Rural communities across the U.S. face a growing shortage of veterinary professionals, creating challenges for pet owners, livestock producers and agriculture industries.
For Steven Perez, Evelyn Arnold and Thomas Gee, the path to becoming veterinarians started in different places but took shape through the same program: the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Veterinary Science Certificate Program, VSCP.
Through hands-on training, coursework and career exploration opportunities, the program is helping students across Texas build the skills and confidence needed to pursue careers in veterinary medicine.
Different paths and inspirations
Perez, a junior in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science from Rio Grande City, first recognized the need for veterinary care in his South Texas community while raising and showing Beefmaster cattle through Texas 4-H. The limited access to veterinary care locally inspired him to pursue veterinary medicine and apply for the program to earn his veterinary assistant certification.
Arnold, an incoming freshman to Texas A&M from Frisco, discovered her interest in veterinary medicine even earlier. As a middle school student, she attended a VSCP summer camp in Brownwood. The experience sparked her passion for animal health and confirmed her goal of becoming a veterinarian.
Gee, now a third-year veterinary student from El Paso in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, first encountered veterinary science through FFA and the Veterinary Science Career Development event. After competing in contests hosted through VSCP, Gee developed a strong interest in veterinary medicine, ultimately choosing Texas A&M for veterinary school.
Although they encountered the program at different stages of their life, each student gained experience and confidence through VSCP that helped prepare them for careers in veterinary medicine.
A program designed to introduce veterinary careers
The Veterinary Science Certificate Program introduces students to veterinary careers through hands-on training, certification pathways and career exploration opportunities. The program includes coursework for students to become certified veterinary assistants, veterinary science summer camps and veterinary science contests.
“VSCP provides students with a solid base in veterinary science so they can make informed decisions about pursuing a career in the veterinary field,” said Nikki Boutwell, VSCP program coordinator, Department of Animal Science. “We have students in all 50 states from ages 12 to adults.”
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Explore how the Veterinary Science Certificate Program can help you gain hands-on experience and prepare for a career in veterinary medicine.
Students can explore several career pathways, including clinical animal health, One Health and laboratory animal science, gaining exposure to the breadth of veterinary medicine and related fields.
“VSCP helps students explore careers in veterinary medicine by providing hands-on experiences, career guidance and access to clinical opportunities,” said David Sessum, VSCP program manager, Department of Animal Science, Bryan-College Station.
The certification program requires students to complete 200 hours of coursework, 225 hours of supervised clinical experience and mastery of 100 veterinary science skills before earning the Certified Veterinary Assistant credential.
“Programs like the Veterinary Science Certificate Program reflect the mission of the Department of Animal Science by bringing education directly to students and communities,” said Andy Herring, Ph.D., John K. Riggs ’41 Beef Cattle Professor, associate department head and AgriLife Extension program leader in the Department of Animal Science.
“It’s unique because it combines academic learning with practical, hands-on experiences that help young people explore veterinary careers while building skills that will benefit the animal agriculture industry,” Herring said.
Discovering a passion for veterinary medicine
Arnold said her summer camp experience confirmed her passion for veterinary medicine.
“I loved the camp,” she said. “I was already really passionate about vet science and wanted to learn more so I could be 100% sure this was something I wanted to do.”
Arnold enrolled in the Veterinary Science Certificate Program while participating in FFA. She raised livestock projects and competed in several contests, including the Veterinary Science Career Development event.
“Understanding animal behavior, health and nutrition helped me become more successful in FFA and in raising my animals,” Arnold said.
She will graduate high school in May and plans to attend Texas A&M in the fall. She hopes to attend veterinary school and eventually open a mobile mixed-animal practice to serve rural communities.
Building skills and connections
Perez discovered the program after attending a VSCP summer camp in South Texas, where he met program veterinarian Susan Culp, DVM, program veterinarian, Department of Animal Science. He applied for a grant through the program to help fund his certification.
“I was 17 when I started the program,” Perez said. “I applied, got in and started working on my certification.”
A major component of the program is clinical experience, where students complete 225 hours of hands-on training under the supervision of a veterinarian.
“Because I needed clinical hours for the certificate, I started getting those hours for experience that I later used on my vet school application,” Perez said.
Perez now serves as a student assistant for VSCP and helps lead summer camps that introduce younger students to veterinary science. He recently earned acceptance into the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine.
Preparing students for veterinary school
Now in veterinary school, Gee said his early experience with the Veterinary Science Career Development Event, CDE, provided an early foundation that helped him succeed.
“My junior year I started competing in the veterinary science CDE contests, learning about instruments, hands-on skills and different species,” Gee said. “Coming into vet school, I already knew terminology and basic concepts that some students hadn’t been exposed to yet.”
He also credits the program for strengthening his critical-thinking skills.
“That ability to think through situations is one of the biggest things the program helped me develop, and it has been very important in vet school,” Gee said.
Addressing the need for veterinary professionals
The demand for veterinary care continues to grow, particularly in rural communities where access to services can be limited.
Programs like the Veterinary Science Certificate Program help prepare the next generation of veterinarians to meet that need. The program gives students early exposure to veterinary careers while building practical skills that prepare them for college and professional training.
“This program gave me a head start,” Perez said. “Coming from an area that didn’t really have access to vet science, I learned through the program that I want to be a vet and go back to my hometown and open a mixed animal practice.”
