History
The School of Veterinary Medicine (1884)
Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine is one of the world’s premier
veterinary schools. Founded in 1884, the School was built on the concept of Many Species, One Medicine™. A pioneer since its inception, the School has led the way in such areas as infectious disease research, germ cell biology, animal transgenesis, comparative oncology, and comparative medical genetics. It has also successfully integrated scholarship and research with all aspects of veterinary medical education. The School’s strength in basic sciences, immunology, and mathematical modeling are valuable assets for developing strategies to rapidly detect and control the spread of new infections, and improving and developing vaccines that effectively protect animals. In Philadelphia, on Penn’s campus, are the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital for companion animals, as well as classrooms, research laboratories and the School’s administrative offices in the Gladys Rosenthal Building and the Old Vet Quadrangle. The Vernon and Shirley Hill Pavilion, which opened in 2006, is home to state-of-the-art classrooms, a high-tech library without walls and research facilities for the School. The School has 141 standing faculty and accepts approximately 115 students per year for the four-year program.