About Us

About the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

The Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) was established in 1916 when the Texas Legislature approved the creation of a public school of veterinary medicine and provided funds for the building of a veterinary teaching hospital. In recent years, we have served animals referred from approximately 3,100 veterinarians in 163 of Texas’ 254 counties and 37 of the 50 states.

The VMTH has a growing caseload of more than 24,000 cases per year. With a multidisciplinary faculty of over 180 veterinarians and a support staff of over 300 caring people in a variety of disciplines, we are able to offer the most comprehensive range of specialized veterinary services for all species at the only veterinary teaching hospital in the state of Texas.

What is the mission and vision at the VMTH ?

Our mission: Improving lives through exceptional veterinary education, patient care, service, and discovery.

Our vision: The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital is a community and global leader in innovative, compassionate, and high-quality veterinary patient care, teaching, and research. Our vision is to provide best-in-class services to our clients and patients and to be the hospital of choice for faculty, staff, and students.

What is a teaching hospital?

A veterinary teaching hospital is where education and expert care come together. Each case is overseen by a clinical veterinary faculty member — most of whom are board certified in their specialty and are leaders in their field — and includes a dedicated team of veterinary interns and residents who are working toward board certification, veterinary nurses, and fourth-year veterinary students to care for your pet. Fourth-year veterinary students have already completed three years of rigorous medical education, and the completion of clinical rotations in their final year of veterinary school bridges what they have learned in the classroom with real-world cases, guided by veterinary specialists. Every patient that comes through the VMTH is accompanied by a fourth-year student — from their admission until the day they go home.

What is a diplomate or board-certified specialist?

Many of our faculty are board-certified in their area of veterinary medicine. They are considered a “diplomate” of the specialty college of their particular discipline, such as internal medicine. A specialist undergoes demanding and extensive training consisting of three to four years of residency in their chosen specialty — after completing four rigorous years of education to obtain their veterinary medicine degree. Some residencies also require the completion of an internship prior to the residency. Once they have successfully completed their internship and residency, they must submit and publish original research and complete additional examinations. Upon successfully completing all requirements for their discipline, the specialist receives the highly distinguished diplomate status.