Veterinary school debt: What do we do? | Dr. Justine Lee

Posted by justinelee in Blog, Veterinary

Recently, I was honored with attending the AVMA Economic Summit hosted at Michigan State University (MSU). This was in collaboration with the AAVMC, and included college deans, employers, and veterinary students from nearly every veterinary school in the country. Hosted by MSU’s Dean John Baker, the goal was to come to a shared understanding of the debt and create “actionable recommendations for a solution.”

Below, the press releases from the “Fix the Debt: Our Future, Our Responsibility | A National Conversation of Veterinary Medical Student Debt and Wellness” conference, held in Lansing, MI in April 2016.

2:1

For recent graduates and current veterinary students, that’s the average ratio of educational debt to income. This level of debt doesn’t just threaten the finances of new veterinarians, but impacts their well-being and the strength of the profession.

Last week, MSU hosted a summit on the economics of veterinary education with the AVMA and the AAVMC. Colleges, students, and employers from nearly every veterinary college in the country gathered with clear goals: come to a shared understanding of the problem and create actionable recommendations for a solution.

In order to continue to recruit and retain the best and brightest students for our profession, we all need to contribute to the solution.

While CVM Dean John Baker is committed to exploring every option related to reducing the cost of a veterinary education, it will also be our priority to encourage our alumni and friends to assist in providing valuable financial support to this generation and future generations of CVM Spartans.
It’s not just their future, it’s our future.

Below, the two press releases from the conference.

Debt Summit_Feature

Debt Summit_Press Release

Weigh in – what other solutions or suggestions do you have?