Murray State University is getting ever closer to their School of Veterinary of Medicine following the passage of Senate Bill 77.
Senate Bill 77 paves the way for MSU, Eastern Kentucky and Western Kentucky University to start the process to create doctoral programs, while meeting certain performance criteria over the coming years. Representative Myron Dossett says they were proud to get the passed to benefit those schools, and now Murray State can move forward with their plan to establish a School of Veterinary Medicine.
He says there is a known shortage of veterinarians across the country, especially large animal vets, so this will be a boon not just for western Kentucky, but the nation as a whole.
Next up, Representative Dossett says they can take the next steps to establish the program, and while they would have to come back to the legislature for funding requests, Dossett says MSU seems confident they can fund it themselves.
The proposed launch date for the program is fall 2027, with a target cohort size of 70 students. The goal is to reach a total enrollment of 280 by the fifth year. She said it’s estimated 15 incremental faculty and 42 staff and administrators would be needed to operate the school. Students of the program would complete their education via a network of clinical partners.
