Officials from Murray State University went before the Interim Joint Committee on Agriculture to discuss a proposed plan that would create a school of veterinary medicine at the institution. The committee meeting included the presentation of a feasibility study, comments from Murray State officials, and comments from Kentucky veterinarians.
Robert Jackson, President of Murray State University, said there is a significant shortage of veterinarians in the state, and an overall lack of vet schools across the country.
“75 dental schools in this country, approximately. Approximately 198 law schools, approximately 142 pharmacy schools and I can go on and on. But the area where we see the greatest need that’s not being served today is in the veterinary science area. And again, that’s why we brought this forward, to have this discussion,” said Jackson.
He said this would be an opportunity to bolster the state’s workforce in more ways than one, but critics aren’t convinced. They said that the university will have a hard time finding qualified faculty to teach all the necessary courses, that it would be expensive both for the state and the students, and that there are already functioning systems in place.
Phil Prater, a veterinarian from Hillsboro and former Professor of Veterinary Technology at Morehead State University, spoke at the committee meeting against the idea of a vet school in Kentucky.
“I have great colleagues at Murray, I have no issues with Murray. What I have an issue with is why we need a veterinary school in our state. Because, we really, although Murray’s asked for this for 52 years, for 70 years, my perspective is we have had a vet school in this state. It happens to be 8 hours south in lower Alabama,” said Prater.
The state of Kentucky has a contract agreement with Auburn University that the school is guaranteed to accept nearly 40 Kentucky students into their vet program every year. Prader said the state would be foolish to lose out on this program and the benefits it provides to Kentucky students.
It would cost at least an estimated $89 million to build the school, should it be green-lit.