In 1884, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine was established at the urging of the University's School of Medicine. It was recognized that prevention and control of animal diseases had important implications for human health. Human and veterinary medicine were viewed as "one medicine."

   This principle encouraged close ties between the two schools and today there are many comparative medical research projects on diseases that occur in animals and humans. 

   The School of Veterinary Medicine has two campuses -- one in Philadelphia, housing classrooms, research facilities, and administrative offices and the companion-animal hospital, the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The large-animal facility is at New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa., about 35 miles from the city campus. The George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals, classrooms, diagnostic laboratories, and research facilities are located here on 687 rural acres.

Teaching

   Since 1887 nearly 6,000 veterinarians have graduated from Penn. The Class of 2010 numbered 113 -- 86 women and 27 men. A Penn veterinary graduate is easily identified by the V.M.D. behind the name.

   Currently the School has about 440 students enrolled in the four-year graduate program. The Class of 2007 numbers 112. The mean GPA of this latest class is 3.58. Fifty-two percent of the class is from Pennsylvania, the other 48 percent is from 15 states and 2 foreign countries. The mean age of the class is 24 years, 10 students have advanced degrees. The majority of the students majored in the sciences, but a number had majors in the humanities. Approximately 95% of students receive financial aid.

   The School offers a V.M.D./Ph.D. program and a V.M.D./M.B.A. program.

   The standing faculty numbers 130.

Healing

Philadelphia   
   The Ryan Hospital treats companion animals and has the largest caseload of a university-associated veterinary teaching hospital. Of the more than 28,000 patient visits annually, close to 13,000 come though the 24-hour Emergency Service. More than 50% of the cases are referrals from practitioners throughout the region. Ryan offers all veterinary specialties as well as a genetics and pediatrics clinic, and grief counseling.

• The Hospital is staffed by 60 clinicians, 62 residents and interns, and close to 100 veterinary technicians and nurses. 
• The Hospital has six sterile operation rooms and two minor surgery rooms. 
• Diagnostics and treatment equipment include a CT scanner, several ultrasound stations, radiography equipment, operating microscope for delicate surgeries such as kidney transplants, equipment for cataract surgeries, endoscope, laparoscope, arthroscope, and Doppler ultrasound for cardiac diagnostics.
• The Hospital's wards can accommodate about 150 patients. Wards are specialized and include an oncology ward and treatment area, special species ward, and an isolation ward as well as the Intensive Care Unit and a step-down fluid ward.
• The Hospital's Animal Bloodmobile makes trips to blood drives two to three times a week. About 1,000 canines are active donors.

Chester County
   The only veterinary school in Pennsylvania, the School is vitally important to the state's vast agricultural industry. The George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at New Bolton Center sees horses and food and fiber animals during more than 6,000 patient visits annually. The Field Service sees more than 19,000 animals. The hospital offers 24-hour Emergency Service.

• The facilities include an orthopedic operating suite adjacent to a recovery pool where animals safely emerge from anesthesia. 
• The ICU building provides critical care to seriously ill large animals. A wing converts to a neonatal unit during foaling season.
• Diagnostic and treatment equipment at the Hospital includes a high-speed treadmill, where sophisticated endoscopic and cardiac workups can be performed.
• Nuclear scintigraphy, ultrasonography, digital radiography, and arthroscopic and laser surgery are available.
• The Hospital is staffed by 27 clinicians, 20 interns and residents, and 42 veterinary technicians and nurses.
• New Bolton Center also includes the Scott Equine Sports Building, Marshak Dairy, swine facility, Connelly Intensive Care Unit/Graham French Neonatal Section, Jeffords Treadmill Facility, C. Mahlon Kline Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Center, William B. Boucher Field Service, Georgia and Philip Hofmann Research Center for Animal Reproduction, nuclear medicine building, farrier shop, and barns to house about 150 animals.

Research

   As part of a major research university, the School of Veterinary Medicine has strong basic science and clinical research programs. The School attracted nearly $25 million in outside research funding in the 2002-2003 fiscal year with a majority of the support coming from NIH grants. Currently there are more than 260 active research projects.

   To further strengthen research, the School has established interdisciplinary Centers of Excellence where basic science and clinical faculty work together:

• Center for Animal Health and Productivity
• Center for Aquatic Animal Medicine and Pathology
• Walter Flato Goodman Center for Comparative Medicine and Genetics
• Mari Lowe Center for Comparative Oncology Research
• Allam Center for Equine Sports Medicine and Imaging
• Center for Animal Transgenesis and Germ Cell Biology
• Center for Infectious Disease Research and Food Safety
• Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society
• Center for Veterinary Critical Care

Endowment

   The School's endowment is $81 million. The first endowed professorship at a veterinary school was established at Penn in 1969. Since then, 19 additional professorships have been endowed, including the first veterinary deanship in the nation, in 1993. The School leads all other veterinary schools in endowed chairs.

   As the only veterinary school in Pennsylvania, the School receives about 40% of its operating budget from the state. The balance is covered by tuition and fees, hospital revenues, and gifts from individuals, foundations, corporations and associations.

Endowed Chairs

• Mark Whittier and Lila Griswold Allam Professorships in Surgery and Equine Medicine
• Corinne R. and Henry Bower Professorship in Medicine
• Elizabeth and William Whitney Clark Professorship
• Pamela Cole Career Development Professorship
• Georgia E. and Philip B. Hofmann Professorship in Equine Medicine
• Jacques Jenny Professorship in Orthopedic Surgery
• Marion Dilley and David George Jones Professorship
• The Gilbert S. Kahn Dean in Veterinary Medicine
• Grace Lambert Lansing Professorship in Cell Biology
• Robert A. Marshak Term Professorship in Aquatic Animal Medicine
• Richard King Mellon Professorship in Reproductive Physiology
• Marie A. Moore Professorship in Humane Ethics and Animal Welfare
• Charles W. Raker Professorship in Equine Surgery
• Lawrence B. Sheppard Professorship in Surgery
• Charlotte Newton Sheppard Professorship in Medicine
• Marilyn Simpson Professorship in Large Animal Veterinary Medicine
• Trustee Professorship in Immunology
• Harriet Ellison Woodward Professorship

Selected School Firsts

1891 Dr. Leonard Pearson uses first tuberculin test to control bovine tuberculosis. 

1900 Penn holds first veterinary continuing education conference for practitioners. 

1921 Dr. Ernest C. Deubler, V'11, establishes first brucellosis free herd of cattle in US. 

1924-25 Dr. Evan L. Stubbs, V'11, identifies avian influenza virus in US.

1969 National Institutes of Health fund nation's first V.M.D./Ph.D. program. 

1969 First veterinary Section of Medical Genetics established.

1971 Recovery pool for horses emerging from anesthesia opens at New Bolton Center. 

1981 World's first test tube calf, Virgil, born at New Bolton Center. 

1981 Dr. Ralph Brinster, V'60, with Dr. Richard Palmiter, develops the first transgenic animals. 

1990 Connelly Intensive Care Unit/Graham French Neonatal Section, the first building designed specifically for the care of critically ill large animals, opens at New Bolton Center. 

1990 First Animal Bloodmobile in the world enters service at the Ryan Veterinary Hospital at Penn. 

1990 Medical Genetics researchers develop first allele specific test for an inherited disease in domestic animals.

1993 PennHIP®, a new diagnostic procedure for canine hip dysplasia, established at the Ryan Veterinary Hospital.

1996 Marshak Dairy, the first greenhouse style dairy complex in Pennsylvania, dedicated. 

2001 New swine facility fostering the latest humane methods in swine rearing opens at New Bolton Center.