Incentive program will pair undergrads with large animal faculty mentors
Maylee Barnes has long dreamed of being a veterinarian. She began pursuing that dream at the age of 13 when her family relocated to an ailing grandfather’s farm to help manage his herd of beef cattle. Now a rising junior at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, she plans to return home after vet school to provide needed services to her rural community.
The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine and ABAC are investing in her success through the Georgia Rural Practice Veterinary Incentive Program. On Sept. 2, the colleges signed a memorandum of understanding formalizing this collaborative effort to address veterinary workforce shortages in rural Georgia.
The veterinary incentive program is designed to support ABAC undergraduates who are pursuing mixed or food animal veterinary careers and plan to practice in underserved communities across the state.
Participants receive personalized advising and mentoring from an ABAC animal science faculty advisor and a UGA veterinary medicine faculty mentor who specializes in food animal care.
Students are expected to complete the required coursework for ABAC’s animal science track, the prerequisites for admission to UGA VetMed, and specific hands-on experiences designed to prepare them for careers in rural veterinary medicine.
“This is going to make me a well-rounded applicant for vet school,” Barnes said.
Maylee Barnes, left, of Bartow, and Lainey Harris, right, of Folkston, are the first two ABAC undergraduates accepted into the Georgia Rural Practice Veterinary Incentive Program. The pair is shown at a recent event in Tifton celebrating the partnership between ABAC and UGA VetMed.
Developing a strong rural veterinary workforce
During the COVID pandemic Barnes moved with her family from Florida to Bartow, a town of fewer than 200 souls located about 100 miles southeast of Athens in Jefferson County. It was there that she began to acquire animal care experience that cemented her commitment to veterinary medicine. In addition to caring for animals on her own family farm, she helped farmers nearby and worked at the area’s lone mixed animal veterinary practice.
Jefferson County is one of 12 Georgia counties designated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a rural food animal veterinary shortage area. Collectively those counties account for millions of layers and broilers and nearly 200,000 beef and dairy cows.
“We recognize that the viability of Georgia’s food animal agriculture industry depends directly on having skilled veterinarians who can meet the demands of our rural farming communities,” said Dr. Lisa K. Nolan, dean of UGA VetMed. “By aligning ABAC’s strong undergraduate program in animal science with UGA’s clinical veterinary education, we are establishing a sustainable source of veterinarians dedicated to serving our rural regions for years to come.”
Participation does not guarantee admission to UGA VetMed. Students must still complete the regular admissions process and meet all application requirements.
The partnership will help participants pursue additional financial assistance. Veterinarians who complete the program will be eligible to apply for the Georgia Veterinary Education Loan Repayment Program which covers a portion of the student debt incurred by veterinarians who commit to practice in rural Georgia.
State officials joined administrators from ABAC and UGA VetMed in Tifton at the signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding formalizing the Georgia Rural Veterinary Incentive Program. From left, seated: Dr. Mary Ellen Hicks, professor of animal science, ABAC; Jason Goodner, provost and vice president for academic affairs, ABAC; Tracy Brundage, president, ABAC; Henry Young, vice provost for academic and community engagement, UGA; Dr. Lisa K. Nolan, dean, UGA VetMed; Dr. Andrew Parks, associate dean, UGA VetMed. From left, standing: Jody Redding, director of field services for Gov. Brian Kemp; State Rep. Jaclyn Ford (R-Tifton); Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper; State Rep. Angie O’Steen (R-Ambrose).
