New Mexico high school creates pre-veterinary program to encourage students to join industry
'From the time that I started, until now, I'm seeing probably four times the amount of appointments per day as we used to,' said Crystal Clark, associate veterinarian at Western Trails Veterinary Hospital.
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Western Trails Veterinary Hospital in Edgewood cares for animals of all sizes, from cats and dogs to horses and cattle. Staff there see the impacts of the state's veterinarian shortage firsthand.
'The biggest issue facing the future of large animal veterinarians is getting people who want to live in small communities. Who want to live in rural areas because that's where the need is,' Clark explained.
The lack of large animal veterinarians is a concern for ranchers across the state. 'We need large animal vets. We are at a huge disadvantage in the state to be able to work our livestock,' said Bronson Corn, president of the New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association.
Help is on the way thanks to a program aimed at preparing the next generation of vets.Hatch Valley Public Schools has created a pre-veterinary program for juniors and seniors. Their high school already had a veterinary science class, but as part of the new program, a working veterinarian will come to teach students in a clinic setting.
'For them to go in and do the hands-on stuff definitely helps them learn a lot more, just because they get to take the stuff that they learn in class and apply it to actual work,' said Rian Nials, agriculture educator and FFA advisor at Hatch Valley High School.
Tyson Shiflett, a junior, said he is excited about how the program will prepare him for a career in agriculture. 'I'll be using it as a work-study class. I'll be able to make money from the school as well as help the vets clean the animals, groom them, and get them on scales and stuff like that,' said Shiflett.
Local vets said they are looking forward to seeing new talent in the industry. 'That's a great idea—to start them young and get their interest cultivated,' said Clark.
The program is paid for in part by funding from the legislature. Lawmakers also passed a bill this year, allowing veterinary students focused on large animals to get a percentage of their student loans repaid.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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