The School of Veterinary Medicine at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

is one of nine

veterinary schools Veterinary education is the tertiary education of veterinarians. To become a veterinarian, one must first complete a veterinary degree in Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM , V.M.D. , BVS, BVSc, BVMS, BVM, cand.med.vet). In the United States and ...

in the United Kingdom, and offers undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in Veterinary Medicine. It was established in 1862 as the independent Glasgow Veterinary College, being subsumed into the university in 1949 and gaining independent faculty status in 1969. In 2010 it became a constituent school of the new College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences. It ranked second in the UK by the Complete University Guide 2016 and in 2015, QS World University Rankings ranked the veterinary school seventh in the world for veterinary medicine.

Early days

In 1859, James McCall, Professor of Anatomy and Physiology at the

Dick Veterinary College The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, commonly referred to as the Dick Vet, is the veterinary school of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and part of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine the head of which is Moira Why ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, moved to

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

and started a practice in Hope Street, from which he gave informal lectures in veterinary medicine. In 1862, formal classes were instituted and the practice moved to a larger accommodation, a set of stables at 397

Parliamentary Road A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...

. In 1863, a royal warrant was issued which established McCall's enterprise as the Glasgow Veterinary College and entitled its students to examination at the

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is the regulatory body for veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom, established in 1844 by royal charter. It is responsible for monitoring the educational, ethical and clinical standards of the ...

; the first graduate qualified in 1865. The college was the second

veterinary school Veterinary education is the tertiary education of veterinarians. To become a veterinarian, one must first complete a veterinary degree in Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM , V.M.D. , BVS, BVSc, BVMS, BVM, cand.med.vet). In the United States and ...

in Scotland, after the Dick School in Edinburgh, McCall's alma mater, which was established in 1823. In 1873, it moved to much larger facilities in Buccleuch Street, a former pumping station, and merged into the University of Glasgow in 1949. The current Vet School was built on the Garscube Estate in 1970.

Facilities

The school is now based at the Garscube Estate in

Bearsden Bearsden () is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the northwestern fringe of Greater Glasgow. Approximately from Glasgow City Centre, the town is effectively a suburb, and its housing development coincided with the 1863 introducti ...

, on the outskirts of

, purchased by the university in 1948 from Sir George Campbell of Succoth. Sir George was a descendant of

Ilay Campbell, Lord Succoth Sir Ilay Campbell, 1st Baronet, Lord Succoth, (1734–1823) was a Scottish advocate, judge and politician. He rose to be Lord President of the Court of Session. Life Campbell's birthplace is given as either Argyll or Edinburgh. His mother was ...

, who had studied

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

at the university and later served as

Lord President of the Court of Session The Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General is the most senior judge in Scotland, the head of the judiciary, and the presiding judge of the College of Justice, the Court of Session, and the High Court of Justiciary. The L ...

and rector of the university. The main Garscube House had been used as a hospital during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. The school has a farm, a small-animal hospital and an equine hospital on the estate, as well as the James Herriot Library, named for Alf Wight, a graduate of the school who wrote under that name. The university's Wolfson Halls are also situated on the estate, as is the Garscube Sports Complex, used by the school's student rugby team as well as other students and

sports clubs A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...

in the university. The school also has facilities on the Cochno Estate, purchased by the university in 1954. The estate originally extended to some , including of woodland, but is now an business enterprise, including a farm and the elegant Cochno House. Cochno was formerly the seat of the Hamiltons of Barnes, but during the late nineteenth century, the Estate was home to William Anderson Donaldson, a Glasgow iron merchant of the firm, James Watson & Company.

Degree

The school presents students for the degree of Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVMS). This is one of only six degree programmes in Europe recognised by the

American Veterinary Medical Association The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), founded in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 99,500 veterinarians in the US. The AVMA provides information resources, continuing education opportunities, publicati ...

, and is one of a small number recognised automatically by the South African Veterinary Council. The school scored 95% for 'graduate prospects' and 5B for 'research quality' in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...

'' ''Good University Guide 2009''.

Notable alumni and staff

Notable alumni *

Laura Muir Laura Muir (born 9 May 1993) is a Scottish middle- and long-distance runner. She is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medallist in the 1500 metres, having previously finished seventh in the event at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Muir won the bronze meda ...

, veterinary surgeon and middle/long distance olympic athlete *

Mark Bryan Mark William Bryan (born May 6, 1967) is an American musician. He is a founding member, songwriter, and the lead guitarist for the band Hootie & the Blowfish. In 1986, Bryan and his friend Darius Rucker formed a duo called The Wolf Brothers whi ...

, veterinarian working in New Zealand * Michael Findlay, veterinary surgeon, author and broadcaster * John A. Gilruth, former

Administrator of the Northern Territory The Administrator of the Northern Territory is an official appointed by the Governor-General of Australia to represent the government of the Commonwealth in the Northern Territory, Australia. They perform functions similar to those of a state gov ...

of Australia *

James Herriot James Alfred Wight (3 October 1916 – 23 February 1995), better known by his pen name James Herriot, was a British veterinary surgeon and author. Born in Sunderland, Wight graduated from Glasgow Veterinary College in 1939, returning to Eng ...

, veterinary surgeon and author (real name Alf Wight) *

Manda Scott Manda Scott (born 1962) is a former Scottish veterinary surgeon who is now a novelist, blogger, columnist and occasional broadcaster. Born and educated in Glasgow, Scotland, she trained at the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicin ...

, writer * Eddie Straiton, veterinary surgeon, author and television presenter known as "the TV Vet" * David Taylor, veterinary surgeon, founder of IZVG, author and television presenter known as "The Zoo Vet" Notable staff *Sir James Whyte Black (1924–2010), Nobel laureate, lecturer at the university's Veterinary School during the 1950s * Professor

Andrea Nolan Andrea Nolan is Professor of Veterinary Pharmacology and Principal & Vice Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University. In 1999, she was the first woman ever appointed to head a British veterinary school. Early life After completing secondary edu ...

, first woman dean of a British vet school

References

{{Authority control

Veterinary Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...

1862 establishments in Scotland