The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE) has voted to grant full accreditation status to Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine’s DVM degree program for the next seven years, until 2018. Graduates from Ross will now be able to sit for licensure to practice veterinary medicine in the United States or Canada without first completing a special foreign graduate examination.

"Achieving AVMA accreditation further affirms our commitment to excellence in veterinary education," said David J. DeYoung, DVM, dean of RUSVM in a news release. "We are pleased with the decision of the accrediting board and look forward to working with other AVMA-accredited schools and our affiliate clinical partners in the U.S. to advance the future of veterinary education."

The Ross University Veterinary Teaching Hospital received accreditation by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) in June 2010 — the first teaching hospital to achieve this status outside the U.S. and Canada.

According to the school, RUSVM significantly increased the size of its faculty and staff, introduced new courses, such as communication and clinical skills, and integrated clinical competency training throughout the curriculum. Additional facilities were constructed to support the program development, including infrastructure upgrades, construction of new buildings and renovation of existing space.

Ross University’s School of Veterinary Medicine is located on St. Kitts, an Eastern Caribbean island which makes up half of the country known as the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. The school is affiliated with 22 veterinary schools in the United States where students go to complete their clinical year.