First class of veterinary medicine begins with white coat ceremony
Editor’s note: This article was updated on Aug. 25 to adhere to AP Style guidelines.
After a century, Utah State University will at last welcome its first class to complete a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. The historical White Coat Ceremony took place at the Eccles Conference Center on Aug. 16 as the class of 2029 lined up to receive their coats in preparation for fall semester. This is the first class in Utah with the opportunity to complete all four years of their DVM degree in the state.
Dr. Dirk Vanderwall, DVM, Ph.D, is the dean of the USU College of Veterinary Medicine and spoke at the event, explaining why this milestone took as long as it did.
“We’re all familiar with the proverb, ‘Good things come to those who wait,’” Vanderwall said. “That’s very particularly relevant for today’s ceremony because this occasion has been in the making for 118 years.”
Vanderwall went on to explain that in 1907, the board of trustees at what was then known as the Agricultural College of Utah approved a plan to offer a DVM degree. However, the college did not meet the national requirement, which stated that four veterinarians needed to be on the faculty, as they only had two.
“As a result, the idea for a veterinary college at that time remained dormant for more than 70 years until 1977 when Dr. Kent Van Kampen and colleagues produced a report entitled, ‘The Feasibility of Establishing a School of Veterinary Medicine in Utah,’” Vanderwall said. “In that report, they quite prophetically determined that Utah would not need a school of veterinary medicine until sometime after the year 2000.”
In 2012, USU joined the Washington-Idaho-Montana-Utah Regional Program in Veterinary Medicine. This enabled Aggies to obtain their DVM by studying at USU for half of their degree and then finishing up the last two years at Washington State University.
The success of this program generated support from Utah legislators in 2022, and the funding to open the college program was approved. This made USU the first and only school in Utah to offer all four years of this degree.
Dr. Helosia Rutigliano, DVM, serves as the associate dean with the college at USU and was also a speaker at the ceremony. She spoke about the meaning of the event and explained what the white coats symbolize, as it represents more than an article of clothing.
“It is a representation of the trust that society places in you, the responsibility that you now carry and the commitment to ethical and compassionate care that will guide you throughout your studies and careers,” Rutigliano said. “It is a reminder of the oath you will take later today that you will serve your patients and their owners and the broader community with integrity, respect and empathy.”
In an interview with The Utah Statesman, Vanderwall said USU’s DVM class of 2029 chose 42 students after receiving over 300 applications, including 27 Utah residents and 15 non-residents.
“It’s exciting to help meet the demand for more veterinarians,” Vanderwall said. “Their dream of becoming a veterinarian and helping fill the need for more veterinarians serves the need of the profession.”
Aggies may have noticed ongoing construction at 1400 N. and 1200 E. on Logan campus. This building will become the Veterinary Medical Education Building. Set to be completed in the summer of 2026, the new building will enable the degree to double its admission for the class of 2030 up to 80 students.
Vanderwall spoke about some of the features of the building, including sunlight and active classrooms that can easily be reorganized for different types of learning. Whether the new students are interested in working with animals small or big, rural food supply or veterinary medicine, the building is designed to accommodate them.
“In all of those areas of the profession, there’s a need for more veterinarians, and we will be helping full that need with the new program,” Vanderwall said.