UMES’ new veterinary school looks to address nationwide shortage, promote diversity
PRINCESS, ANNE, Md. – “It helps us blend this whole idea of one health. One health meaning health for humans and also for our animals,” Dr. Anderson said.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore will soon provide its ninth health care profession offering to students with the addition of their recently approved School of Veterinary Medicine. “Our university has quadrupled the number of students who’ve enrolled in pre-vet,” Dr. Anderson said.
The University System of Maryland recently approved the new school, making UMES the second HBCU to offer a veterinary school. It will also be the first stand-alone program in Maryland.
President Dr. Heidi Anderson said the goal is to help tackle the lingering veterinarian shortage seen across the nation. Yet, she told 47ABC it’s a trend that’s on the turn around. “What the data is showing is that between 2021—2031, there’s a 19% projected growth for veterinarians across the nation. In the state of Maryland, there’s a 13% projected growth but yet there was no school here to try and grow and graduate veterinarians,” she said.
Unlike most traditional four-year programs, UMES’ would only take students three years to complete, getting them out into the workforce quicker and with less debt as Dr. Anderson explained. “Once those students finish our pre-vet program, they have to apply to all the programs that are out of state. Now you’re taking a student from in-state and sending them away to get that final license if they want to be a veterinary doctor and have to pay out of state tuition,” she said.
Dr. Anderson added that they not only want to grow the pipeline of future professionals, but the catalyst to help bring more diversity into the industry. “Of all the veterinarians out there, 87% of them are white and only just 2% of that population is black,” Dr. Anderson said.
Dr. Anderson told us that having more vets will also be able to support the growing number of households who have pets.
Now that the new school has been approved, they university said they’re now looking to find a permanent Dean.
The first class of students are expected to enter the program in Fall 2026.
