Colorado State University’s governing board has approved an academic curriculum for a new master’s program designed to train veterinary professional associates (VPAs). The VPA role is intended to provide medical services at a level between that of veterinary technicians and licensed veterinarians, under veterinary supervision.
The VPA role has been proposed as one approach to addressing veterinary care shortages, particularly in rural areas and animal shelters. Similar to physician assistants in human medicine, VPAs would assist veterinarians in delivering care while working within a defined scope of practice.
CSU plans to enroll 20 to 30 students in the Master of Science in Veterinary Clinical Care program starting in Fall 2025, with the first class expected to graduate in Fall 2027. For comparison, CSU’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program graduates approximately 150 veterinarians per year…