Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine

Welcome to the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University. The college has been serving the state of Oregon and the veterinary profession since the first class of new veterinarians graduated from our program in 1983. We are proud of our role in providing excellent, hands-on training for veterinarians, offering diagnostic services through our Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and improving the health and welfare of thousands of animals through our Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital and our ambulatory services. We also contribute to scientific knowledge and understanding through our dedicated faculty, students and staff who carry out basic and applied research in areas that impact animals, food safety and the environment.

We are known for the clinical proficiency of our graduates as they are closely mentored and enjoy a high faculty to student ratio. They benefit from our pioneering collaboration with the Oregon Humane Society in Portland, an excellent and very busy animal shelter where our students spend two weeks getting extensive hands-on experience in performing not only spays and neuters, but in working up and treating a wide variety of common medical and surgical conditions in small animals. They also have the option to rotate through the Community Veterinary Hospital at OHS, gaining even more general practice veterinary skills.

Our students have the chance to tailor their education with a variety of preceptorships and electives via collaborations with organizations such as the Wildlife Safari, the Hatfield Marine Science Center and international exchanges. We are particularly proud of the student-led annual veterinary service trips to locations in Latin America where our students (with veterinary supervision) have been providing needed veterinary services to local animals and their owners for over 15 years.

Oregon State University is a leader in research and veterinary care of llamas and alpacas with the only endowed professorship in camelid medicine and surgery in the world. We host a number of veterinarians and students every year who come to Corvallis to learn about current research and care of these unique animals.

Research carried out at the college touches everyone as it includes basic, translational, and clinical studies of issues of animal, human and environmental health. Veterinarians are uniquely trained and experienced in tackling challenges in animal, human and environmental health that affect all of us.

In 2019, we completed our Magruder Hall expansion which provided additional needed space for our growing small animal hospital case load. In 2023, we are finishing a remodel in the large animal hospital to house the new MRI which will serve both small and large animals. 

Our strategic plan for 2023-2028 has been guiding us in planning for the future of veterinary medicine and the crucial role played by the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University. Thank you for visiting our website and please contact us if you’d like to visit. 

Best wishes,