Pathway to Rural Veterinary Practice
This innovative Pathway program prepares veterinary students for sustainable, impactful careers in rural practice by embedding rural-focused training throughout the four-year veterinary curriculum.
Addressing Pennsylvania’s Rural Veterinary Healthcare Crisis
Across Pennsylvania, rural communities are facing a pressing veterinary healthcare crisis with significant implications for agriculture, food security, public health, and local economies.
According to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Veterinarian Shortage Situations Map, 14 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, or more than 20% of the Commonwealth, are severely impacted by shortages of private practice veterinarians serving food animals. Of those counties, eight are classified as having a critical shortage, while six are classified as having a high shortage. These shortages are concentrated in rural regions, where veterinary care is essential not only for animal health but also for the economic stability of entire communities.
The Pathway to Rural Veterinary Practice program was created in direct response to this challenge.
Why participate in the Pathway program?
Rather than treating rural practice as a late-stage elective, the program integrates intentional preparation that begins at matriculation and extends through graduation.
Students in the Pathway to Rural Veterinary Practice program engage in a comprehensive educational experience across five key components:
- Curriculum: Training aligned with the realities of rural veterinary medicine, including food animal production, mixed animal practice, reproduction, population health, food security, and emergency preparedness.
- Mentorship: A faculty mentor will be paired with the student upon entrance to the Pathway program, with additional guidance provided from experienced rural practitioners, including public practice veterinarians and Penn Vet alumni, who model clinical excellence, community engagement, and sustainable practice management.
- Scholarship: Opportunities to investigate rural health challenges, including access to care, herd health management, and public health intersections.
- Courses and Workshops: Programming in large animal and production medicine, practice management, rural economics, livestock biosecurity, and community engagement.
- Clinical Experiences: Dedicated rural-based clinical education completed through structured rural practice externships, providing immersive, hands-on experience in Pennsylvania communities.
Curriculum and Clinical Rotations
By aligning curriculum, mentorship, scholarship, and clinical immersion, the Pathway to Rural Veterinary Practice program represents a strategic and innovative workforce development model. It prepares graduates not only to practice in rural settings, but to lead, sustain, and strengthen veterinary services in communities facing critical shortages.
Review the course and clinical work that this program offers.
- Core Pre-Clinical Curriculum
- Mentorship
- Scholarly Activities
- Off-site Clinical Experience
- Courses & Workshops
- Electives
- Workshops
- Alumni Panels
- Core Clinical Curriculum
- Mixed Animal Major
- Food Animal Major
- Clinical Coursework
- Mentorship
- Scholarly Activities
- Off-site Clinical Externships
Program Benefits
Strengthening Pennsylvania’s rural veterinary workforce protects animal health, safeguards the agricultural economy, preserves thousands of jobs, and ensures that vulnerable rural communities may have access to essential veterinary services.
The Pathway to Rural Veterinary Practice program is both an educational initiative and an economic imperative; a forward-looking investment in the health, resilience, and prosperity of the Commonwealth.
Scholarship Opportunities
The Pathway to Rural Veterinary Practice program is committed to reducing financial barriers for students pursuing careers in rural veterinary medicine. We are actively identifying scholarship opportunities to support students who demonstrate a strong commitment to serving rural communities.
Students are also encouraged to explore the USDA’s Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) that supports new and early-career veterinarians who agree to provide veterinary services in shortage areas for a determined period of time.
Find out More
Students may enter this Pathway program at matriculation or by the end of their first year in veterinary school, allowing early identification and intentional development of those committed to providing rural service.
Admissions Timeline
Dates & Deadlines
| Term | Application deadline | Decisions | Final Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2027 | September 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. | Status Update Mid-January, 2027 | Late February, 2027 |
| Fall 2028 | Mid-September, 2027 | Status Update Mid-January, 2028 | Late February, 2028 |