In 2018, Texas Tech University established the College of Veterinary Medicine to serve rural and regional communities in Texas and New Mexico with underserved veterinary services.
This Sunday, 61 first-year students will earn the first Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees ever awarded by Texas Tech University, and 95 percent of them will go on to graduate to fill that need. In fact, nearly half of the graduates have gone on to jobs filling the veterinarian shortage west of Interstate 35.
“It’s really important that these students are working in a practice where there’s a long-standing need for veterinary medicine,” said Dr. Britt Conklin, associate dean for clinical programs. “That’s more satisfying than just mass-producing students on an assembly line. We’re placing these graduates in positions where they’re needed.”
Conklin led a team to develop a clinical year that differs from the traditional teaching hospital used by other veterinary schools. Beginning in May 2024, students will complete 10 four-week internships among more than 125 internship partners throughout Texas and New Mexico.
As a result, almost 70% of graduates are hired by their practice partners and negotiate a higher salary on their first day of work.
“They will add value very quickly, so I’m very pleased to see that they are being treated so well in the hiring and promotion process,” Conklin said. “The communication and professional skills of all the students far exceeded expectations. Our internship partners were looking for different types of products, and that’s exactly what we provide — especially in rural and regional communities. Their response has been very enthusiastic, and they hope to see more products like this as we continue to progress.”
Elizabeth Peterson will be based at Hereford Veterinary Clinic, which she described as the “perfect place” for those looking to work in feedlot veterinary medicine.
“My goal as a veterinarian is to show all sectors of the industry how we can work together because we all have the same goal,” she said. “In the Texas Panhandle, the cattle herd outnumbers the human population, and I hope to use my previous experience in the beef packing industry to help bridge the gap between veterinarians, cattlemen and feedlot owners as I spend more time here.”
Peterson plans to be involved in research as much as possible and to collaborate with the Texas Livestock Feeders Association and the Animal Health Commission. She will also serve as a mentor to veterinary students and as a practice partner.
She is one of many fourth-year students who have the opportunity to use the Hereford Veterinary Hospital’s Centre of Excellence for Teaching. The centre was created to provide fourth-year veterinary students with realistic examples of food animals while still being supervised by faculty. The opportunity to teach students like Dr Peterson would be a rewarding experience for her.
“The fact that Texas Tech prioritized students who would give back to the community was huge,” she said. “They chose students like me who were committed to their goals and commitments.”
Dylan Bostic will be a veterinary assistant at Beard Navasota Veterinary Hospital in Navasota, Texas, and will run a mixed veterinary practice. Half of his patients were dogs and cats, and the other half were cows, sheep, goats, and pigs.
“There is a shortage of veterinarians in rural and regional communities north of Houston who can handle farm animals,” he said. “At Beard Navasota, we regularly go out to farms an hour and a half away to provide veterinary care for livestock because there are no veterinarians nearby who specialize in those types of animals. I hope to continue to support these communities.”
During his clinical work at Beard Navasota Hospital, Bostic discovered that his favorite activity was traveling to ranches to help cattle. Not only does he build connections in the community, but he also helps ranchers become more efficient and strategic thinkers.
“Raising cattle, whether it’s a feedlot, a background check, or a cow-calf operation, isn’t the most glamorous job,” he joked. “However, it’s a very rewarding job that gives you the opportunity to be part of an industry where you can build relationships and friendships that will last a lifetime.”
To fulfill her childhood dream, Val Trevino took a job at Borgfield Animal Hospital, a small veterinary clinic in suburban San Antonio. During her year of clinical practice, she gained a wealth of experience that laid the foundation for her future care of pets and even rare animals.
”In Gonzales, Texas, I help control the stray cat population by spaying and neutering them and releasing them into their native communities,” she said. “So that’s been a pretty cool experience.”
While at Gonzales, Trevino was active in the community, attending Lions Club meetings and other events. This gave her the opportunity to see first-hand the impact she hoped to make after graduation.
“Everywhere we go with vets, someone comes up to us and tells stories about the animals they’ve helped and the important role they play in society — not just in veterinary medicine, but in so many other areas,” she said. “So I definitely hope to be a part of that one day.”
Patrick Guerrero will expand his equine knowledge and skills through a year-long rotational internship at Signature Equine in Stephenville, Texas. He then plans to bring the experience back to his hometown of Canutillo, Texas, and open a mobile clinic.
“While in veterinary school, I developed a keen interest in equine medicine, specifically sports medicine/lameness management,” he explains. “I became a farrier working in the Amarillo area and continued to develop my skills by taking on several veterinary internships in my free time during the summers between semesters.”
Guerrero recalls that when he was a kid, the closest large-animal veterinarian was in Las Cruces, New Mexico, about 40 minutes away. He is involved in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) commercial bull program and said that large animals have a hard time getting to a veterinarian, and there are no designated transportation areas for unloading cattle or horses.
“When I realized that, I thought, ‘My community needs help with this, so if I can go to veterinary school, I can take what I’ve learned and give it back to my community and the people there,’” he recalls. “That became my number one goal, and now I’m one step closer to achieving it.”
Click here to learn more about the 61 students who will earn their DVM degrees from Texas Tech University, a third of whom are first-generation students.
They will make history as the first graduates of Texas’ second veterinary school, which was founded more than a century ago and is one of 35 veterinary medical programs in the United States.
The graduation ceremony will be held Sunday, May 18, at 11:30 a.m. in the Amarillo Civic Center Conference Room. Friends and family will be in attendance to hear guest speakers, including College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Guy Loneragan, Texas Tech University President Lawrence Schovanec, Texas Tech University System Chancellor Tedd L. Mitchell, Texas Tech University System President Emeritus Robert Duncan, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Other state legislators will also be in attendance.
”We’re all looking forward to the first graduation ceremony,” Conklin said. “It’s going to be the culmination of finally doing it all over again, and then we can try again.”
Post time: May-26-2025