PetSmart Charities Veterinary Fellowship

A program for veterinary students who want to practice community medicine — built to give them financial support, real mentorship, and a professional community that lasts from vet school into their first years of practice.

Why this exists

Veterinary students are trained to clinical excellence. Many still graduate underprepared for the harder conversation: what to do when a pet parent simply can't afford the textbook treatment.

36%

of Americans are financially fragile enough that a $400 vet bill would put them into immediate debt.

50%+

of pet parents have skipped or declined necessary veterinary care, per the 2025 PetSmart Charities–Gallup State of Pet Care study.

70%

of those who declined care say it was due to financial concerns — cited more than twice as often as any other reason.

"Gold Standard" care

Prioritizes the single best clinical outcome. Excellent medicine — but it doesn't reflect the range of situations veterinarians actually encounter in practice, and leaves many graduates unsure what to do when that standard isn't affordable for the family in front of them.

"Spectrum of Care"

Tailors medical recommendations to what's actually possible for each pet parent, rather than defaulting to only the most advanced option. Same commitment to good medicine — more tools for the conversations that determine whether a family can follow through on it.

An evolution, not PetSmart Charities' first attempt

PetSmart Charities previously supported veterinary students through scholarships. Scholarships help with the cost of school, but they don't address practical training, mentorship, or career preparation — the things that actually determine whether a new graduate feels ready to practice community medicine. This fellowship was built to close that specific gap.

What fellows gain

The program starts in a student's third year (or equivalent) and continues through graduation and into their first years of clinical practice — intentionally bridging the transition that trips up so many new graduates.

Practical communication skills

To navigate real client conversations about cost and care with empathy and clarity.

Spectrum of Care training

Aligning medical options with what's actually possible for each client's circumstances.

Leadership & decision-making

Capabilities that support long-term career growth, not just the first job out of school.

Professional community

Mentors, peers, clinical partners, and community medicine leaders — a network built to last.

Financial support, plus structure

Fellows receive financial support alongside this structured professional experience — the combination is the point. Money alone doesn't prepare someone to run a mobile clinic or have a hard cost conversation; this program is built to do both.

Partner veterinary schools

The fellowship launched with five universities recognized for their leading veterinary programs and existing commitment to expanding access to care.

 

  • Colorado State University
  • Cornell University
  • The University of Arizona
  • UC Davis
  • University of Minnesota

Timeline & scale

New cohorts are admitted annually, so this pipeline keeps growing rather than being a one-time cohort.

  1. Fall 2026
    Inaugural cohort of 15 fellows begins across the 5 partner schools.
  2. Spring & Summer 2028
    The inaugural cohort is expected to graduate.
  3. Ongoing
    New cohorts admitted every year, building a consistent pipeline rather than a single class.
  4. By Spring 2032
    A potential 115 community-medicine-focused veterinarians will have graduated through the program.
  5. Projected impact
    More than 550,000 incremental community medicine veterinary visits annually, once the pipeline is built out.

In their words

For Amy Salim, a fellow at Cornell University, the fellowship is a continuation of work she was already doing. She's spent the last four years in clinics serving underserved communities, and the program gives her formal training in the equitable-care approach she wants to build her whole career around.

Amy Salim · Fellowship student, Cornell University

Dr. Robyn Jaynes, PSC's Director of Veterinary Affairs, calls it one of PSC's most significant new investments — meant to give fellows real confidence practicing community medicine, and over time, to build "a lasting collaborative network of community medicine veterinarians" who keep mentoring the fellows who come after them.

Dr. Robyn Jaynes, DVM · Director of Veterinary Affairs, PetSmart Charities

Dr. Emily McCobb, who holds the PetSmart Charities Endowed Chair at UC Davis, sees the fellowship as proof that universities and mission-driven nonprofits can accomplish more by pursuing a common goal side by side than either could working alone.

Dr. Emily McCobb, DVM · PetSmart Charities Endowed Chair, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

How to get involved

This isn't a general open application — fellows are selected in partnership with the 5 schools above, not through a public portal.

Veterinary students

If you attend one of the 5 partner schools, ask your school's student affairs office whether they're participating in the current fellowship cycle. If your school isn't listed, the program is expected to grow — watch PetSmart Charities' veterinary affairs updates for future partner schools.

Veterinary schools & faculty

Interested in a future partnership? Dr. Robyn Jaynes, PetSmart Charities' Director of Veterinary Affairs, leads this program and is reachable through her professional network.

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Want to support programs like this?

The Fellowship is part of PetSmart Charities' $100 million commitment to improving access to veterinary care.