Horse owners as well as other large animal and pet owners have probably noticed a shortage of veterinarians. As long-established professionals retire, and the need for animal medical care grows there are a very limited number of veterinary medicine school graduates coming into the field. There are only 33 veterinary schools in the United States and only five of those are on the East Coast.
Rowan University has seen the growing need and is currently constructing the new Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine on its West Campus in Harrison Township, Gloucester County next to Route 55. This will be New Jersey’s first veterinary school.
In less than a year, the first class of veterinary students will begin their coursework, which will involve hands-on experience from day one, according to the school’s founding dean Dr. Matthew Edson.
“That’s what we all want to do when we come to vet school, and then we’re in a lot of books,” Edson said in a spring press release. “The books are important, but we want them to have those hands-on skills to go out into the world and make a difference from the day they start.”
Edson said the 30 people currently on staff are working on what he describes as an “innovative curriculum.” Between now and the August 2025 opening, the school plans to hire 100 more people in the next large hiring wave, which will include clinicians to provide care for animals at an animal hospital that will operate 24 hours a day. “They’ll do a little bit of both students and hospital,” he added, “but staffing a hospital this size requires a lot of folks.”
“Students who are interested in this major, they have to go to different states, pay a lot of money … and chances are they will never come back here to practice,” said Rowan University President Dr. Ali Houshmand, who added that there was a lot of opportunity in South Jersey where there is a lot of farming and agriculture. “There are a lot of animals. Whether it’s feed animals, whether it’s pets, whether it’s sports animals, there are lots of them,” he said.
Seventy students, half of them from New Jersey, will attend the first class at the new school. Officials said this will help retain New Jersey students interested in studying veterinary medicine and provide an affordable opportunity to stay in the state to further their education.
Applications will open this fall for the first class beginning in September 2025. Applications (who have typically completed a 4-year bachelor’s degree) for available seats in the four year DVM program are expected to be very competitive.
“Applications across veterinary schools typically significantly exceed the number of available seats. While it is important that the academic records of applicants show evidence of their ability to excel in a rigorous doctoral degree program, we do place great emphasis on non-academic factors such as demonstrated understanding of the veterinary profession, extracurricular experiences, employment history, achievements, awards and community service,” Edson said.
The teaching hospital connected to the new school of veterinary medicine currently under construction is designed primarily for small animal services. The school will be providing farm call service for large animals in all New Jersey counties south of Burlington. According to Edson, future construction of a large animal hospital facility is under consideration.
Edson explains that all students must have both large and small animal exposure. “Students interested in specific species have elective opportunities both in the pre-clinical and clinical phases of the program in which they can gain additional experience in their areas of interest,” Edson said. “No prior experience (with large animals) is required, but it is certainly helpful. There are many students who enter veterinary school with little to no experience with a specific species and end up working primarily in that area. We support the specific interests of students during the program and help to ensure they have the appropriate preparation for their future career interests.”
This will be only the second veterinary school in the country to offer three veterinary degrees; D.V.M., D.O. and M.D.
The state of New Jersey approved $75 million in initial funding for the school in 2022. The school is named for J&J Snack Food chairman Gerry Shreiber, who is donating $30 million in scholarships for the school. The 162,000-square-foot facility will be split between the Shreiber School and the Virtua Health College Research Center.
“I’m honored to give this gift. Animals are my passion, so I couldn’t think of a better way to give something back to make a positive impact on their lives,” Shreiber said about the Rowan Veterinary School in an earlier press release.