Most veterinarians are white. A new program plans to train Black vets.

[Jilly_in_VA]

When Kaila Tyree-Castro was 13, her pet geckos got sick. The closest vet was an hour away from her Bowie, Maryland, home and didn't have an appointment available for two weeks.

Tyree-Castro, now 19, felt helpless as she watched her lizards get sicker and then pass away.

That episode left her wanting to become a veterinarian herself ‒ and now, as a first-generation college student at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, hoping to join the inaugural class at her university's planned new veterinary school.

Last month, UMES received state approval to create a school of veterinary medicine that will become just the second among the nation's more than 100 historically Black colleges and universities. Tuskegee University in Alabama has the only other veterinary school in the country's historically Black universities and there are fewer than three dozen veterinary programs in the entire U.S.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2024/02/19/umes-black-vet-school/71968850007/

I knew about Tuskeegee from watching "Critter Fixers" and "The Vet Life" but I didn't know it was the only one. I also didn't know there was such a dearth of vet programs. No wonder you can't get an appointment!

[bottomofthehill]

1. Not an attack on Jilly, but the article

This makes no sense. I can think of a half dozen Vets in Bowie alone and literally hundreds within an hour of Bowie., Maybe more than hundreds. Bowie is less than 1 hour from Washington DC, Baltimore, Annapolis, Alexandria, the list goes on. Hell, she could probably walk to 10 vets in an hour

[Jilly_in_VA]

2. Have you tried to get a vet appointment recently?

I had a cat in dire straits, and I mean dire, about a year and a half ago. The nearest emergency vet is over an hour away and I don't know them AT ALL, besides which I had not heard great things about them. I called all over and the first appointment I could get was a day and a half later. I didn't know this vet either, but she turned out to be kind and compassionate when she explained that the kitty would have to be put down---which I already had prepared for, but it was still hard.

[bottomofthehill]

3. Yes, unfortunately for me 3 weeks ago

Caught a 1600 dollar bill for diagnostics on a torn ACL . Went to an emergency practice in Tysons Corner, which is probably less than an hour from Bowie, close, but Rt 50 to the beltway, maybe 40 miles. Most likely under an hour non rush hour.

Again though the article says the closest vet was an hour away and had a 2 week wait. In the past, I have lived in Prince George’s county where Bowie is. There are a lot of vets with in an hour. See below how it is characterized, it is not correct. If she was in PG, the closest vet was not an hour from her there were hundreds of vets within an hour of her. It is an oddly written article.

When Kaila Tyree-Castro was 13, her pet geckos got sick. The closest vet was an hour away from her Bowie, Maryland, home and didn't have an appointment available for two weeks.

[MichMan]

4. A limited number of veterinarians treat exotic pets like Geckos

[Jilly_in_VA]

6. Also true.

I live in Harrisonburg, VA. A couple of my co-workers at the shelter have exotic pets---geckos and shakes and such. They both go all the way to Fairfax with them. That's crazy.

[MichMan]

5. The US needs more Veterinary colleges

There are only 32 in the US currently. Many states don't have any.

When I was trying to apply 40 years ago, there were 1000 applicants for 100 spots, so it was extremely difficult to get accepted. I doubt that is getting any better. Some students end up going overseas.

Once UMES gets accredited, I suspect they will have students from all over the country applying.

[Jilly_in_VA]

7. Absolutely

I think every state should have one, especially now that most households have pets of some kind.