Most of the families we care for have never heard of Virginia Tech’s vet school. It is the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, the only veterinary school in Virginia, and it is where our owner, Dr. Reed Hall, earned his degree in 1996.
Columbia Pike made The Vet School in Our Backyard together with the college to introduce it to you. In Episode 1, Dean Dan Givens shows what the college does, and Dr. Hall walks its halls with him again, 30 years after graduating.
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Call us at (703) 256-8414.
What is the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine?
Dean Dan Givens has led the college for six years. “We are the only vet school in the state of Virginia,” he says, and the only one that serves Maryland students. Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland run it together, and each class saves 50 seats for Virginia students and 30 for Maryland students. The college recently graduated its 43rd class of veterinarians.
Vet school is four years on top of four years of college, and it ends in a doctorate. The college trains more than new veterinarians, too. “We also train specialists,” the Dean says, meaning interns and residents who go on to become board certified in fields like cardiology, ophthalmology, dermatology and surgery.
Why does a vet school in Blacksburg matter in Annandale?
Because the people who care for your pet may have trained there. When a case gets serious, the Dean says, the specialist you see in Fairfax “very well may have been trained here or at another college of vet medicine, much like us.”
Many students from Northern Virginia go to Blacksburg and then come home to practice near the people they grew up with. Dr. Hall says that builds a better sense of community and trust.
How is Columbia Pike connected to the college?
Dr. Hall still remembers the April Fool’s Day call from the Dean that he thought was a joke. “No, it’s real,” he was told, and he still has the acceptance letter framed. He remembers almost crying over his first sutures, too, until Dr. Spencer Johnston told him to hold his hands flat. “It was just how well the teachers taught you,” he says, “and the professors, how much they cared about you.”
“Those four years in Blacksburg changed my life,” he told Virginia Tech News. The Dean is proud of him in return. “Reed Hall’s a great example,” he says. “He’s built something great.”
Today Dr. Hall owns Columbia Pike, which is open 24 hours a day with no additional emergency fee, along with Town and Country Animal Hospital and Animal Clinic of Clifton. Meg Butterworth, a veterinary assistant at Town and Country, is a fourth-year student at the college right now.
Vet Ready, our year-long training program at Columbia Pike, picks up where vet school leaves off. It helps new veterinarians put what they learned into practice with real cases and close mentorship.
How can you learn more about the college?
The college’s teaching hospital sees more than 16,000 pets a year, and Virginia Tech has approved a $63 million project to renovate and expand it while it stays open.
Virginia Tech is hosting Expanding Into Tomorrow: Approved and In Motion, a free live webinar about the project, on Wednesday, October 14, from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern on Zoom. Dean Givens and members of the college, including the lead architect, will share the plans and take questions. Dr. Reed Hall is on the panel. You can register free on the official event page.
What comes next in the series?
Episode 2, Why It Matters to You and Your Pet, shows what the college means for pets here at home. Episode 3, Building What’s Next, covers the teaching hospital expansion. Both are coming soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a vet school in Virginia?
Yes, one. The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg is the only veterinary school in Virginia. Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland run it together.
Did Dr. Reed Hall go to vet school at Virginia Tech?
Yes. Dr. Hall graduated from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, in 1996.
Is the October 14 webinar free?
Yes. It runs from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern on Zoom, and you can register free on the official event page.
Is Columbia Pike open 24/7?
Yes. Columbia Pike is open 24 hours a day, every day, with no additional emergency fee. Call (703) 256-8414.
How do you schedule an appointment at Columbia Pike?
Schedule online at columbiapikeanimalh.com/schedule-appointment, or call (703) 256-8414. If your pet needs care now, come in any hour.
Register for the free October 14 webinarSchedule an Appointment
Call us at (703) 256-8414.
Columbia Pike Animal Hospital & Emergency Center, 4205 Evergreen Ln, Annandale, VA 22003. Love People. Love Pets.