College of Veterinary Medicine
The MU College of Veterinary Medicine is Missouri's only institution that confers the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. In addition to teaching the next generation of veterinarians, we generate new knowledge, pioneer lifesaving techniques, and protect the health and welfare of animals and people. Our mission is to teach, heal, discover, and serve.
Veterinary Medicine Expansion Project
The Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory is a full-service laboratory for all animal species and the only veterinary lab in Missouri accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. The VMDL performs diagnostic tests for agricultural animals, chronic wasting disease, zoonotic diseases like rabies and tularemia, and animal feed- and drug-related illnesses. The VMDL exemplifies a land-grant institution engaging in public service, teaching, and research.
The main VMDL building, constructed in 1974, no longer meets space needs and is not conducive to implementing current biosecurity and biosafety protocols. The first phase of a project to expand and renovate the VMDL is nearing completion. The second phase involves demolishing the existing building and constructing a modern facility in its place. The new building, which will be named in honor of the late State Senator Dan W. Brown, DVM, will accommodate greater testing capacity, enhanced educational opportunities, state-of-the-art equipment, and expanded research.
Gifts also support VHC operations, advancing education and elevating veterinary care to the next level. The fund supports equipment updates, much needed remodeling and repairs, and program development to improve the experience of our clients and their animals.
Shelter Medicine Program
Among the requirements of the rigorous clinical curriculum at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine is the successful completion of a shelter medicine rotation. This rotation presents students with the opportunity to gain additional hands-on experience in anesthesia, surgery, examinations, parasitology, and infectious disease management to ensure they are practice ready upon graduation.
While enhancing student education, the Shelter Medicine Program also helps residents of Columbia and surrounding communities manage their stray animal populations. Our faculty, staff, and students are committed to saving the lives of homeless dogs and cats, improving their health and welfare, and increasing their chances of finding a forever home.
The Central Missouri Humane Society is planning to build a new facility. To continue this mutually valuable partnership between the CVM and CMHS, our goal is to relocate the Shelter Medicine Program from its current location in a remodeled storage facility to a clinic proximate to the new CMHS shelter.
Student Life Enrichment Fund
Veterinary Enrichment and Teambuilding (VET) is a three-day orientation for our incoming first-year students. VET activities build camaraderie and encourage students to get to know each other, their faculty, the profession, and themselves. VET also includes sessions on communication, wellness, stress reduction, healthy habits, integrity, and professionalism.
Gifts to the Student Life Enrichment Fund will help support a new induction ceremony at the conclusion of the event as well as programs to implement goals students identify during VET. Other planned initiatives include building inclusiveness, an advisement program, and providing students with snacks during exam weeks at the conclusion of instructional periods.
