, This guy does have credentials...

https://today.tamu.edu/2020/04/16/texas-am-cvms-22-program-in-texas-panhandle-receives-american-veterinary-medical-association-approval/

Texas A&M CVM's 2+2 Program In Texas Panhandle Receives American Veterinary Medical Association Approval

The new program is designed to increase the number of rural and food animal veterinarians in Texas.

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With this approval, the CVM has permission to implement the 2+2 program through its Veterinary Education, Research & Outreach (VERO) program on West Texas A&M University's (WT) campus. This means that additional veterinary students will be able to complete the first two years of their four-year veterinary curriculum in Canyon, Texas.
"The 2+2 program helps fulfill a 10-year goal to increase large animal veterinary medicine in the Texas Panhandle," said Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) Chancellor John Sharp. "It makes West Texas A&M the gateway to one of the best veterinary schools in the nation."
"We are extremely excited that our 2+2 program has been approved by the AVMA COE," said Dr. Eleanor M. Green, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M. "This is a benchmark step that puts Texas A&M and WT one step closer to fulfilling a plan we have been working on for over a decade now.
"Through our VERO program, Texas A&M, the CVM and WT are fulfilling a promise we made to the citizens of Texas to further address the need for rural and food animal veterinarians, needs that affect our food supply, the State of Texas economy and citizens of the Texas Panhandle, as well as rural communities across the state," she said.
"It also supports our Texas youth who have aspirations for careers in veterinary medicine. While the launch of the VERO program has already tripled the number applicants from WT being admitted to the CVM's veterinary curriculum, this approval brings us one step closer to being able to admit even more students from WT and the Texas Panhandle region who can then, close to home, receive an education from one of the best veterinary schools in the nation," Green said. "We anticipate that many of these veterinary graduates will choose to return home to serve their hometown communities."
Through the 2+2 program, the first cohort of up to 18 Texas A&M first-year veterinary students will begin their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) education at the VERO facility in fall 2021.

For more information on the 2+2 program and the CVM's VERO initiative, visit the VERO webpage.

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https://www.myvetcandy.com/careerblog/2020/4/17/texas-a-amp-m-receives-approval-for-new-program-that-aims-to-increase-the-number-of-large-animal-veterinarians

https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/ttus-school-of-veterinary-medicine-complex-taking-shape-in-amarillo/

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According to Billy Breedlove, vice chancellor of Facilities Planning & Construction for the Texas Tech University System, construction of the School of Veterinary Medicine is on time and progressing as planned. The steel structure of the main academic building and school headquarters is beginning to take shape, and construction of the Mariposa Station, the large-animal facility for the school, also has begun.

Work to date on what is known as the School of Veterinary Medicine Amarillo Campus, located just to the north of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Amarillo campus, has included installation of all in-ground electrical and plumbing infrastructure, pouring concrete footings, slab on grade, utilities and erecting steel.

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https://news.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=210&Id=9817255

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Leaders at Texas A&M have been opposed to Tech's plan for a veterinary school since it was announced in 2015, believing that it duplicates the institution's efforts to expand to West Texas A&M University in Canyon, a half-hour drive from Tech's Amarillo campus, and could siphon state funds allocated for the program. " A&M can clearly meet all of the veterinary needs in Texas," former veterinary school Dean Eleanor Green wrote in an opinion piece published in a local newspaper in February 2019.

Eight months later, however, Green announced plans to leave Texas A&M for a senior position with the Animal Policy Group, a consulting firm that promotes growth in veterinary academia by providing advice to emerging programs on how to earn accreditation from the AVMA COE. A committee at Texas A&M is conducting a national search for her replacement. Dr. John August, serving as dean in the interim, has not spoken publicly about the Texas Tech venture.

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https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/press-releases/two-vero-faculty-hires-expand-texas-ams-veterinary-missions-in-texas-panhandle/

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The Veterinary Education, Research, & Outreach (VERO) program, a partnership between the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) and West Texas A&M University (WT), has hired two new faculty to bring their extensive experience in the field and in the classroom to the students, veterinarians, livestock producers, and citizens of the Texas Panhandle.
Dr. Benjamin Newcomer, a dairy cattle expert, and Dr. Jenna Funk, an expert in beef cattle production, will support the fourth-year veterinary students who choose to participate in clinical rotations in Canyon and the surrounding areas.
"The Texas A&M University System has put its full backing behind the VERO program and these top-notch hires are evidence that we are serious about its success," said John Sharp, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System.

Newcomer will join the VERO team in November from Auburn University, where he completed a residency in internal medicine and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and, since 2013, has been a faculty member.
Board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, and the American Board of Toxicology, Newcomer also has six years of experience in private dairy practice.
The 2002 University of Florida graduate brings strengths in herd health medicine, infectious disease control, veterinary clinical instruction, and health care worker training.
Newcomer said that Texas A&M's tradition speaks for itself and made the position one that he was immediately interested in.
"There are a lot of things that attracted me to this position," Newcomer said. "Certainly, the history and tradition of Texas A&M is unrivaled and well known. They're known for producing quality veterinary graduates and the VERO program is geographically situated in a growing area where there are lots of cattle where students can get hands-on experience."

VERO Director Dr. Dee Griffin said Newcomer's expertise in dairy veterinary management will have a tremendous impact on the CVMBS' efforts in the region. He also pointed out that while many know of Texas' contribution to the beef industry, Texas is also the fifth largest dairy producing state, and 80% of all dairy produced in Texas is produced in the panhandle and the high plains.
"Dr. Newcomer is perhaps the most academically prepared clinical dairy management professor in the United States," he said. "The extremely large dairies such as we have in this region are extremely sophisticated. Dr. Newcomer also is one of the few in the United States that the college could have recruited who are capable of navigating the level of expertise required to work with dairies of this magnitude and be able to develop a dairy clinical veterinary and management program for our CVMBS students."

Dr. Jenna Funk: Griffin witnessed Funk's work ethic first hand when Funk was a student enrolled in a feeder cattle veterinary clinical skills and management summer education program, at which Funk spent 60-80 hours a week learning tasks ranging from ultrasound pregnancy exams to cleaning the water tanks.
"Dr. Funk is not only an extremely talented beef veterinarian, but she also has a love for students," he said. "The opportunities for her here are tremendous. Over 25% of all of the beef eaten in the United States comes from within a two-hour drive of our VERO facility, combining that opportunity with Dr. Funk's expertise will provide unique clinical and livestock management opportunities for our veterinary students."
An Iowa State University graduate, Funk received extensive training in beef cattle medicine at the Clay Center and as a feedlot intern, both in Nebraska. She also taught veterinary students on clinical rotations as a post-doctoral student at Iowa State.

Newcomer and Funk are among the 12-13 new hires the CVMBS plans to make in support of the fourth-year clinical rotations and the new 2+2 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program by the Texas A&M University System.

"We know the success of any academic program is built on the foundation of excellent faculty," said Dr. Walter Wendler, WT president. "We are pleased with the partnership of Texas A&M University and West Texas A&M University, supported by Chancellor John Sharp and The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. Our teamwork is attractive to high-caliber people. These programs will serve the Texas Panhandle with distinction because of the faculty."

Fourth-year clinical rotations in the Texas Panhandle coordinated at the VERO facility include feedlots, dairies, and rural veterinary practices, through which students can get hands-on experience working in areas in which there is a critical need for veterinarians. Announced in September 2019, the 2+2 DVM program will allow veterinary students to complete their first and second years at the VERO facility, before completing the third and part of their fourth years at the CVMBS in College Station; the first cohort of up to 18 students participating in the 2+2 program will begin classes at VERO in the fall of 2021.

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How long do you think it will take for the A&M program at WTA&M and the fledgling TTech program to meld into a single entity? It is crazy to have two competing programs doing the same thing founded for the same goals and purposes 15 miles apart.

Well, Tech started a partnership program at Pantex to enhance their engineering school.

They couldn't afford it, bowed out, and A&M took over. Now A&M is joining a consortium that is bidding to run the entire plant.

So there is precedent for A&M picking up the pieces when Tech fails.

Aggie1 said:

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https://today.tamu.edu/2020/01/28/texas-am-system-partnership-announces-update-to-veterinary-program-in-texas-panhandle/

Texas A&M System Partnership Announces Update To Veterinary Program In Texas Panhandle

Additional funding will support the increased faculty needed for VERO's 2+2 program and will help large animal needs in rural communities

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Officials from The Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) announced on Jan. 28 a $5 million commitment to the developing 2+2 veterinary program through the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences' (CVM) Veterinary Education, Research & Outreach (VERO) program on West Texas A&M University's (WT) campus.
The additional funding from TAMUS will be used to increase faculty members from 5 to 23 for the VERO program. Current faculty members were secured with the support of a Legislative Appropriations Request by the Texas Education Agency.
The VERO 2+2 program is a continuation of initiatives led by the TAMUS to support the state agriculture industry and the young people of Texas. In 2019, the System committed $90 million to the establishment of a 22,000-square-foot VERO facility to house the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) curriculum and externship programs for the new clinical rotations in the Texas Panhandle, as well as the 2+2 program. The 2+2 program will allow Texas A&M veterinary students to elect to spend their first two years in Canyon on WT's campus for increased exposure to large animal needs in rural communities.
"Texas A&M's 100-year-old veterinary program is an established, accredited route for students seeking their D.V.M degree," Walter V. Wendler, president of WT, said. "Paired with WT's prime location for the cattle industry with ample opportunities to work with large animals through extern- and internships is a recipe for a prosperous veterinary services industry in Texas. We are thrilled with the seamless collaboration between these two campuses and eager to be a part of educating Texas A&M veterinary students on WT's campus."
Dr. Karen Cornell, associate dean for Professional Programs, visited West Texas A&M for Chancellor Sharp's announcement.
The first cohort of fourth-year veterinary students will begin clinical rotations at the Agricultural Sciences Complex on WT's campus starting summer 2020. The first cohort of up to 18 first-year veterinary students will begin their DVM education at the VERO in fall 2021.
Every year after, there will be two cohorts at one time cycling through the Canyon location before their third year at the CVM in College Station, with the option of returning to Canyon a portion of their fourth-year clinical rotations.
"Through our VERO program, Texas A&M, the CVM, and WT are prioritizing the need for rural and food animal veterinarians, needs that affect citizens of the Texas Panhandle and citizens in rural communities across the state," said Dr. Eleanor M. Green, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M.
"Our VERO educational team, led by Dr. Dan Posey, is working to meet these needs by helping West Texas A&M gather and mentor regional students, to help them produce the best veterinary school application possible. In just three and a half years, under Dr. Posey's leadership, the number of successful veterinary college applications from West Texas A&M has tripled," Green said. "The next step is to bring them back home to serve their hometowns in the Texas Panhandle region, and the 2+2 program will be a key part of this critical next step."
Combining the power of the two campuses' resources will expose students to unique, diverse learning opportunities in a large state with some underserved regions. Faculty of the VERO program encourage incoming students to engage locally and consider working in communities that have a greater need for a large animal veterinarian.
"We are pleased to expand our veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences program to the campus of West Texas A&M University," Texas A&M President Michael K. Young said.
"The increased funding will provide support and be of great benefit to all Texans. The 2+2 program will especially benefit large-animal care needs that are often isolated and will enhance the educational and medical care opportunities for rural Texans."

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Britt Conklin is an incredible veterinarian and an even better person.

Faculty, staff move in to Texas Tech veterinary school in Amarillo

Students will arrive starting Monday for orientation before classes officially begin Aug. 16. A ribbon-cutting celebration is set to be held Oct. 22.