AVMA plans site visit in Mexico

SCHAUMBURG, ILL. — The American Veterinary Medical Assocation's Council on Education (COE) granted a request from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UnAM) for a site visit, which is a preliminary step in the accreditation process. The COE made a consultative visit in 2006, after which it made recommendations for what the school could do — such as facilities upgrades and curriculum completion — to receive accreditation.

The consultative and site visits are the first of many steps UnAM will go through before accreditation can be approved.

Dr. David Granstrom, director of AVMA's Education and Research Division, explains that after a small COE team makes a consultative visit, a foreign college has five years to address any concerns raised and to request a comprehensive site visit. If the COE determines the college is close, a site visit is planned.

"It's expensive and time-consuming for all concerned, so we want to make sure there is some reasonable hope of them coming close," Granstrom says.

A total of nine foreign colleges already hold AVMA accreditation. They are in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, but UnAM could be the first Spanish-speaking college to earn accreditation.

Accreditation would mean that UnAM graduates would be able to practice in the United States without any more requirements than graduates of stateside or other accredited schools.

Dr. Nate Lissant, of Springfield, Mo., director of member relations for Veterinary Information Network (VIN), recently posted to a VIN message board thread on UnAm seeking accreditation. Lissant tells DVM Newsmagazine: "I am concerned, particularly with schools like St. George's (University School of Veterinary Medicine) and Ross (University School of Veterinary Medicine) who have been trying for some time to become accredited. My big concern is that it does not appear that any favoritism is being given to anyone in the process."

UnAM has been in discussions with the COE for more than 10 years on accreditation, so it's not being pushed through at the expense of other schools, Granstrom says.

A statement from the COE to that effect would help alleviate some worries, Lissant says.

The competition for U.S. jobs is another issue.

"The debt load for a Mexican student is virtually nil," Lissant says. "Because education is pretty much subsidized, they would therefore be economically better off than students who graduated here and foreign students with a huge debt load. Young students coming out with $250,000 in debt might seem pretty irked."

But the need for veterinarians is clear. Banfield, The Pet Hospital, alone wants to hire roughly 600 veterinarians this year for its 725-plus affiliates.

George Robinson, DVM, MSPH, regional medical director for Banfield, says the need for veterinarians and technicians who speak Spanish is evident, particularly in his region, which includes Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Utah.

"In trying to treat pets as part of the family and help build stronger communities, we recognize that our Spanish-speaking clients will be most receptive to doctors who also speak Spanish," he says. "If a candidate happens to speak Spanish or another language in addition to English, we view that as an added benefit."

Whether UnAM receives accreditation is up to the COE.

"The COE sticks to the facts about education," Granstrom says. "If a college applies, we evaluate what they send us and give them an objective opinion."