Matching veterinary school accreditation to the global needs of the profession and global society

In North America, the United Kingdom and Australasia, veterinary school accreditation is an integral part of the process of registering veterinarians to practise. In these regions, the relevant accrediting authority develops a set of standards which form the basis for individual schools to prepare a self-evaluation report, in preparation for a site-visit team to spend a week validating the self assessment. Global trends in food production and animal movement increase the potential for spread of animal diseases and demands from trading partners to guarantee food quality standards. These and other trends in the practice of veterinary medicine require schools to continually review their curricula to accommodate workplace demands. Accreditation systems in the western world have been working together to improve collaboration and review standards but, to date, there has not been an international agency with responsibility for facilitating development of evolving and new systems. It is suggested that the World Organisation for Animal Health could consider whether it has a role in improving veterinary education by assisting in this area.