08/31/2024
Colorado Friends: Colorado is proposing a new/degree called the Veterinary Professional Associate (VPA) that will be on the ballot in November. This "Plan B" will be offered to those students that are not admitted into veterinary school. The program is a two year program, is predominantly online with very little hands-on experience. VPAs will be able to diagnose your pet and do surgery. This program will not provide adequate education to be able to diagnose the plethora of diseases that we see in multiple species and will not provide the amount of surgery experience to be able to perform surgery. The American Veterinary Medical Association, the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association, so many other professional veterinary organizations and me are against this new program. The opposition states that the shortage of veterinary professionals is the reason for this proposed new degree. It is true that veterinary medicine currently has a shortage of veterinarians and veterinary technicians, but ignores the fact that there are 12 new veterinary schools under development, including one in Utah and one in Montana. This is a short-term bandaid that will decrease the quality of care in veterinary medicine. Please please vote NO in November on the VPA...and spread the word to your friends including those without pets, as they are voters too!
