About the program
The mission of the Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine (PPVM) is to strengthen South Dakota's rural economy and regional agricultural systems by educating future veterinarians and scientists to serve the region. The PPVM will achieve this mission by providing students with knowledge and competencies in the fundamental and clinical veterinary sciences with a rural, regional focus.
The program is made possible through a formal cooperative agreement, in which SDSU students admitted into the Professional Program complete the first two years of their veterinary medical education at South Dakota State University and then transfer to the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine (UMN CVM) for the final two years of study.
While at SDSU, students will have a rigorous, yet enriched learning experience because class sizes are intended to be small (about 20 students). The small class size was designed to provide the opportunity for students to have supportive learning communities and more hands-on practical experience working with food and companion animals, as well as making it possible to work closely in a world-class diagnostic facility with dedicated faculty and scientific researchers.
