CVM is first in U.S. to announce compliance with new international education standards

Students earning a DVM from the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) are among the world’s best-prepared veterinary graduates when it comes to protecting the health of animals and humans through disease prevention, control, and rapid response to emerging issues. This achievement is the result of a partnership between the CVM and Thailand’s Chiang Mai University.

While not an imminent threat, the risk of global health pandemics that involve animal health is growing due to increases in globalization and drug-resistant diseases. “Food animals and the people who care for them are crossing international borders more than ever before,” observes Dean Trevor Ames, DVM, MS, DACVIM. “Consequently, the likelihood that a foreign animal disease will sweep the globe is greater. Future veterinarians are more likely to be involved in a global health crisis during their career.”

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) established Day 1 Competencies in 2012 for graduating veterinarians at schools around the world. The competencies are designed to help graduates perform entry- level National Veterinary Service tasks that relate to the promotion of animal and public health.

Preparing new veterinarians for these complex challenges involved the development of new coursework and hands-on learning. A partnership between the CVM and Chiang Mai University’s veterinary medicine faculty to address those challenges made it possible for both schools to meet the new international standards. The work was funded by the OIE as that organization’s first twinning project for Veterinary Education Establishments.