First class of Alaskan vet school graduates

The first class of the new veterinary-medicine program offered through the University of Alaska Fairbanks have graduated. UAF officials say that shows the program is needed to fill a strong demand for veterinarians in Alaska.

UAF and Colorado State University have partnered together to create a professional veterinary medicine program that gives preference to Alaskans so that they may increase their chances of being admitted and receive an in-state rate for the first two years.

The program also allows out-of-state students to learn about the role of veterinary medicine and research in the arctic and the state. Alaska is rich in natural resources, providing unique teaching and research potential on topics including wildlife disease and health, marine animal science, sled-dog medicine, and a variety of global public-health challenges that involve both human and veterinary medicine.

Students receive their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from CSU, but their starting point is at UAF. They take two years of graduate courses at UAF and then complete their veterinary studies in Colorado.

The program admits 10 students per year and is the first of its kind in Alaska. CSU is one of the top-ranked veterinary medicine schools in the US.