UF veterinary medical college gains full accreditation renewal

The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine has been granted full accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Education.

The council performed its accreditation review site visit at the college last October. The designation is valid for up to seven years.

“Preparation for this visit included the development of an extensive self-study report, which was reviewed in-depth by the council as part of a lengthy, comprehensive and thorough process,” said the college’s dean, James W. Lloyd, D.V.M., Ph.D.

The council evaluates academic veterinary medical programs according to robust standards, considering factors such as faculty, students, curriculum, clinical resources, physical facilities and research. Accreditation by the council represents the highest standard of achievement for veterinary medical education in the United States, according to the AVMA website.

“I would like to thank all our faculty, staff and students for making this achievement possible, and for their unyielding pursuit of excellence here at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, every day,” Lloyd said.

“Special thanks go to Dr. Tom Vickroy, Dr. Pam Ginn, Dr. Dana Zimmel and Mr. John Haven for their hard work and commitment in assembling the self-study document, preparing for the site visit and hosting the COE team.”

Established in 1976, the college is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The UF Foundation lists 2,870 D.V.M. graduates and 564 recipients of M.S. or Ph.D. degrees since the college’s inception.

The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine is supported through funding from UF Health and the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.