Lincoln Memorial celebrates accredited status

By Malinda Larkin
Published on
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Students, staff, and faculty at LMU CVM
Students, staff, and faculty at Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine had a celebration on Jan. 10 on campus in honor of the program receiving accredited status by the AVMA Council on Education for up to seven years. (Courtesy of LMU CVM)

Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine was granted accredited status by the AVMA Council on Education during a special meeting this past December. LMU's veterinary college was initially granted provisional accreditation status four years ago by the COE when it was established as the 30th veterinary college in the United States. The COE's decision was effective Jan. 7 and provides accredited status for up to seven years.

Dr. Jason Johnson, vice president and dean of the LMU veterinary college, said in a press release, "This achievement is a testament to the collaborative work of the students, faculty and staff, LMU administration and clinical partners in developing an innovative, high-quality, practical-based and student-centered program that graduates confident, career-ready veterinarians."

LMU is based in Harrogate, Tennessee, and has a hybrid distributive learning model, which provides students with hands-on experience at over 240 veterinary practices around the country. In addition, students gain clinical experience at the university's DeBusk Veterinary Teaching Center from their first semester onward. Students also have opportunities to collaborate on research projects and one-health initiatives through the Center for Animal and Human Health in Appalachia.

LMU announced in 2011 that it was developing a College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2014, the veterinary college welcomed the members of its inaugural class, who graduated in May 2018.

At the COE meeting in September 2018, council members voted to continue LMU's provisional accreditation status following a comprehensive site visit in March 2018. The council then held a meeting Dec. 20 to address questions raised by LMU, according to Mark Cushing, lobbyist with the Animal Policy Group and a lawyer for the university.

"There was no major issue, just a few unrelated issues or processes questioned by the council," at the September meeting, Cushing said. LMU addressed these "quickly and decisively," he said, leading the COE to determine the veterinary college should be granted accredited status.