With the 2025 short session of the Kentucky General Assembly well under way, conversation is once again warming up around the pros and cons of a Murray State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Those in favor believe it to be the very pillar needed to answer the state’s shortages in rural mixed small-animal and large-animal technicians, and an affordable option that can — if needed — be made available to students from all across the country.
Those against it have recently spoken out on a proposed distributive education model — placing students in a fourth-year practicum before graduation — and general workforce issues as key limitations.
MSU’s Dean of Agriculture Dr. Brian Parr spent considerable time during Monday’s Pennyrile Area Development District meeting bringing south western Kentucky leadership up to speed on the timeline, and what’s next for the school’s potential construction.
+ During the 2024 legislative session, overwhelming support in the House was met with tepid response in the Senate. After this stall, Parr noted provisions moved to the Education committee, and led to the creation of Senate Joint Resolution 170 — seeking the Council on Postsecondary Education to conduct a feasibility study for MSU, as well as Eastern Kentucky University’s proposed doctorate of osteopathic medicine, Western Kentucky’s push for PhD and research-focused programming, as well as Kentucky State’s desire for a PhD in agroecology.
+ It’s also during this session, Parr added, where MSU was earmarked for $60 million of new construction in the biennium budget: $10 million in Year 1, and another $50 million in Year 2. Parr said he met with architects last week, and plans “haven’t deviated” from this design being the new veterinarian school.
+ In December, Parr said third-party researcher Deloitte returned a number of mostly positive, but some negative, concerns about all of these suggested pathways — stating the veterinary demands of the Commonwealth needed to be met, but MSU would need at least 200 in-practice technicians to serve as clinical placements.
+ Then, just last week, House Bill 153 — co-sponsored by more than 30 state representatives — moved into the Committee on Postsecondary Education, seeking state law be amended to allow MSU the offering of doctor’s degrees required for practice and licensure in veterinary medicine.
Furthermore, Parr said Kentucky Farm Bureau has recently taken a supportive stance on all three collegiate pursuits, while Kentucky Department of Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell has issued a letter of full support for MSU.
As for some disdain of this distributive model of learning, Parr said those practices are already well in play.
On the financial side, Parr said the school would be “self-sustaining” behind a class size of 70 and tuition hovering around $25,000 annually — putting it near some of the lowest costs in the country.
Currently, MSU has 38 contracted seats at the University of Auburn, and another three at Tuskegee, but other out-of-state colleges have accepted MSU pre-vet students — only highlighting the demand.
A recent completed survey from the Kentucky Veterinary Medicine Association, however, assessed that many in practice believe the Commonwealth’s rural vet shortage stems from a myriad of internal and external factors — none of which result from the lack of an in-state vet school.
Parr, however, noted that 400 of 1,600 vets responded, and of those, many were interested in work placement.
As for Frankfort’s timeline on the ultimate decision, Parr said mid-to-late March will bring more clarity on MSU’s next steps.
Other Parr notes:
On competitive opposition:
On potentially opening the doors:
On the possible strain caused with co-op and practicum students:
On the perceived relationship between Murray State University and the University of Kentucky:
Other resources:
From WKMS: https://www.wkms.org/education/2024-12-20/some-lawmakers-veterinarians-skeptical-about-murray-states-vet-school-proposal
From KET: https://www.pbs.org/video/february-7-2024-ZXt596/
From The Louisville-Courier Journal: https://www.farmersadvance.com/story/news/2025/01/06/is-a-veterinarian-school-coming-to-murray-state-in-kentucky/77487416007/
From an open Facebook letter by Sheila Wilson Phillips, Green Pastures Vet Services in Murray: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19ueouz81p/
