Tufts Considering Whether to Build Veterinary School

The Tufts University Medical Center is considering plans to establish the first veterinary school in New England, a Tufts spokesman said Monday.

The final decision will be made after the veterinary feasibility committee submits a plan to Tufts President Jean Mayer on November 15.

If Mayer approves the plan, endorsement will be sought from the governors of each New England state and the presidents of all six New England state universities.

The plans currently under discussion would involve the expansion of the faculty and facilities of the New England Medical Center and the development of six field stations for clinical research to be located in each New England state.

Construction of the new veterinary facility--estimated at over $50 million--is scheduled for completion in 1978, contingent on state subsidies and the cooperation of New England state universities in the renovation of field stations.

"With only eighteen veterinary schools in the country, admission to these schools is twice as competitive as admission to medical schools," Hank Wilson, head of the Tufts public relations office, said Monday in explaining the current shortage of openings.