Graduate auctions $83,000 veterinary education debt

STILLWATER, OKLA. — "Love animals? Retire a veterinary student's debt." Total cost: more than $83,000.

That's according to a May 2005 graduate's recent Ebay listing. But what was intended as a humorous jab at high costs associated with earning a DVM degree did not sit well with some practitioners, reports the seller, known only by Ebay user name "cn1olfactory."

For that reason, cn1olfactory wants to remain anonymous. Response was so unfavorable, the seller pulled the listing after a couple days without receiving any bids. At least one colleague questioned the graduate's ethics, calling the listing a "disgrace" to veterinary medicine. In an e-mail to DVM Newsmagazine, cn1olfactory says negative reaction was not anticipated or intended.

"I removed the ad from Ebay as I would never want to do anything to reflect negatively on the profession," cn1olfactory says.