Source: Auburn University
Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will play a significant role in the new Auburn University Health Transformation Collaborative, an eight-college initiative supported by a $15.3 million Alabama state allocation. The collaborative aims to improve rural health while developing professionals prepared to serve rural communities.
Auburn Vet Med will contribute a One Health approach connecting human, animal, agricultural, environmental, and community health. Investments will expand rural student recruitment, scholarships, DVM externships and preceptorships, Veterinary loan repayment, faculty positions, and experiential learning opportunities.
Plans include approximately $10,000 annual scholarships for rural students entering Auburn’s Public and One Health program and $25,000 annual loan repayment fellowships for veterinarians committing to rural service for up to five years. DVM students also could receive approximately $2,500 for rural externships or preceptorships. Auburn will establish a Rural Workforce Academy integrating Veterinary medicine and public health with pharmacy, nursing, nutrition, physical therapy, laboratory science, and behavioral health.