The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and four other western colleges of veterinary medicine have joined together to form the Consortium of Western Regional Colleges of Veterinary Medicine. The consortium will provide a mechanism for effective collaboration as the colleges’ work to advance initiatives important to the veterinary profession.

“As we look to the future of the veterinary medical profession, we can see the development of challenges that will necessitate change in not only the practice itself, but in the education of our students,” said Dr. Lance Perryman, Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University. “The consortium will allow us to work with our colleagues at other schools of veterinary medicine to collaborate on best practices, and move forward in ways that benefit not only our students but the veterinary profession as a whole.”

The consortium, formally created during an inaugural meeting Oct. 17-19, includes Colorado State University, Oregon State University, Western University of Health Sciences, Washington State University and University of California at Davis. The inaugural meeting of the consortium was funded and facilitated by Pfizer Animal Health as part of the company’s Commitment to Veterinarians™ platform—which offers support through training and education, research and development, investing in the future of the veterinary profession, and philanthropy. 

“The first meeting of the consortium was tremendously productive,” said Dr. Perryman. “The concept behind the group and the identified areas of potential collaboration align closely with strategic priorities of the veterinary profession, as well as with short and long term goals of our institution. We are fully committed to continued engagement with other members of the consortium in support of securing a strong future for our profession.”

Topics of concern the consortium will address include:

• Existing gaps between selected career tracks between veterinarians and societal needs.
• Targeted recruiting and professional readiness among graduating veterinarians.
• Learning and application of soft skills (e.g. communication, business management).
• Identifying and devising ways for academic institutions to share resources and create centers of excellence.
• Strong and continued faculty development to promote rich and innovative learning environments.

During the inaugural meeting, consortium members developed a rubric for collaboration to develop and implement shared strategies, and reached unanimous agreement to start work on faculty development by creating a regional teaching academy. Members will reconvene on Feb. 18 to work out the details of this initial collaborative project.