UPDATED: UMES School of Veterinary Medicine Receives Letter of Reasonable Assurance
UPDATED – 10/13/26 – The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is another stop closer to welcoming its inaugural Doctor of Veterinary Medicine class next summer. The School of Veterinary Medicine has received a Letter of Reasonable Assurance from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education, which permits UMES to begin recruiting applicants and admitting students. Application dates, deadlines and submission instructions will be announced soon.
Additional information from UMES:
UMES’ veterinary program will be the first to be physically located in Maryland and the first veterinary school at a public historically Black college or university (HBCU).
“The Letter of Reasonable Assurance allows UMES to move forward with recruiting and admitting our inaugural veterinary school class,” said Dr. Stanley Robertson, dean of the UMES School of Veterinary Medicine. “Our rigorous, year-round three-year program will combine early hands-on learning with clinical experience in the communities and practice settings where veterinarians are needed. By drawing on the Eastern Shore’s agricultural setting and a network of clinical partners, we intend to graduate confident, practice-ready veterinarians sooner and strengthen the workforce serving animal health, agriculture and public health in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region.”
Reasonable Assurance is granted to a developing veterinary medical education program that does not yet enroll students but has demonstrated an acceptable prospect of achieving full accreditation. It does not confer accreditation. After students enroll, the program will continue through the COE’s prescribed accreditation process as the inaugural class progresses through the program.
In granting the Letter of Reasonable Assurance, the AVMA affirmed the strength of UMES’ plans for establishing the veterinary school, concluding that, “if implemented as proposed,” the program could be expected to meet accreditation standards during the provisional accreditation period.
The decision follows a comprehensive COE site visit conducted in June. During the visit, the evaluation team reviewed the school’s planning and readiness across the COE’s 11 accreditation standards, including organization, finances, facilities, clinical resources, curriculum, faculty, students, research and program assessment.
“This affirmation by the accrediting agency positions UMES to meet the nation’s growing need for veterinarians,” said UMES President Heidi M. Anderson. “It gives Marylanders who aspire to become vets the opportunity to train and remain in state, and it creates a durable new source of revenue for the university at a time when the economics of higher education are shifting.”
UMES has developed a rigorous, year-round DVM curriculum that students will complete in three years, rather than the standard four years. The program will integrate case-based instruction, simulation, clinical-skills training and supervised experiences across university-operated and affiliated clinical sites. Its semi-distributed clinical model is designed to expose students to varied species, practice settings, communities and career pathways while maintaining faculty oversight and consistent academic and clinical standards across all training sites.
The school will prepare veterinarians to serve needs across companion-animal care, agriculture, public health, research and other areas of veterinary medicine. Prospective applicants should monitor the School of Veterinary Medicine website for the official application opening date and instructions. The inaugural class is planned to begin in summer 2027.
Information about prerequisite courses, admissions requirements, and the proposed selection process is available on the admissions section of the UMES School of Veterinary Medicine website. Program updates are also available through the School of Veterinary Medicine’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram channels.
Application information: https://www.umes.edu/svm/how-to-apply/
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ORIGINAL STORY – 08/03/26 – University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne is working to establish Maryland’s first in-state school of veterinary medicine. Officials say a comprehensive site visit by the accrediting body – the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education was made in June.
The evaluation team met with university leaders, faculty, staff, students and more. They also reviewed the School of Veterinary Medicine’s progress and its readiness to meet accreditation standards – the accreditation classification granted to a developing veterinary medical education program that does not yet enroll students but has demonstrated a reasonable prospect of achieving accreditation. If granted, it would allow UMES to begin accepting applications and admitting students to the proposed Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program.
Pending the AVMA COE’s decision, the School of Veterinary Medicine plans to welcome its inaugural class in the summer of 2027.
Additional information from UMES:
The AVMA COE is the accrediting body recognized for veterinary medical education programs in the United States and Canada.
During the visit, the evaluation team met with university leaders, faculty, staff, students, community representatives, clinical partners, and other stakeholders. The team reviewed the School of Veterinary Medicine’s progress and evaluated its readiness to meet the AVMA COE’s 11 accreditation standards. These standards address areas including organization and governance, finances, facilities and equipment, clinical resources, information resources, students, admissions, faculty, curriculum, research programs, and institutional outcomes.
“This comprehensive site visit represented an important milestone for UMES and for the future of veterinary medical education in Maryland,” said Dr. Stanley R. Robertson, dean of the UMES School of Veterinary Medicine. “We were grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate the extensive planning, institutional commitment, clinical partnerships, and academic preparation that have gone into developing this program. We remain focused on building an innovative and rigorous veterinary medical program that will prepare practice-ready graduates and help address critical veterinary workforce needs across Maryland, the Mid-Atlantic region, and the nation.”
The School of Veterinary Medicine plans to welcome its inaugural class in Summer 2027, pending the AVMA COE’s decision and completion of all required institutional processes. The proposed entering class will include 100 students: 50 Maryland residents and 50 nonresident students.
Upon receiving a Letter of Reasonable Assurance, prospective students will apply through the UMES SVM application process this first year. UMES will then conduct a holistic review and selection process based on academic preparation, veterinary and animal experience, personal attributes, recommendations, interviews, and the applicant’s potential to contribute to the veterinary profession and the mission of the university.
While awaiting the AVMA COE’s decision, UMES continues to advance the faculty recruitment and hiring, academic programming, clinical partnerships, student services, facilities, and operational resources needed to support the proposed DVM program.
The School of Veterinary Medicine is being developed to help address veterinary workforce needs on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, throughout the state, across the Mid-Atlantic region, and nationally. The program will prepare veterinarians to serve in companion-animal practice, food-animal and rural practice, equine medicine, public health, biomedical research, food safety, and other areas of professional need.
Information about prerequisite courses, admissions requirements, and the proposed selection process is available on the admissions section of the UMES School of Veterinary Medicine website.
Program updates are also available through the School of Veterinary Medicine’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram channels.
For additional information, email vetschool@umes.edu or visit wwwcp.umes.edu/svm.