The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) has announced a $5.2 million grant from the Stanton Foundation to expand its facilities and restructure the school’s curriculum.

The grant will fund the expansion of CVM’s Pet Health Center to establish a “spectrum of care” clinic that recognizes the diverse cultural, physical, and socioeconomic needs of owners and their pets, offering affordable and often non-invasive, low-tech care alongside advanced and more costly and invasive care, while emphasizing in-house treatment for complex cases to better train veterinary students. In addition, the grant will support the restructuring of the school’s curriculum to encompass the “spectrum of care” approach and promote its incorporation into student training. As part of the initiative, CVM plans to hire two additional clinical professors and collaborate with local veterinarians in Athens, Georgia.

“The end result of this revolutionary change in our curriculum,” said CVM dean Lisa K. Nolan, “will be comprehensive training that provides our students with the tools they need to be practice-ready at graduation.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Maksym Belchenko)