College of Veterinary Medicine Pride Points

• MU veterinary medical extension specialists, through herd health management consultation and medical care, are directly responsible for increasing the efficiency of the Missouri 's food animal production. Every one percent productivity increase in the state's $2.5 billion livestock industry results in an increase of $25 million more sales for the state's producers.

• Researchers at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine are looking at ways to reduce cardiovascular disease, help astronauts survive a flight to Mars, and develop new techniques to relieve animal suffering. This year, the College has garnered almost $9 million in research grants from such organizations as the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, USDA, EPA, and others.

• The University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine has graduated more than 2,700 veterinarians since its founding in 1946. They practice worldwide.

• MU Veterinary Medicine alumni accomplishments range from pioneering an artificial insemination technique to save the endangered African elephant to founding the largest pet insurance company in the nation.

• Three American Veterinary Medical Association presidents in the past 15 years have been MU graduates.

• Mizzou is one of a handful of universities with colleges of Vet Med, Nursing, Medicine, Agriculture, Animal Science, Nuclear Research, and Health Professions on the same campus.

• Because of a high-tech, computer-based, learning environment, MU Vet Med students spend just two years in classroom and lab work, giving them two years of full-time clinical training--twice as much as most other colleges.

• The MU Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital sees 16,000 cases annually in three hospitals--small animal, equine, and food animal. This allows students to see a large number of varied cases, giving them valuable clinical experience.

• The MU veterinary teaching hospital has specialty clinics in ophthalmology, cardiology, orthopedics, oncology, dentistry, and community medicine. MU is one of only a handful of schools offering student exposure to so many specialities.

• The MU food animal clinic is one of the nation's busiest. MU is a leader in equine lameness research.

• College faculty includes endowed professors (the most prestigious honor a teacher can achieve), and more than 120 professors and adjunct professors.

• Vet Med is an acknowledged partner in MU's Life Sciences research efforts, providing graduate students significant research opportunities across many disciplines.

• Collaborative efforts between MU Vet Med and human medicine have helped create new pharmaceuticals and medical techniques even for people: Vet Med and human medicine oncologists developed Quadramet, a radiopharmaceutical that relives the pain of bone cancer. The Comparative Orthopedics Lab perfected a technique to help people and dogs with knee injuries.

• Veterinary medicine is a proud profession that blends old-fashioned caring and helping with high-tech medicine.

• While most veterinarians choose self-employment in community general practices, others have selected careers in specialty medicine such as cardiology, oncology, or ophthalmology. Others use their skills in state and federal health agencies such as the USDA or Department of Agriculture. Others have joined the staffs of biological and pharmaceutical companies, or in academia, teaching the next generation of the profession.

• Career opportunities Veterinary Medicine include positions in research and helping diagnose and cure the diseases that afflict humans and animals. Veterinarians are a valued part of defending the nation against terrorist attacks in their roles of diagnosticians and homeland security administrators.

• The national average starting salary for private practice veterinarians is approximately $50,000 plus benefits. Fifteen percent of first jobs start at more than $60,000. The average income for veterinarians in full-time practice is between $80,000 and $90,000.

• Veterinary Medicine is widely acknowledged as a trusted profession. In a recent Gallup Survey of 100 professions, veterinarians were ranked third in ethical behavior, following doctors and nurses.

• Many communities have veterinarians in elected government service--their expertise in animal issues, administrative abilities, and compassion make them leaders of their communities.

• Large animal veterinarians are increasingly becoming an important resource for agri-business, helping companies with herd-health and productivity issues