Two Lincoln Memorial University students completing their clinical training at Southern Veterinary Partners hospitals will each receive a $25,000 tuition credit under a program designed in part to address the student debt burden.
The partnership between the Birmingham, Alabama, hospital chain and the Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine is “a win-win for everyone,” said company CEO Jay Price, DVM.
“One of the greatest challenges facing our beloved profession is the mounting student debt,” Dr. Price said. “This can negatively impact a veterinarian’s quality of life and ultimately, cause them to question their career path.
“SVP gets to invest in veterinary students, help lower their student debt, and hire veterinary students with real-world clinical and practical experience.”
Data released by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges showed median student debt of $162,707 in 2017, a record.
The SVP-funded Student Clinical Year Award will go annually to two fourth-year Lincoln Memorial students.
“This innovative partnership is a wonderful example of how academic and private practice partnerships can contribute to creating a brighter future for veterinary students and recent graduates,” said the college’s dean, Jason Johnson, DVM, MS, DACT. “Our mutual commitment to produce a highly skilled graduate that will have significant debt reduction is a perfect example of how the veterinary ecosystem can become involved in preparing the workforce of tomorrow.”
Lincoln Memorial does not operate a teaching hospital. Instead, a hybrid distributive education model sends students to partner veterinary clinics for up to 32 weeks of clinical training in addition to 12 weeks of work with college faculty members.
Southern Veterinary Partners has 64 animal hospitals across the Southern United States.