Proposed College of Veterinary Medicine in Billings Offers Opportunities to Address Veterinarian Shortage in Rural Montana

In May 2024, I accepted an appointment to serve as the Founding Dean of Rocky Vista University College of Veterinary Medicine (RVU-CVM) in Billings. Since that appointment, the College has charted an ambitious course to fulfill accreditation requirements and complete construction of a 60,000 square foot facility in time to welcome its first class of 40 students pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in July 2026. Our three-year program plans to graduate the first class in June 2029. Graduates of RVU-CVM will enter a competitive job market for their services. As with physicians, the competition for veterinarians in Montana is fierce. There are a total of 37 accredited veterinary colleges in the Unites States and Canada, compared to 209 medical schools. In 2022, veterinary colleges in the United States graduated around 3,200 veterinarians. The comparatively flat number of graduates and the accelerating rise in demand for veterinary services has produced some alarming conditions and trends. A study by the Access to Veterinary Care Project found that 38 of Montana’s 56 counties have a shortage of veterinarians to serve the needs of large and small animal owners. According to a 2023 Johns Hopkins report, the number of veterinarians working with livestock animals has decreased by 90% since World War II, meaning that these types of vets now account for less than 2% of the total veterinarian population. In addition, an industry survey found that more than 700 counties across all 50 states are experiencing potential large animal veterinarian shortages. These shortages will intensify as veterinarians nearing retirement attempt to find successors to assume their practices. The graying profile of Montana veterinarians is real and cannot be ignored. The shortage of practitioners is compounded by the costs associated with caring for animals. The cost of veterinary care has not only been rising faster than overall inflation, it has risen faster than the costs of personal medical care. Today, the average American spends 47% more on equivalent veterinary care than they did a decade ago. To address these trends, it is essential that Montana create an environment that will attract veterinary students as well as retain them. RVU-CVM aims to provide students with a high-quality education in a modern facility. In addition, RVU-CVM is working with legislative policymakers on a Rural Montana Veterinary Loan Repayment Program that seeks to incentivize recent veterinary medicine graduates to practice in Montana. Veterinary medicine is essential to Montana’s economy and RVU-CVM will work to help increase access to care for our livestock and companion animals.