RVU Completes New Building for Proposed College of Veterinary Medicine
Rocky Vista University (RVU) recently completed construction of its new Rocky Vista University College of Veterinary Medicine (RVUCVM) in Billings. RVUCVM is the first proposed college of veterinary medicine in Montana.
The 60,000-square-foot building is attached to the western side of the existing Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVU-MCOM) building via a skybridge. The RVUCVM facility features an anatomy lab, a spay and neuter surgery suite, classrooms, and faculty and staff offices.
RVUCVM is seeking accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council of Education. If accredited, the college would offer a four-year comprehensive Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program to train future veterinarians. RVUCVM plans to welcome its inaugural class in 2027.
“The RVUCVM facility and ranch will allow faculty and students to embrace the RVU value of service throughout their education,” said RVUCVM Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Gillian Angliss, DVM. “The team is excited to connect more with the Montana communities and learn how we can help meet the needs of these communities through the curriculum and our graduates.”
Hands-On Learning
The program will offer DVM students a variety of hands-on learning experiences, including performing spay and neuter surgeries on animals from the community. The surgery suite includes everything a normal veterinary clinic would offer, like exam rooms, a surgery preparation and sterilization area, a post-recovery area, and workstations where students can enter clinical notes. Spay/Neuter Center clients will be able to enter the clinic through a separate designated entrance on the west side of RVUCVM.
The anatomy lab will give students the valuable learning experience of dissecting and examining major animal species, sporting two large coolers and a freezer for cadaver storage and a rail system that allows for easy transfer of large animals.
Large-Animal Care
RVUCVM plans to emphasize rural veterinary medicine and will offer students the opportunity to train with large animals at the 40-acre Rocky Vista Ranch and Education Center. The ranch is located only three miles away from RVUCVM on 56th Street West.
Renovations that are slated to start in early fall will add an equine teaching facility, faculty and staff offices, and a space to provide ambulatory services. Students will be able to build their veterinary medicine skills with the help of 20 teaching horses and 40 head of cattle and sheep, respectively. Students will learn how to handle specific types of animals, perform procedures and physical exams, and more.
Learn more about the proposed DVM program on the RVU website.