Response of a veterinary college to career development needs identified in the KPMG LLP study and the executive summary of the Brakke study: A combined MBA/DVM program, business certificate program, and curricular modifications

Abstract

In the present market, veterinarians with a strong background in career development, practice management, and business skills have a clear advantage in achieving financial success. Although there is ample evidence that the scientific and clinical skills of veterinary college graduates are high, there are also data that suggest that additional capabilities in the business realm may promote greater economic success. As noted in the KPMG executive summary, the field of veterinary medicine must make changes in its "current business practices and attitudes" to be successful in the future. Furthermore, the KPMG study found that 36% of industry employers reported that some jobs within their companies had specific job requirements that were not met by a veterinarian with only a veterinary medical degree. The areas of additional training most often cited included business, administration, personnel management, sales and marketing, and financial skills. Yet, Lewis and Klausner found that veterinarians reported challenges in the business realm, such as "how business works and how business goals are translated into action. This challenge held true for veterinarians in industry, academia, government, and private practice." The present gender trends in the field of veterinary medicine provide additional impetus to make career development and business skills training more prevalent. Presently, women comprise >65% of the veterinary student population and approximately 45% of all practicing veterinarians. In some areas of practice, the rate is much higher. For example, in 2002, women comprised 48.2% of all small animal exclusive private practitioners. Unfortunately, the KPMG study found that female veterinarians in private practice report lower self-evaluation of business management and financial skills, compared with their male cohorts. Female veterinarians in nonprivate practice report lower self-evaluation in communication, personnel management, business management, and marketing skills than that reported by males. As a result of these pressing needs, CSU CVMBS has undertaken a major initiative to improve the veterinary practice management and business skills training of veterinary students by offering a variety of options to gain this knowledge: a combined MBA/DVM degree program, a Business Certificate Program for Health Professions, and core curriculum courses. In this way, students can select the amount of focus they want to place on career development and business skills as they earn their DVM degree, to best ensure that they become successful veterinarians.

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1070 Vet Med Today: Perspectives in Professional Education JAVMA, Vol 226, No. 7, April 1, 2005
Perspectives in Professional Education
To be successful and prosper, veterinarians must
have excellent clinical skills but they must also be
able to manage and deliver their services in an efficient,
professional manner. The career training and business
skills needed by veterinarians have changed dramatical-
ly over the last several decades.
1
Business skills are
widely perceived as skills required to succeed in a tra-
ditional veterinary career by veterinarians in private
practice, industry, academics, and government (as well
as compete for nontraditional veterinary-related jobs).
2
For example, the KPMG LLP study
3
found that 73% of
practice owners rate business skills as required.
Unfortunately, 77% of practice owners reported having
difficulty in finding associates with those skills; 60% of
owners rated new graduates’ business skills as margin-
al, and 32% rated them as inadequate or poor.
3
Walsh et
al
4
found similar results—nearly a third of surveyed
practitioners desired new graduates with more knowl-
edge in the area of veterinary business practice.
Furthermore, the Brakke study
5
found that most
veterinarians do not take advantage of good manage-
ment practices, although practice owners with more
financial expertise earn greater incomes: “most veteri-
narians likely could increase their incomes through
more financial expertise, [and] better business prac-
tices.” It has also been found that “many veterinarians
are not earning up to their potential because of a lack
of financial expertise and/or because of the failure to
use management practices proven to improve business
performance.”
5
Veterinary students appear to be aware of these
deficits in business skills and knowledge. When first-
year veterinary students at Colorado State University
(CSU) were asked to evaluate their own business skills,
50.1% reported less than average skills and only 8.2%
reported high or very high skills. Yet, these same stu-
dents rated business skills as an important characteris-
tic in defining a successful veterinarian. When asked to
rate characteristics that define a successful veterinarian
on a scale from 1 (very unimportant) to 7 (very impor-
tant), students’ mean ±SD rating for business manage-
ment skills was 5.7 ±1.03 (median, 6.0).
Given the documented need for better career
development and business management skills for vet-
erinarians by the KPMG
2
and Brakke
5
executive sum-
maries, the College of Veterinary Medicine and
Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) at CSU, in collabora-
tion with the College of Business (CoB), has chosen a
3-tiered approach to address this concern. The CVMBS
now offers 2 new programs: the Business Certificate
Program for Veterinary Health Professionals and the
combined MBA/DVM degree program. In addition, the
standard professional veterinary medical (PVM) cur-
riculum has been modified to provide a focus on career
development, practice management, and business
skills training.
This report is an overview of these 3 opportunities
in which veterinary students can gain career develop-
ment and business management knowledge.
MBA/DVM Program
In 2002, CSU became the first veterinary college in
North America to offer a combined 5-year MBA/DVM
program (Appendix 1). Upon completion of this com-
bined program, students earn both an MBA and a DVM
degree. The combined MBA/DVM program offers an
opportunity for students to enter the job market with
the business expertise identified to be instrumental for
success as a veterinarian. Presently, 2 classes of
MBA/DVM students are progressing through their pro-
grams; 5 students began in the fall of 2002, and 5 stu-
dents began in the fall of 2003. The College of
Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, is
presently the only other veterinary college with a com-
bined MBA/DVM program, which was initiated in
2003.
Admission—Application to the combined degree
program is made concurrently with the regular veteri-
nary medical application process. In addition,
MBA/DVM applicants are asked to write a narrative
that specifically addresses their motivations for partic-
Response of a veterinary college
to career development needs identified
in the KPMG LLP study and the executive summary
of the Brakke study: a combined MBA/DVM
program, business certificate program,
and curricular modifications
Lori R. Kogan, PhD; Sherry L. McConnell, MS, DVM; Regina Schoenfeld-Tacher, PhD
From the Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary
Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort
Collins, CO 80523.
Address correspondence to Dr. Kogan.
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JAVMA, Vol 226, No. 7, April 1, 2005 Vet Med Today: Perspectives in Professional Education 1071
ipating in the combined program. Previous work expe-
rience is essential for MBA/DVM applicants, and pref-
erence is given to those with extended or full-time
work experiences. The Veterinary Admissions
Committee creates a small list of viable candidates that
is then examined by the CoB Graduate Committee. All
admitted MBA/DVM applicants are approved by both
colleges.
In addition to the unique training opportunity,
students who are not Colorado residents but are admit-
ted to the MBA/DVM program reap a substantial finan-
cial benefit. Because it is assumed that all successful
MBA/DVM students will live in Colorado during their
first year in the combined program, they are consid-
ered to be Colorado residents, which results in savings
of approximately $24,000/y. Students are also support-
ed by means of employment made available through
the CVMBS and CoB. All MBA/DVM students are guar-
anteed a paid position (number of hours per week
varies) within the teaching hospital. They are also
guaranteed a graduate teaching or research assistant-
ship through the CoB. These positions provide stu-
dents the opportunity to interact with faculty and staff
in the PVM program, the teaching hospital, and the
CoB.
Orientation—All incoming MBA/DVM students
attend the CoB’s orientation for new MBA students
during the 2 weeks prior to the first day of classes. In
addition, MBA/DVM students attend the 3-day PVM
freshman orientation. They also attend a special half-
day orientation that is exclusively for MBA/DVM stu-
dents and sponsored by the CVMBS. This orientation
includes a welcome by the dean, a program overview,
tours of the facilities, an opportunity to meet local vet-
erinarians who have an MBA, and a chance to meet
peer mentors (MBA/DVM students from the previous
year).
MBA program overview—The MBA/DVM stu-
dents commit to completing their DVM and MBA
degrees in 5 years. The first year of the program con-
sists entirely of MBA classes. Students who successful-
ly complete the first year of the MBA program (ie, com-
plete the required courses with a cumulative grade
point average ≥3.0) are granted a position in the sub-
sequent PVM class. During this first year, these stu-
dents receive all the same opportunities as other vet-
erinary students. For example, they are eligible (and
encouraged) to join veterinary student groups and
organizations and receive the same discounts and spe-
cial opportunities provided to other students (eg, dis-
counted pet food, tickets to special events, and invita-
tions to veterinary student social activities).
The MBA portion of the combined program uses,
as its basis, the evening MBA program. Classes meet in
the early evening to minimize the impact on work
schedules or concurrent registration in daytime cours-
es, such as those of the traditional PVM program. The
36-credit MBA program is designed to serve the needs
of working professionals and future veterinarians and
has a strong emphasis on information technology, glob-
al issues, and teamwork. The first year of the MBA pro-
gram (20 credits) consists of two 16-week semesters
(divided into two 8-week sessions) in which students
earn 16 credits and one 8-week summer session (divid-
ed into two 4-week sessions) in which students earn 4
credits. The remaining 16 credits of courses are taken
simultaneously with the first 2 years of the PVM pro-
gram (Appendix 1). The practice evaluation project
required for a final grade in the MBA course is com-
pleted in the summer between students’ second and
third year of the PVM program.
The second year of the MBA/DVM program is rec-
ognized to be especially challenging, and as a result,
the students are encouraged to bolster their science
preparation and help mitigate their course load by
auditing core required classes, taking nonrequired but
useful graduate courses during their first (MBA) year,
or both. For example, students have been permitted to
audit Immunology (a required 3-credit course usually
taken the first year of the PVM program during fall
semester) and Nutrition (a required 3-credit course
usually taken the first year of the PVM program during
spring semester). These 2 courses are offered to the
MBA/DVM students their first year because they do not
have to be taken in any specific sequence. The students
have also chosen to audit an online graduate Histology
course, which is not a required course but provides
useful background knowledge for other courses.
Student support—The MBA/DVM students are a
unique group who need to be supported throughout
their program, and special effort is made by the
CVMBS to maintain close contact with these students.
For example, monthly brown-bag lunches are sched-
uled to address a variety of topics. The group also has
direct contact with the dean, the associate dean, the
assistant dean of admissions, and the college’s psycho-
logical counselor. Personal mentoring from these fac-
ulty members has been instrumental in helping these
students navigate through the program and develop a
sense of connectedness with the college. The group
also has an informal social event once each semester.
The students obtain a great deal of support from
each other. Although these students come from differ-
ent backgrounds and have diverse career goals, they
have become a close, cohesive group. They report feel-
ing bonded with each other, perhaps in part because
they do not share as many commonalities with the
other traditional MBA students. As a result, the
MBA/DVM students often choose to work together on
class projects as well as spend time together socially
outside of class. The small group size appears to be
ideal. The group is large enough that students can
work together on veterinary-related projects in their
business classes and have a core group of friends, but
not so large that they dramatically alter the atmosphere
and direction of the MBA classes or create burdens to
the system when attempting to procure work positions.
Present status—The initial group of 5 MBA/DVM
students, who began in 2002, have successfully com-
pleted their first year in the MBA program and matric-
ulated into the PVM program in the fall of 2003. A sec-
ond group of 5 students began the first year of the MBA
program in the fall of 2003. All 10 students are present-
ly in excellent academic standing.
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1072 Vet Med Today: Perspectives in Professional Education JAVMA, Vol 226, No. 7, April 1, 2005
Informal feedback from the MBA/DVM students
has been overwhelmingly positive. One issue that has
been discussed is the fact that these students have a
very different experience on campus than many of the
other veterinary students. Likely because of their
involvement with the CoB and their interactions with
the community through their MBA class projects, these
students appear to feel more connected to the univer-
sity and the general community.
The students have provided constructive feedback
that has led to subsequent changes in the program.
Much of the feedback was obtained through the
monthly brown-bag lunches or informal visits with the
CVMBS faculty. One example of a change implemented
in 2004 is the orientation process. During the first year
of the MBA/DVM program, the students were not
asked to attend the PVM orientation because the CoB
offers a fairly extensive orientation and these students
would experience the PVM orientation the following
year. Feedback from the students, however, made it
clear that they would like to go through the PVM ori-
entation both years: the first year of their MBA pro-
gram and the first year of their PVM program. They felt
it was important in developing their identity as a vet-
erinary student and connecting with other veterinary
students. As a result, the new MBA/DVM students of
2004 attended the CoB and the CVMBS orientations,
with positive results. Other changes that have been
implemented this year to help the students feel more
connected to the veterinary school are that the stu-
dents are now included in the veterinary student hand-
book and are given an identification badge that allows
them the same access to the veterinary teaching hospi-
tal as other veterinary students.
Other feedback from the students has concerned
scheduling and the topics in their business classes. The
students have discussed the desire to be able to choose
relevant topics of study in their business courses. They
have reported that some classes focus more on large
corporations and less on small businesses. It appears
that as involved faculty in the CoB have become more
familiar with the combined MBA/DVM program, they
have become more willing to grant these students the
freedom to focus their assignments and study in these
areas of personal relevance. As with any new program,
it has taken time for everyone to fully understand the
program and how to best help these students. Similarly,
the issue of scheduling was initially quite challenging.
Scheduling their MBA courses around their PVM
schedule, in addition to their graduate teaching or
research positions and their work positions at the
teaching hospital, has required cooperation from both
colleges to ensure that schedule conflicts are kept to a
minimum.
Annual half-day retreats, in addition to other
informal discussions, have helped ensure smooth com-
munication between the 2 colleges. Feedback from the
CoB has included the observation that some of the
MBA/DVM students have less business experience than
other MBA students, although faculty do not feel this
has created problems in the classes or detracted from
the MBA program. In fact, some business faculty mem-
bers have noted that the MBA/DVM students bring
with them unique qualities that enrich the experience
for all MBA students.
Business Certificate Program
for Veterinary Health Professionals
The Business Certificate Program for Veterinary
Health Professionals was designed to offer students
and other veterinary health professionals an opportu-
nity to become more knowledgeable about the busi-
ness aspects of veterinary medicine without the
expense and time commitment of an additional degree.
The program was designed to cover material pertinent
to veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary
practice managers and does not require that students
undergo any additional admissions application or
review process to register.
Admission—Any veterinary student, nonbusiness
major in good standing in an undergraduate or gradu-
ate degree program, or qualified community member
who is a documented veterinary health professional is
eligible for registration in the courses required to earn
a Business Certificate for Veterinary Health
Professionals. The program also encourages graduate
veterinarians and allied health professionals, including
veterinary technicians and practice managers, to enter
this program to enhance their business and manage-
ment skills. Unlike other students participating in the
Business Certificate Program, veterinary students are
restricted to taking no more than 1 Business Certificate
course as an elective each semester.
Program overview—Students are required to suc-
cessfully complete 20 credits of business courses. Five
of these courses are offered through the CoB, with the
remaining course, Veterinary Practice Management,
offered through the CVMBS (Appendix 2). Veterinary
students receive the Business Certificate for Veterinary
Health Professionals at the time of graduation.
Present status—Approximately 12 veterinary stu-
dents have chosen to participate in the program since
its inception 2 years ago. To assess the Business
Certificate Program, enrolled students were asked to
rate the degree to which the business classes added to
their academic load on a scale from 1 (very little) to 7
(a great deal). Fifty percent of the students answered
with a rate of 4 (some). No students answered with
rates of 6 or 7. Students were also asked to rate the dif-
ficulty of the classes on a scale from 1 (very easy) to 7
(very difficult). Most students (62.5%) responded with
a rate of 2 (easy). When queried with an open-ended
question about their motivation to enroll in the
Business Certificate Program, most students reported
wanting to learn better business skills to better manage
a private practice. All first-year veterinary students in
fall 2003 were asked to indicate their interest and the
perceived relevance of the business courses offered
through the Business Certificate Program. Veterinary
Practice Management had the highest interest (73.3%
rated the course as very interesting) and relevance
(84.5% rated the course as highly relevant) ratings
(Table 1).
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JAVMA, Vol 226, No. 7, April 1, 2005 Vet Med Today: Perspectives in Professional Education 1073
Infusion of the PVM Curriculum
with Career Development, Practice
Management, and Business Skills
In addition to the 2 special programs described
previously, career development, practice manage-
ment, and business skills training are now presented
throughout the PVM program. Beginning in the fall
semester of the first year, students are required to
take a 1-credit course, Perspectives in Veterinary
Medicine. This course helps students identify and
develop their personal, professional, and leadership
skills. It also provides an orientation to both the
PVM program and the veterinary profession through
a variety of guest speakers from different veterinary
career pathways. The veterinary career counselor
plays an integral role in this class and helps students
with required assignments including the creation of a
resume, conducting a job search, and completing an
informational interview with a veterinarian outside
of private practice.
In the spring semester of the first year, students
are exposed to food animal career information
through a 2-credit course, Food Animal Production
and Food Safety. This course provides a basic orienta-
tion to food animal production units, herd health con-
cepts, and issues of food safety through faculty and
guest speakers in food and fiber animal production
medicine.
During fall semester of the second year, students
take a 1-credit course, Veterinary Ethics, which offers
insights into the moral and ethical issues affecting the
veterinary profession. Veterinary Jurisprudence, a 1-
credit course, is also offered in the sophomore year.
This course details the legal and professional issues
affecting the practice of veterinary medicine.
Students enroll in the 6-credit Junior Practicum
course during the fall semester of their third year. A
critical component of the Junior Practicum includes 20
hours of client communication skills training during
which students are taught clinical communication
skills, specific emotional support protocols, and the
bond-centered practice approach to veterinary care.
The Junior Practicum course is continued with 7 more
credits in the spring. A portion of this course includes
assigning students to a private small or large animal
practice or the CSU Community Practice. Upon com-
pleting this rotation, students are expected to evaluate
and integrate common practice management proce-
dures into routine medical and surgical care of
patients.
Additionally, in the program’s third year, students
take the 4-credit course, Veterinary Practice
Management. This course, taught by faculty and guest
speakers including practice management consultants,
focuses on topics such as marketing, finance, informa-
tion systems, personnel issues, and client relations.
The Senior Practicum course follows, consisting of 42
credits and involving clinical rotations and small ani-
mal community practice. The community practice
component of the Senior Practicum course provides
students with a variety of cases and a broad overview
of veterinary medicine. The clinical rounds cover client
communications, common problems in practice, and
preventive medicine. The Argus Institute is integral in
this training because the Argus Institute staff helps stu-
dents develop effective client communication and
emotional support skills.
In addition to these required courses, students are
exposed to career development and business skills
through monthly evening seminars. The seminars, fea-
turing 10 guest speakers yearly, offer a venue for inter-
action between practitioners and students who seek
practical advice and wish to form ties with prospective
employers. To further help students with career devel-
opment and employer contacts, the CVMBS employs a
professional career counselor dedicated to serving CSU
veterinary students and alumni.
Summary
In the present market, veterinarians with a strong
background in career development, practice manage-
ment, and business skills have a clear advantage in
achieving financial success. Although there is ample
evidence that the scientific and clinical skills of veteri-
nary college graduates are high, there are also data that
suggest that additional capabilities in the business
realm may promote greater economic success. As noted
in the KPMG executive summary,
2
the field of veteri-
Table 1—Interest and relevance levels (number [%] of responses) indicated by students regarding
business classes.
Interest Relevance
Low Average High Low Average High
Class 1–2 3–5 6–7 1–2 3–5 6–7
Veterinary 3 (3.5) 20 (23.3) 63 (73.3) 5 (6.0) 8 (9.6) 71 (84.5)
Practice
Management
Fundamentals 10 (11.8) 32 (37.7) 43 (50.6) 5 (6.0) 19 (22.6) 60 (71.4)
of Management
Fundamentals of 14 (16.5) 49 (57.7) 22 (25.9) 9 (10.7) 39 (46.5) 36 (42.8)
Business Law
Fundamentals 16 (18.8) 47 (55.2) 22 (25.8) 6 (7.2) 41 (48.9) 37 (44.1)
of Finance
Fundamentals 18 (21.1) 47 (55.4) 20 (23.5) 7 (8.4) 43 (51.8) 33 (39.8)
of Marketing
Fundamentals 24 (28.2) 43 (50.5) 18 (21.2) 8 (9.6) 43 (51.2) 33 (39.3)
of Accounting
Analysis of Dynamic 22 (26.6) 44 (53.1) 17 (20.5) 12 (14.7) 51 (62.2) 19 (23.2)
Enterprises
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1074 Vet Med Today: Perspectives in Professional Education JAVMA, Vol 226, No. 7, April 1, 2005
nary medicine must make changes in its “current busi-
ness practices and attitudes” to be successful in the
future. Furthermore, the KPMG study found that 36%
of industry employers reported that some jobs within
their companies had specific job requirements that
were not met by a veterinarian with only a veterinary
medical degree. The areas of additional training most
often cited included business, administration, person-
nel management, sales and marketing, and financial
skills.
2
Yet, Lewis and Klausner
6
found that veterinari-
ans reported challenges in the business realm, such as
“how business works and how business goals are trans-
lated into action. This challenge held true for veteri-
narians in industry, academia, government, and private
practice.”
The present gender trends in the field of veterinary
medicine provide additional impetus to make career
development and business skills training more preva-
lent. Presently, women comprise >65% of the veteri-
nary student population and approximately 45% of all
practicing veterinarians.
7
In some areas of practice, the
rate is much higher. For example, in 2002, women
comprised 48.2% of all small animal exclusive private
practitioners.
8
Unfortunately, the KPMG study found
that female veterinarians in private practice report
lower self-evaluation of business management and
financial skills, compared with their male cohorts.
Female veterinarians in nonprivate practice report
lower self-evaluation in communication, personnel
management, business management, and marketing
skills than that reported by males.
2
As a result of these pressing needs, CSU CVMBS
has undertaken a major initiative to improve the vet-
erinary practice management and business skills train-
ing of veterinary students by offering a variety of
options to gain this knowledge: a combined MBA/DVM
degree program, a Business Certificate Program for
Health Professions, and core curriculum courses. In
this way, students can select the amount of focus they
want to place on career development and business
skills as they earn their DVM degree, to best ensure
that they become successful veterinarians.
References
1. Shilcock M, Stutchfield G. The management of veterinary
practices. In: Veterinary practice management: a practical guide.
Edinburgh: Elsevier Science Ltd, 2003;17–22.
2. Brown JP, Silverman JD. The current and future market for
veterinarians and veterinary medical services in the United States.
J Am Vet Med Assoc 1999;215:161–183.
3. National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues. Study
of the current and future market for veterinarians and veterinary medical
services in the United States: abridged version. Schaumburg, Ill: National
Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues, 2000.
4. Walsh DA, Osburn BI, Schumacher RL. Defining the attrib-
utes expected of graduating veterinary medical students, part 2:
external evaluation and outcomes assessment. J Vet Med Educ 2002;
29:36–42.
5. Cron WL, Slocum JV Jr, Goodnight DB, et al. Executive sum-
mary of the Brakke management and behavior study. J Am Vet Med Assoc
2000;217:332–338.
6. Lewis RE, Klausner JS. Nontechnical competencies under-
lying career success as a veterinarian. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2003;222:
1690–1696.
7. AVMA market statistics. U.S. veterinarians. Available at:
www.avma.org/membshp/marketstats/usvets.asp. Accessed Mar 16,
2004.
8. Wise JK, Shepherd AJ. Employment and age of male and
female AVMA members, 2003. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2004;225:
876–877.
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JAVMA, Vol 226, No. 7, April 1, 2005 Vet Med Today: Perspectives in Professional Education 1075
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organization and business operation, and operational dynamics of information technology and busi-
ness environments.
SSttaattiissttiiccss aanndd EEccoonnoommiiccss ffoorr tthhee WWoorrlldd MMaarrkkeett ((22 ccrreeddiittss))
Managers in marketing, finance, accounting, and operations need to understand their firms’
strengths and weaknesses as well as the customer, competitor, and macroenvironment. Focuses on
methods for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting business and economic data relevant for the
managerial decision-making process by presenting an overall economic foundation and discussing
environmental variables and competitive market issues, measurement, firm issues, and the personal
customer.
FFiirrsstt yyeeaarr:: ssuummmmeerr sseemmeesstteerr ((wweeeekkss 11––44))
SSoocciiaall aanndd RReegguullaattoorryy IIssssuueess iinn BBuussiinneessss II ((22 ccrreeddiittss))
Exposure to current issues that are relevant to business decision making. Topics include regulatory
environment, social responsibility in the marketplace, US/global regulation of business, and global
ethics.
FFiirrsstt yyeeaarr:: ssuummmmeerr sseemmeesstteerr ((wweeeekkss 55––88))
SSoocciiaall aanndd RReegguullaattoorryy IIssssuueess iinn BBuussiinneessss IIII ((22 ccrreeddiittss))
Exposure to current issues that are relevant to business decision making. Topics include business
negotiation/dispute resolution, issues in employment relations, occupational health and safety, and
consumer protection.
SSeeccoonndd yyeeaarr:: ffaallll sseemmeesstteerr ((wweeeekkss 11––1166;;
ccoonnccuurrrreenntt wwiitthh ffiirrsstt--yyeeaarr pprrooffeessssiioonnaall vveetteerriinnaarryy mmeeddiiccaall [[PPVVMM]] pprrooggrraamm))
MMaarrkkeettiinngg MMaannaaggeemmeenntt ((44 ccrreeddiittss))
Background and understanding of marketing systems with special attention to products and servic-
es, domestic and global markets, and traditional and electronic modes.
SSeeccoonndd yyeeaarr:: sspprriinngg sseemmeesstteerr ((wweeeekkss 11––88;;
ccoonnccuurrrreenntt wwiitthh ffiirrsstt--yyeeaarr PPVVMM pprrooggrraamm))
E
Enntteerrpprriissee EElleeccttrroonniicc BBuussiinneessss SSttrraatteeggiieess ((22 ccrreeddiittss))
Technology of electronic commerce from interorganizational systems to the Internet, application and
data infrastructure that serves as a conduit for electronic commerce, assessment of the business
strategies that yield operational and competitive advantages through electronic commerce, and
identification and review of the national and international regulatory framework for electronic commerce.
SSeeccoonndd yyeeaarr:: sspprriinngg sseemmeesstteerr ((wweeeekkss 99––1166;;
ccoonnccuurrrreenntt wwiitthh ffiirrsstt--yyeeaarr PPVVMM pprrooggrraamm))
MMaannuuffaaccttuurriinngg aanndd SSeerrvviiccee ((22 ccrreeddiittss))
Production systems and the functions of both line and staff components. Topics include contrasting
manufacturing and service operations; supply chain management; planning and scheduling para-
digms; and capacity, materials, and inventory management.
Appendix 1
An MBA/DVM program schedule at Colorado State University.
Continued on page 1076.
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1076 Vet Med Today: Perspectives in Professional Education JAVMA, Vol 226, No. 7, April 1, 2005
Appendix 1 (Continued)
An MBA/DVM program schedule at Colorado State University.
TThhiirrdd yyeeaarr:: ffaallll sseemmeesstteerr ((wweeeekkss 11––88;;
ccoonnccuurrrreenntt wwiitthh sseeccoonndd--yyeeaarr PPVVMM pprrooggrraamm))
FFiinnaanncciiaall PPrriinncciipplleess aanndd PPrraaccttiiccee ((22 ccrreeddiittss))
Exposure to the role of the financial manager in a business enterprise. Topics include basic financial
concepts and tools, financial statement analysis, forecasting, capital budgeting, and working capital
management.
TThhiirrdd yyeeaarr:: ffaallll sseemmeesstteerr ((wweeeekkss 99––1166;;
ccoonnccuurrrreenntt wwiitthh sseeccoonndd--yyeeaarr PPVVMM pprrooggrraamm))
FFiinnaanncciiaall MMaarrkkeettss aanndd IInnvveessttmmeennttss ((22 ccrreeddiittss))
Financial markets, valuation of different types of financial securities, relationship between risk and
return, and design and evaluation of portfolios.
TThhiirrdd yyeeaarr:: sspprriinngg sseemmeesstteerr ((wweeeekkss 11––1166;;
ccoonnccuurrrreenntt wwiitthh sseeccoonndd--yyeeaarr PPVVMM pprrooggrraamm))
AAnnaallyyssiiss ooff DDyynnaammiicc EEnntteerrpprriisseess ((44 ccrreeddiittss))——ccoouurrsseewwoorrkk oonnllyy
Apply and integrate concepts taught in the functional areas with the specific goal of developing crit-
ical thinking and decision-making skills.
TThhiirrdd yyeeaarr:: ssuummmmeerr sseemmeesstteerr ((wweeeekkss 11––88;;
ccoonnccuurrrreenntt wwiitthh sseeccoonndd--yyeeaarr PPVVMM pprrooggrraamm))
AAnnaallyyssiiss ooff DDyynnaammiicc EEnntteerrpprriisseess ((44 ccrreeddiittss))——pprroojjeecctt ccoommpplleettiioonn
Apply and integrate concepts taught in the functional areas with the specific goal of developing crit-
ical thinking and decision-making skills.
Appendix 2
A Business Certificate Program for veterinary health professionals at Colorado State University.
FFiirrsstt yyeeaarr:: ffaallll sseemmeesstteerr
FFuunnddaammeennttaallss ooff AAccccoouunnttiinngg ((33 ccrreeddiittss))
Understanding of financial statements to support financial and managerial decision making.
FFiirrsstt yyeeaarr:: sspprriinngg sseemmeesstteerr
FFuunnddaammeennttaallss ooff FFiinnaannccee ((33 ccrreeddiittss))
Role of finance in management of the firm, role and structure of financial markets and institutions,
and valuation of basic securities.
SSeeccoonndd yyeeaarr:: ffaallll sseemmeesstteerr
FFuunnddaammeennttaallss ooff MMaannaaggeemmeenntt ((33 ccrreeddiittss))
Managerial process of planning, directing, and controlling inputs of an organization. Analysis, deci-
sion making, and survey of research literature.
SSeeccoonndd yyeeaarr:: sspprriinngg sseemmeesstteerr
FFuunnddaammeennttaallss ooff BBuussiinneessss LLaaww ((33 ccrreeddiittss))
Legal environment of business including norms, rules, laws, ethical principles, and values central to
public life in the conduct of business.
TThhiirrdd yyeeaarr:: ffaallll sseemmeesst
teerr
FFuunnddaammeennttaallss ooff MMaarrkkeettiinngg ((33 ccrreeddiittss))
Overview of marketing activities involved in provision of products and services to consumers,
including target markets and managerial aspects.
TThhiirrdd yyeeaarr:: sspprriinngg sseemmeesstteerr
VVeetteerriinnaarryy PPrraaccttiiccee MMaannaaggeemmeenntt ((44 ccrreeddiittss))
Veterinary practice management including marketing, finance, information systems, personnel
issues, and client relations.
TThhiirrdd yyeeaarr:: ssuummmmeerr sseemmeesstteerr
EEnnttrreepprreenneeuurrsshhiipp iinn tthhee CCoonntteemmppoorraarryy WWoorrlldd ((44 ccrreeddiittss)
)
Concepts of entrepreneurship and role of entrepreneurs in the economy.
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