Zoetis Inc., a leading manufacturer of animal drugs and vaccines, today awarded nearly $1 million in scholarships to second- and third-year veterinary students. The sixth annual Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarship Program granted $2,000 each to 487 students representing 28 U.S. schools and three in the Caribbean. The students were selected based on criteria such as financial need, academic achievement, leadership and diversity. “By investing in the next generation of veterinarians, we can address some of our existing industry challenges, including the issues of student debt and the need for greater diversity in the veterinary profession,” said Christine Jenkins, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, the chief veterinary medical officer with Zoetis’ U.S. group. Nearly 1,200 students applied for the scholarships, which for many recipients will help reduce post-graduation loan debt averaging more than $160,000. The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges partnered with Zoetis on the program. “The scholarship assistance from Zoetis and the AAVMC has allowed me to purchase invaluable study guides that will help me as I enter my clinical coursework,” said Kaitlin Stewart, a third-year student at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. Zoetis and AAVMC offered a statistical breakdown of the winners: 23 percent are from racial and ethnically diverse backgrounds. 25 percent are studying mixed animal medicine. 22 percent hope to pursue food animal medicine. 22 percent plan to go into small animal practice. 13 percent want to enter academia. Applications were submitted at www.VetVance.com, an online resource developed for veterinary students and recent graduates. The 487 scholarship recipients are listed at http://bit.ly/1Os5o8e.
