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������Ƶ is advancing veterinary education with the development of the ������Ƶ College of Veterinary Medicine–Illinois on the Downers Grove Campus. Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of ������Ƶ, announced the decision to add veterinary medicine to the healthcare degrees offered on the Downers Grove Campus in response to the growing need for skilled veterinarians who can provide comprehensive care for large and small animals. In addition, the new College will help address the need for critical research to aid in public health and the demand for qualified professionals to serve as leaders and educators within the veterinary profession. The proposal for the new college is currently being reviewed by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE).

The establishment of the ������Ƶ College of Veterinary Medicine–Illinois comes at a time when the demand for veterinarians in the United States continues to rise. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a projected 20 percent growth in employment for veterinarians from 2022 to 2032. This growth is driven by increased consumer spending on pets, expanding treatment options, a growing and aging pet population, and workforce retirements and turnover. Currently, there is only one veterinary medicine school in Illinois. 

Coretta Cosby Patterson, D.V.M., DACVIM-SA, will serve as the Dean of the proposed new College. “With a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to the field, Dr. Patterson brings invaluable expertise to the College's mission of educating the next generation of veterinarians,” Dr. Goeppinger said.  Dr. Patterson earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree and two Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Upon graduation from veterinary college, she completed a residency in Small/Companion Animal Medicine at Michigan State University and subsequently, completed a residency in small animal internal medicine. Dr. Patterson holds licenses to practice veterinary medicine in Arizona, Illinois, California, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, and New Mexico. 

Pending accreditation approval, the first class is expected to matriculate in 2026. Graduates will earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree and can expect excellent job opportunities. Veterinarians can work in small, large, or mixed-animal general primary care practice or a specialty field such as anesthesiology, dentistry, cardiology, food animal production medicine, internal medicine, surgery, wildlife medicine, and many more places of employment. Other career opportunities include working in biomedical research, veterinary medical education, diagnostic laboratories, regulatory medicine, public health, industry, or biosecurity. ������Ƶ has offered a D.V.M. degree on its Glendale, AZ Campus since 2012.

������Ƶ is a leader in healthcare education offering academic programs in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, nursing, podiatric medicine, biomedical science, health sciences, and veterinary medicine. At the center of all of ������Ƶ’s academic offerings, is a commitment to One Health which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and research initiatives, the University aims to address current and future health challenges by encouraging students and faculty from all disciplines to work together to find viable solutions.