Texas Tech University is celebrating the official groundbreaking for its new vet school in Amarillo. The 180,000 square foot academic building, to be named the School of Veterinary Medicine Amarillo Campus, will house classrooms, offices, laboratories, surgery suites, and research areas. An additional facility for large animals, to be known as the School of Veterinary Medicine Mariposa Station, will be constructed approximately two miles away. The proposed program is set to join Texas A&M as an additional option for aspiring veterinarians in the state.
The Texas Tech program is in contention to be recognized as the 31st accredited vet school in the United States, though the programs at either Long Island University or the University of Arizona are likely to receive approval before Texas Tech. The Texas Tech program will be visited by the AVMA’s Council on Education (COE) in the spring. The school hopes the COE will grant a “reasonable assurance” after reviewing the program, allowing them to seat an initial class while the formal accreditation process continues. It is hoped that the $90 million facility will be completed in time to enroll a class of 60 in the fall of 2021.
The school had previously announced its innovative plan to partner with veterinary practitioners across the state to provide hands-on learning, rather than relying on a costly teaching hospital model.
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