The American Veterinary Medical Assn. Council of Education (AVMA COE) has granted Lincoln Memorial University-College of Veterinary Medicine (LMU-CVM) full accreditation, according to an announcement from the university in Harrogate, Tenn.

LMU-CVM said AVMA COE initially granted it provisional accreditation status four years ago when it was established as the 30th veterinary college in the U.S.

“We are proud to have earned full accreditation from the AVMA Council of Education,” LMU-CVM vice president and dean Jason Johnson said. “This achievement is a testament to the collaborative work of the students, faculty and staff, LMU administration and clinical partners in developing an innovative, high-quality, practical-based and student-centered program that graduates confident, career-ready veterinarians.”

According to the announcement, one of the LMU-CVM innovations is the hybrid distributive learning model — the first of its kind in veterinary education — which provides students with real-world, hands-on experience at more than 240 veterinary practices around the country. Recognizing that medical knowledge must be developed in conjunction with clinical skills, LMU-CVM said its students get hands-on experience with animals beginning in the first semester and continuing throughout the program. Students also have opportunities to collaborate on research projects and One Health initiatives through the Center for Animal & Human Health in Appalachia.

“While this is an incredible milestone, we are not going to stop here,” Johnson added. “We will continue to develop innovative programs and partner with organizations around the world to give students the opportunity to be exposed to the most remarkable curated, hands-on learning experiences within the veterinary industry.”

LMU announced in 2011 that it was pursuing a veterinary college. In 2014, the college welcomed the members of its inaugural class. LMU-CVM celebrated with a commencement ceremony of its inaugural class in May 2018, and today, LMU-CVM-trained veterinarians are practicing in Appalachia and around the nation. Overall, 33% of the inaugural 2018 class are practicing in Tennessee, Kentucky or Virginia, and 34% of graduates are practicing in large-animal or mixed-animal practices, the university said.

LMU is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in the liberal arts and professional studies. LMU-CVM is located on LMU’s main campus in Harrogate, with additional academic facilities in nearby Lee County, Va.