Fifth Canadian veterinary institution planned

CALGARY, ALBERTA—The University of Calgary will open a new veterinary school in 2006.

The school will join the nation's four other veterinary medical institutions and sits closest to Saskatoon's Western College of Veterinary Medicine, located in nearby Saskatchewan.

Although Western officials reportedly are concerned about competition from the proposed college, Alberta province officials note a lacking number of veterinarians in the area with specialized skills.

Officials with the American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education (COE) are aware of the venture, but the North American accrediting body has yet to be invited to view the proposal or its facilities.

To date, all U.S. and Canadian veterinary medical institutions are accredited by COE or currently are undergoing the accreditation process.

"Nobody's contacted us yet by any means," says Dr. Don Simmons, director of the AVMA Education and Research Center. "We accredit Canada's colleges because they don't have their own accrediting body. All we know is what we've read in the press."

Representatives of Western College of Veterinary Medicine did not return phone calls seeking comment by presstime. The three-year program is expected to graduate 30 veterinarians each year.