Even though it is still one of the newest schools of its kind in the country, the Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine in Grafton has established itself as a leader in experimental and interdisciplinary programs.
In a conversation with The Tufts Daily, Veterinary School Dean Philip Kosch spoke of a school that is willing to embrace new challenges in an evolving field.
The school has recently been recognized with a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to set up a national laboratory to study botulism. The government awarded the school a $25 million grant to study the disease, which is a potential bio-terrorism agent.
Kosch said the school is especially proud of its signature programs, "programs we've identified and we will offer that present how we really differ from other schools."
Current signature programs include international veterinary medicine, ethics and values, and wildlife medicine.
Kosch said about 20 students travel during the summer to work on issues of animal populations abroad. The school has been aligning itself with the broader mission of the University, which he said has long had an international approach.
An eight-year program was recently established which allows Tufts undergraduates to apply for early acceptance into the Veterinary School in the spring of their sophomore year.
The school was the first to offer a combined degree in veterinary medicine and public health. The school also has a masters program in public policy, which examines issues of animal welfare in a broader social context.
Kosch described the school as "a think tank where these ideas are discussed and shared with the community."
The innovative approach began 25 years ago, when the school embraced the philosophy of "one medicine," Kosch said.
At the time, many of the introductory classes were held at the medical school, and students sat in with their peers studying humans.
The Grafton campus has expanded, and nearly all classes are now held there.
"We're the animal experts, but we are also concerned about humans and how they share the same environment," Kosch said. All students in their first year must take a class on human and animal relations.
Students can take additional electives in the signature programs, and they also work in the community through guided study courses known as selectives.
Tufts is the only veterinary school in New England, and it admits 51 percent of its class from Massachusetts residents. The school receives some state funds in exchange for accepting residents.
Kosch called the arrangement "the right balance," between local and non-local students.
The first class, which graduated in 1983, was made up of only 36 graduates. Today, approximately 78 students will receive degrees, and the school receives nearly ten applications for every spot in a class.
