Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: A Comprehensive Overview
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine stands as an internationally recognized leader in veterinary education, research, diagnostics, animal care, and biomedical science. Established in 1894, it is the first state-supported "contract college" at Cornell University. The college has a rich history of contributions to veterinary medicine, public service, and scientific discovery.
Historical Perspective
Veterinary medicine at Cornell University began with Professor James Law, one of the university's founding faculty members in 1868. Among the first students was Daniel Salmon, who received the first D.V.M. degree awarded in the United States in 1872. Professor Law and others were instrumental in establishing veterinary medicine as a science-based profession. They led major programs in infectious disease research and disease control. The college moved through a succession of facilities on the main campus until the opening of the current veterinary complex in 1957. Along with other Cornell contract colleges, the College of Veterinary Medicine was brought under the State University of New York umbrella in 1948. The college has evolved from its early days into a comprehensive institution that addresses the health of animals and people, educates future professionals, meets critical needs for New York State, and advances knowledge through scientific research.
Academic Programs
The college's degree programs are central to its mission. The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree is a four-year professional program, admitting approximately 125 students per year. Graduate degree programs, administered in collaboration with the Graduate School, include Ph.D., a Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.) and a Master of Public Health program. The college also offers continuing education events to advance the knowledge and work of veterinarians, technicians, educators, and public health professionals, and the Cornell Veterinary Educators’ Academy builds on the college’s reputation for setting the standard in veterinary education. Graduates pursue careers in clinical veterinary practice, government and military service, wildlife conservation, academia, biomedical research, public health practice and leadership.
DVM Program
The D.V.M. program provides student instruction in the biological basis of medicine, training in primary and referral veterinary care in the Cornell University Hospital for Animals, and instructed practice in the Small Animal Community Practice. The DVM degree program is comprised of four years of study that includes a veterinary medical curriculum of classroom and laboratory instruction and clinical rotations in the Cornell University Hospital for Animals. Every year, the faculty reviews a strong pool of applicants who demonstrate solid academic backgrounds, great promise for a future in veterinary medicine and evidence of outstanding performance in past endeavors. The college looks for individuals with integrity and maturity who have concern for others, leadership potential, a dedication to service, and an aptitude for working with people. The Holistic Admissions Formula provides insight in how the college reviews applications. In addition to an extensive application that includes a personal statement, short answer questions, and veterinary & animal experiences, the college reviews letters of evaluation (from minimally a veterinarian, college professor, and one other person) and college transcript information.
Master's Degree Programs
The college houses a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) Program and a Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.) Program. The M.P.H. Program prepares students through training on diverse public health issues at municipal, state, national, and international levels.
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Ph.D. and Research Programs
The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine's Biomedical and Biological Sciences Program is an interdisciplinary program that trains students in basic, clinical, and translational life sciences research alongside faculty mentors and other research professionals. It has a Ph.D. track and a combined Ph.D. and D.V.M.
Other Professional Training
The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine regularly hires postdoctoral associates in its departments, centers, and institutes.
Research and Discovery
Scientific discovery is a vital component of the college. Key research strengths include genomics, immunology, developmental and reproductive biology; population medicine; and applied clinical studies. Numerous research projects are fueled by the invaluable data collections held in the Cornell Veterinary Biobank, an ISO 20387 accredited resource. The college faculty leads or participates in many cross-campus research initiatives such as the Center for Vertebrate Genomics, the Center for Immunology, the Center for Antimicrobial Resistance, the Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture and the Center for Dairy Excellence, Entrepreneurship at Cornell. The partnership with the Atkinson Center for Sustainability supports interdisciplinary research to advance One Health, creating a future in which people and nature thrive.
Clinical and Diagnostic Services
Public service is an additional cornerstone to the college's work. The Cornell University Hospital for Animals (CUHA) comprises six hospitals: the Companion Animal Hospital (CAH), the Equine and Nemo Farm Animal Hospital (ENFAH), the Small Animal Community Practice (SACP), the Ambulatory and Production Medicine Service, the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Health Hospital, and the Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists (CRES) in Elmont, New York. The college also owns and operates a for-profit small animal emergency and specialty hospital, Cornell University Veterinary Specialists (CUVS) in Stamford, Connecticut. These diagnostic and clinical programs provide impactful public service, research and learning opportunities for students and post-graduate trainees. Key college resources also include the Equine Park and the Teaching Dairy, which provide hands-on clinical training, research and valuable employment experience for students. According to the college's most recent annual report, the Cornell University Hospital for Animals saw 30,083 cases in fiscal year 2021.
Centers and Institutes
The college’s centers and institutes are instrumental in meeting public outreach and service goals. These include:
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- The Baker Institute for Animal Health: Celebrating its 75th year in 2025, it has been responsible for discoveries that have benefitted millions of animals and people.
- The Feline Health Center (FHC): Established in 1974, it is a leading source for accurate information on cat health and sponsors a highly successful internal research grants program.
- The Cornell Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine program: Founded in 2005, it provides impactful education, service and research on shelter medicine and public health.
- Other centers and institutes: The Center for Dairy Excellence, the Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship (CVBE), the Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center (RCHC), the Duffield Institute for Animal Behavior (DIAB), and the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health.
Facilities and Design
The design transforms the original complex-an ad-hoc collection of individual buildings-into a cohesive campus through strategic demolition of nonadaptable structures, renovation of existing buildings, and new construction. It signals the importance of the College and enables the school to advance research while offering innovative curriculum for training future practitioners and researchers. Cornell’s east-west campus axis. Wing and re-clad Veterinary Research Tower providing a unified identity and front door to what was formerly a mixture of building styles and entries. Selective demolition of underutilized and nonadaptable structures created opportunities to reconnect existing laboratories and insert a series of classrooms and lecture halls centered around a wood-lined, three story space. an amphitheater for larger scale symposiums, lectures, and performances. Additionally, two new 60-seat flat-floor classrooms allow for multiple teaching configurations. The redesign significantly increases the energy efficiency of the new spaces as well as the existing Research Tower, featuring sustainably harvested wood as well as local and recycled materials. Radiant floor heating and cooling is employed throughout the new spaces, and a new curtainwall on the existing Research Tower replaces a single-paned glass façade providing improved insulation. Surrounding the College are native plantings and an Entry Plaza featuring a bioretention basin for more efficient storm water management. During the day and at night, the building is illuminated with LED lighting. The design expands the existing College through strategic interior renovations and bold new additions, creating a coherent internal campus that is a compelling expression of the vitality and critical relevance of veterinary medicine.
The current Ithaca space was built in 1996, and houses three of Cornell's animal hospitals: The Companion Animal Hospital, the Cornell Equine Hospital, and the Nemo Farm Animal Hospital. It's also the home of the hospital's Ambulatory Service, which makes on-site visits to dairies and farms throughout the region. Also in Ithaca is the college's Janet L. Swanson Wildlife hospital, located in a nearby facility next to the Baker Institute for Animal Health and the Cornell Feline Health Center.
Diversity and Inclusion
Cornell was founded on the principle of “any person, any study.” Over the college's long history, it has made substantial progress in removing barriers for enrollment and success for people from all backgrounds. The Office of Inclusion and Academic Excellence (OIAE) provides programming to better meet the needs of a diverse community, coordinates with Belonging at Cornell efforts, and promotes inclusion and individual success of students, faculty and staff. This work is complemented by a growing well-being program to build skills and to help students prepare for future careers.
International Impact
The college's international impact extends through many individual faculty-driven research programs, as well as institution-level partnerships, including the long-standing collaboration with City University of Hong Kong (CityU), which led to the establishment of the first internationally accredited veterinary education program in Hong Kong.
Pathology Residency Program
The College of Veterinary Medicine offers a combined MS/PhD program with residency options in Anatomic Pathology (AP) and Clinical Pathology (CP). The typical completion time is three years. Residents receive funding to attend one meeting per year, such as ACVP/ASVCP, if presenting research or a mystery case, with approximately $1500 per year allocated for the second and third years, and an additional $1500 to attend ACVP in the third year if presenting. Funds for books and supplies are available through after-hours call-in fees, which go toward a resident account that can be used for books, supplies, and board exam travel. The pathology library is maintained and updated by the section, and routine supplies are provided. Independent research and publication are required for program completion.
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Anatomic Pathology (AP) Residency
Attendance and participation at weekly surgical pathology and gross pathology seminars is required. Residents are required to attend and participate in the Northeastern Veterinary Pathology Conference annually for the first and second years.
Clinical Pathology (CP) Residency
Residents primarily review hematologic and cytologic samples on service. Less time is spent reviewing other tests, including urinalyses, serum protein electrophoresis, and flow cytometry. Residents are required to complete three, one-week rotations on the surgical biopsy service in their first year and a one-week rotation in the Comparative Coagulation Laboratory. Time spent on service and in rounds is consistent throughout the program but can be tailored to the needs of individual residents on a case-by-case basis. The goal is for residents to complete the data collection phase for their research project in the first two years, leaving the 3rd year to write up the project for publication. Increased responsibility is given to 3rd year residents in the form of acting as the pathologist on duty with sign-out authority, upon approval from CP faculty. The learning is primarily case-based and resident-driven.
Other Residency Opportunities
- A residency position in zoo/wildlife anatomic pathology is offered every two years. These residents spend two years at Cornell University College of Vet Med and one year in the Bronx at the Wildlife Conservation Society, which includes the Bronx Zoo.
- A residency position in laboratory animal anatomic pathology is offered in collaboration with the Quadri-Institutional Laboratory of Comparative Pathology. These residents spend two years at Cornell University College of Vet Med and one year at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center in New York.
- The Clinical Pathology section also offers a one-year internship program. In this program, the emphasis is working with the technical staff in the performance of analytical duties mainly in the hematology and cytology sections, with rotations in the chemistry and immunology lab sections, as well. The intern participates in all of the same teaching rounds as the residents but does not sit in with the clinical pathologist on service.
Notable Alumni and Faculty
- Daniel Elmer Salmon: Received the first D.V.M. degree in the United States in 1872.
- Florence Kimball: Became the first woman in the United States to receive her doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1910.
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