VETERINARY EDUCATION, RESEARCH, & OUTREACH (VERO) In 2009, the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) began discussions to form a partnership with West Texas A&M University (WT) to recruit and mentor young people in the region seeking careers in veterinary medicine and to serve the livestock industries and the veterinary profession through teaching, research, and outreach programs. This partnership has become known as the Veterinary Education, Research, & Outreach (VERO) program.
West Texas A&M University
In September 2020, the VERO team with 4 faculty and 1 staff member moved into the newly completed $22M, 34,000 square foot VERO facility on the WT campus. As of September 2021, the veterinary team has increased to 15 faculty and 10 staff members. Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences launched a 2+2 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at the VERO campus. The 2+2 DVM program allows students to spend the first two years of their veterinary education at VERO before heading to College Station for their third and fourth/clinical years. This unique program boasts small class sizes and is the only 2+2 program that resides in the same state as its “home” veterinary college. Classes are taught by the talented team of veterinary clinical educators who ensure 2+2 students receive the same nationally ranked veterinary medicine education as the students who start in College Station. Each year, the CVMBS DVM program will accept up to 18 students for its 2+2 program. The college welcomed its first 2+2 class at the VERO facility in the Fall 2021 semester.
Tarleton State University
Texas A&M University
Prairie View A&M University
Texas A&M UniversityKingsville
Expansion of VERO Research Program Faculty and graduate students at VERO are pursuing collaborative research that advances animal, human, and environmental health and addresses the sustainability of animal agriculture and rural communities. VERO researchers work on issues of great local importance while striving to make a global impact. Specific research activity includes bovine respiratory disease, antimicrobial use and resistance, food safety, liver abscesses, cattle behavior, and animal welfare. VERO scientists partner with researchers and graduate students at WT, TVMDL, and AgriLife to translate research discoveries into useful information that benefits people and agricultural economies of Texas, the U.S., and the world. A fundamental part of the VERO research initiative is to recruit and train highly qualified, highly motivated students in the skills needed to serve the future of agricultural industries and veterinary medicine worldwide. The VERO research team is currently supported by $4.6M in active research funding received from federal and industry sponsors.
WT and Texas A&M VERO Educational Successes •
In May 2020, Drs. Dan Posey, Dee Griffin, BJ Newcomer, and Jenna Funk launched the fourth-year student rural clinical training rotations in rural practice, cow/calf veterinary medicine, beef cattle veterinary medicine, and dairy cattle veterinary medicine.
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VERO faculty support food animal student mentoring for those interested in food animal practice.
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Since 2017, the VERO program has hosted working veterinary student interns. These summer interns are trained in local rural mixed practices, feedlots, and dairies.
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VERO faculty provide an annual rural practice and livestock operations tour for students completing their first or second years of veterinary school at the CVMBS.
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VERO faculty provide annual outreach programs for veterinarians in addition to the area's workforce. These include a CE program and livestock workforce training to address the needs of feedlots and dairies. 2021 CVMBS Annual Report • 31
