Our Mission

To advance animal and human health through education, research, and public service. The College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University has a rich heritage and distinguished record in education, research, and professional service. Known for its progressive academic program and world-class resources, the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University provides international leadership in public health, biomedical research, and veterinary medical care.

Background

The College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell is one of 27 veterinary colleges and schools in the United States and one of only three in the Northeast. Since 1868, the faculty, students, and graduates of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University have devoted themselves to the advancement of the health of both animals and humans though education, service, and research.

With more than 4,000 graduates, Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine is recognized internationally as a leader in agriculture, public health, biomedical research, and veterinary medical education.

Facilities

Veterinary Medical Center Opened in 1996, the center houses the Cornell University Hospital for Animals (including the Companion Animal Hospital, and the Equine and Farm Animal Hospitals) on its ground floor, and research facilities and offices on its upper floors. Principal patient-care areas in the hospital include behavior, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, internal medicine, neurology, nutrition, ophthalmology, orthopedics and sports medicine, surgery, and theriogenology. State-of-the-art technologies include anesthesiology, clinical laboratories, intensive care and neonatal care units, medical imaging, and specialized surgery suites.

Veterinary Education Center Opened in 1993, the facility includes state-of-the-art teaching laboratories, lecture halls, and the veterinary library. The Irving W. Wiswall Learning Laboratory is a high-tech dry lab that accommodates 92 students with integrated media resources, dual-headed microscopes, and networked computer workstations. The Jerry and Darlene Bilinski Learning Laboratory is a 5,000-square-foot wet lab for microbiological and molecular biological teaching. The Roswell P. Flower-Isidor I. and Sylvia M. Sprecher Library and Learning Resources Center holds nearly 90,000 volumes, maintains 1,000 journal subscriptions in the biomedical sciences, and features on-line catalogs, network resources, and databases.

Veterinary Research Tower A nine-story building added in 1974, the tower houses research facilities and offices. It contains research laboratories, a lecture hall, a conference room, and offices. Renovations are underway to reconfigure the tower's smaller, single-purpose labs into larger, open laboratory spaces. Also housed in the tower are the college's dining facility and Image Lab.

Diagnostic Laboratory Added in 1978, the Diagnostic Laboratory is the official laboratory of New York State and the state diagnostic center for animal disease control. The laboratory services patients of the Cornell University Hospital for Animals as well as those of veterinary practitioners in New York State and nationally. The laboratory is accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians and the United States Department of Agriculture and its Animal-Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS). The diagnostic lab also carries public health accreditation for endocrinology and water testing. 

Schurman Hall A three-story building, Schurman Hall houses classrooms, tutorial rooms, the modular resource center, research facilities, and offices. The 3,500-square-foot modular resource center is a visual library of self-contained learning stations that feature interactive learning resources.

Nearby the central campus are several additional college facilities:

James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health A world-renowned center for canine and equine research, the Institute includes the Cornell Research Laboratory for Diseases of the Dog, the Center for Canine Genetics and Reproduction, the Laboratory of Immunology, and the Cornell Equine Genetics Center.

Equine Research Park On 165 acres, the park features boarding and other facilities for 150 horses, a half-mile track, stallion barn, and separate brood-mare barn with a laboratory for reproductive studies.

Equine Annex An equine quarantine facility, a stable, and a laboratory for equine embryo biology.

Wildlife Health Program

Clinical Care
Cornell University Hospital for Animals
Cornell's wildlife health program provides in-hospital medical and surgical care to sick and wounded native wild animals and many exotic animal species. More than 400 birds, small mammals, and reptiles are treated each year by the Cornell University Hospital for Animals Wildlife and Zoological Medicine Service.

Native Wildlife
From the Eastern box turtle to a bald eagle, you can find it at the wildlife clinic. Although diagnoses vary with each case, animals cared for may have gunshot wounds, been hit by a car, suffered the attack of a cat or dog, or have disease or other illness that needs care. Care is provided with the philosophy of returning these animals to the wild.

Veterinary students participate in daily assessment and care of injured wildlife. Students learn through treating, cleaning, watching and questioning each case and developing familiarity with various native species.

Exotic Animals
At Cornell University Hospital for Animals privately owned reptiles, birds, and mammals receive care in the wildlife and exotic clinic.

Zoo 
Two to three days each week veterinary faculty and students make the journey from Ithaca to Syracuse to provide full-service health care to the Burnet Park Zoo's more than 500 animals. Students observe and assist instructors who oversee preventative medical programs, offer medical and surgical treatments, and consult on questions of conservation, husbandry, diet and nutrition.

Burnet Park Zoo is known for its breeding and conservation programs as well as its educational activities. Endangered species such as snow leopards and Asian elephants, as well as North American wildlife (bison, elk, Peregrine falcon, and lynx) comprise some of the 125 species at the zoo.

Educational Opportunities
Veterinary students participate in a wealth of wildlife and exotic animal medicine courses at the college, from Veterinary Aspects of Captive Wildlife Management to Avian Medicine and Surgery. Six specialty courses average between 30 and 65 DVM students and are taught by Professor George Kollias, DVM, PhD, or Instructors Noha Abou-Madi, DVM, MSc, and Sonia Hernandez Foerster, DVM.

A strong background in wildlife ecology, zoology, and basic biology is needed by students who want to concentrate or specialize in wildlife or zoological medicine.

Students participating in the wildlife health program's courses and clinical opportunities (such as the wildlife and exotic animal clinic at the Companion Animal Hospital or veterinary care at the Burnet Park Zoo) receive valuable exposure to the care and maintenance of alternative species.