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By Alice McFarlane

Veterinary Medicine

More veterinary medicine seats at USask

Sep 29, 2022 | 4:20 PM

MELFORT, Sask. – The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan will have an extra ten student seats next year.

The action is being taken to address the growing need for veterinarians across the province, particularly for large animal and mixed animal veterinarians in rural Saskatchewan.

In 2023-24, the number of subsidized student seats will increase from 20 to 25 at WCVM.

The provincial government will provide $11.9 million to the WCVM. The new commitment to add seats will mean an investment of $539,000 in 2023-24, increasing each year to $2.2 million by 2026-27 when fully implemented over the four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program.

Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said there have been concerns expressed about the livestock sector.

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“Today’s investment in additional student seats demonstrates our government’s commitment to addressing the shortage of veterinarians across the province,” Marit said.

Second-year WCVM veterinary student from Stoughton, Sask. and president-elect of the Western Canadian Veterinary Students’ Association Jackson Goudy said the move is a great way to increase the number of vets delivering animal health care in Saskatchewan.

“I’m really excited for the future of veterinary medicine in Saskatchewan. I think this is a great opportunity for our province, especially with the shortage of veterinarians,” Goudy said.

The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association (SCA) chair Arnold Balicki said the livestock industry is concerned about the shortage of vets, which can negatively impact animal welfare and the ability to expand.

“This announcement, coupled with the earlier announcement regarding changes to the loan forgiveness program for vets and vet techs, clearly shows the priority this government has placed on trying to address this issue,” Balicki said.

More information about the Saskatchewan Loan Forgiveness for Veterinarians and Veterinary Technologists program is available here.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

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