UMES opens applications for first veterinary school class

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is now taking applications for the inaugural class of its new Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, set to begin in summer 2027. The public HBCU says the school will expand in-state training options and help address veterinary workforce and diversity gaps.

Why it matters: - UMES is launching Maryland’s first in-state veterinary school and the first veterinary school at a public historically Black college or university. - The program could give Maryland students a lower-cost path into veterinary medicine without leaving the state. - The school is also being positioned as a step toward a more diverse veterinary workforce in a profession that remains overwhelmingly white.

What happened: - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Veterinary Medicine is accepting applications for its first Doctor of Veterinary Medicine class. - The inaugural class is scheduled to begin the three-year program in summer 2027. - The application portal is open now, and the application deadline is Jan. 15, 2027. - Applicants must apply through UMES’s secure online application system, not through the Veterinary Medical College Application Service for this cycle.

The details: - The American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Education has affirmed that the program is on track to achieve accreditation and allowed UMES to begin admitting students. - UMES will continue through the COE’s accreditation process as the first class moves through the curriculum. - The application requires an online form and fee, official transcripts from all colleges attended, a personal statement, five experience-based supplemental responses, and at least three confidential recommendation letters. - One supplemental response must describe a meaningful veterinary or animal-related experience. - One recommendation letter must come from a licensed veterinarian. - Selected applicants will be invited to a structured interview. - Tuition details are available on the UMES School of Veterinary Medicine website. - Full instructions, prerequisites and fee information are available here. - Prospective students can contact the admissions team at vetschool@umes.edu or 410-651-7140.

Between the lines: - UMES leaders are leaning on the school’s public HBCU status to frame the program as both a workforce pipeline and an access issue. - UMES President Heidi M. Anderson said the program is meant to help Marylanders train and remain in state, while also creating cost-effective options for out-of-state students. - Anderson also said the school will serve Eastern Shore farms, families, pets and communities while opening careers to students who reflect the diversity of Maryland and the nation. - Veterinary medicine remains one of the least diverse professions in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. - In 2025, 1.6% of U.S. veterinarians were Black, or about 1,500 of 91,000 employed veterinarians. - By comparison, Black workers made up 12.7% of all employed workers and 5.4% of veterinary technicians. - Dean Stanley Robertson said the three-year DVM program is designed around early hands-on learning, case-based instruction and varied clinical settings. - Robertson said students will train in places ranging from rural veterinary practices to companion animal hospitals and specialty facilities. - UMES says the accelerated, year-round format may help reduce the debt burden that often comes with veterinary school.

What’s next: - UMES plans to participate in the VMCAS application process in future admissions cycles. - Program updates will also be shared on the School of Veterinary Medicine’s LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram channels. - The first students will move into the accreditation process as they progress through the program.

The bottom line: - UMES has opened the door to the state’s first public veterinary school class, with applications now live and the first cohort set to start in summer 2027.