Since the last check-in with the new and upcoming Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine (SSVM) in 2023, the program has made great progress in preparing for its first class to be admitted in Fall 2025. This semester, the construction on the West Campus site began, and according to Dr. Matthew Edson, faculty and staff are very excited to see the new facility take shape.

Aside from construction, the school is beginning to make some true headway.

According to Edson, “The school has established partnerships with about 60 outside entities so far.” 

These partnerships include farms, outside veterinary practices, and other facilities like the State Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory and the NJ Department of Agriculture. These partnerships will aid in both pre-clinical and clinical experiences for new and incoming students. The intention is to offer students exposure and opportunities they may not have had access to beforehand. 

The school is anticipating its first class of 70 students in the Fall of 2025 with a graduation date of May 2029. Being that this will be the very first veterinary school in New Jersey, the program is expecting interest from out-of-state students as well.

In the program, students will also be able to graduate with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, making the program especially unique as it will be the first school to ever offer DVMs by the state of New Jersey. Because of this, the program will have a part in changing the landscape of veterinary medicine in New Jersey. 

Veterinarians from New Jersey often have very high student debt, usually due to out-of-state tuition. Students who pay out-of-state tuition pay significantly higher tuition than in-state students would typically have to pay. However, the school aims to make this program affordable to not only in-state students but also to out-of-state students. 

Jacqueline Regensburger, currently a junior majoring in biomedical engineering here at Rowan, plans to apply to the veterinary school and shared some of her perspectives. 

“I am applying specifically to Rowan [veterinary school] because it is close enough to my house, and I feel comfortable and safe here,” Regensburger said. “I also recently attended Rowan’s Pre-Vet club meeting where Dr. Edson spoke about various aspects of the veterinary school and its curriculum, where we will be working with small animals, large animals, wildlife, etc. This broad range of topics will help me and others narrow down which area we would like to pursue.”

The overall goal of the Pre-Vet club at Rowan is to give aspiring veterinarians the tools and resources necessary to apply to veterinary school. They host weekly meetings where they meet with veterinary school admissions counselors, local veterinarians, and their executive officers. The club is already working with different departments within Rowan’s veterinary school and will provide students with a network of doctors and gain hands-on experience under their guidance. While being a member of the club will not directly increase students’ chances of being accepted into the veterinary school, it will help in the application process and provide students with new opportunities. 

“For people interested in attending any vet school, the Pre-Vet Club is a great place to start if you need some help in reaching out for clinical experience, it will also expose you to different kinds of veterinarians and allow you to hear from current students or admissions counselors from around the world,” said the Pre-Vet club’s Co-President Alexis Barnhardt.

Additionally, to further assist students, the school has already begun the process of establishing several scholarship endowments to reduce costs.

“Being that our graduates will not just be from New Jersey, we really hope to see them spread out across the country and make their own impacts on a much larger scale,” Edson said. 

The SSVM was also able to complete their first accreditation visit last spring, and they now await their next visit coming in April of this year. Successful completion of this April visit will allow the school to begin accepting student applications for their first class in the Fall of 2025. 

There is much to look forward to in the forthcoming School of Veterinary Medicine at Rowan. Edson shared his views on what he is personally looking forward to in the future of the new school. 

“I’m very much looking forward to seeing our first student cohort begin their program, we’ve all been working on this project for a very long time and we are excited to see it come into fruition,” Edson said. 

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