More veterinary medicine seats at USask

Sep 30, 2022

The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan will have an extra ten student seats next year.

The action is being taken to address the growing need for veterinarians across the province, particularly for large animal and mixed animal veterinarians in rural Saskatchewan.

In 2023-24, the number of subsidized student seats will increase from 20 to 25 at WCVM.

The provincial government will provide $11.9 million to the WCVM. The new commitment to add seats will mean an investment of $539,000 in 2023-24, increasing each year to $2.2 million by 2026-27 when fully implemented over the four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program.

Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said there have been concerns expressed about the livestock sector.

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Video: Assessing Welfare Resources During Late Finish - Dr. Anna Johnson & Emma Coursey

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Anna Johnson from Iowa State University and Emma Coursey from the University of Illinois discuss research evaluating welfare resources during the late finishing stage on commercial swine farms. They explain how feeder management, water use, space allocation, and pig health influence welfare outcomes and practical on-farm management. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Small resource issues can become larger welfare problems when multiple stressors interact across finishing barns."

Meet the guests: Dr. Anna Johnson / anna-johnson-05028a14 is the Morrill Professor of Animal Behavior and Welfare at Iowa State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from Texas Tech University and completed her master's degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on practical solutions that improve farm animal welfare, including sow productive lifetime, animal-human interaction, environmental enrichment, and Precision Livestock Farming.

Emma Coursey / emma-coursey-183810241 is pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine after earning a bachelor's degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University. Her academic interests include swine health, production, and animal welfare, with research experience evaluating welfare resources in commercial finishing pigs.