These are interesting times in academic veterinary medicine – perhaps all times are interesting, but these feel notable. I just returned from a few days in Washington, D.C., where I met with legislative staffers, attended a board of directors meeting for the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, and hosted our alumni reception at the American Veterinary Medical Association meeting. There were a lot of veterinarians in Washington, D.C., last week! (I did not see any new birds).
So, what are people talking about? All of us are working through the challenges associated with new professional student loan limits. Although I am delighted to say that public land-grant institutions in general, and WSU in particular, have really worked to keep tuition low there are still a handful of WSU veterinary students who borrow more than the $200,000 limit the current administration just set for veterinary students. The new legislation also phases out GradPlus and other subsidized loans. Together, these changes mean that expensive and, occasionally, predatory, private loans will fill the gap, and that we will shift even more to being a profession of people who can afford to enter the profession. Shortages in veterinarians that serve rural, dense urban, low income, and underserved — that will stay. There is no definitive guidance yet on how we will train DVM/PhD students or how veterinary specialists will fund their education. So, for now, let’s add decreased innovation, research, and specialty medical care to the list of outcomes. What ingenious solutions, what light will come?
And we talked about the changing landscape of academic accreditation. There is the internal landscape, the veterinary school accrediting body is grappling with a new task – the evaluation of programs that incorporate distance education into their curriculum, and, to a lesser or greater extent, we all do. And there is the external landscape, the gutting of the Department of Education that provides guidance on, well, accreditation and student loans, see above. Lawyers wait in the wings, new schools with new models of education wait with bated breath.
I remain a forever optimist. I believe there is no other way to serve in this role. I don’t believe Cougs or donors or foundations or states are going to be able to pick up all the pieces that are dropping … I don’t mind living in interesting times, but I find I have to reach further and further back in history to take solace that this too will become history. We will work with other veterinary schools, other professional programs, and our stakeholders to develop creative solutions to continue to serve the needs of our students and our community. We will focus on what we can do (and do well) and rely on the goodness that is our community, writ large.
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Take care & Go Cougs, Dori Borjesson