Colorado State University has enrolled 14 students in the state’s first Veterinary Professional Associate program, even as regulators continue working out what the new role will be permitted to do. The Master of Science in Veterinary Clinical Care program began this fall. Its launch follows Colorado voters’ approval of Proposition 129 in November 2024, which created the Veterinary Professional Associate role. Supporters said the position could help address veterinary workforce shortages and improve access to animal care. The Colorado Board of Veterinary Medicine is scheduled to hold a permanent rulemaking hearing Oct. 8. The board is considering rules involving supervision, scope of practice, licensure and examination standards. Stakeholders are expected to have a final opportunity to testify before board members consider the rules. At CSU, the five-semester program comprises 65 credit hours. Students will complete three semesters of online coursework before moving to in-person laboratory instruction and clinical training. The curriculum focuses on cats and dogs, including clinical skills, anesthesia, dentistry and surgical procedures performed under veterinary supervision. The first cohort is expected to graduate in spring 2028. Program director Dr. Shari Lanning said shelter medicine was a central reason for developing the curriculum, citing the need for veterinary care in shelters. Supporters have also pointed to rural and other underserved communities where access to animal care can be difficult. They describe VPAs as a veterinary counterpart to physician assistants, intended to help veterinarians manage routine cases rather than replace them. The unsettled rules have raised concerns among some veterinarians. Dr. Gretchen Norton, a retired veterinarian who spent more than 20 years in private practice and shelter medicine, opposed Proposition 129. She said the state has not established a certification exam and questioned whether voters understood what the new profession would entail. Norton also doubts that five semesters can adequately prepare graduates for any surgical procedures that might eventually fall within the VPA’s scope. Lanning said the pending regulatory work will not change how CSU is currently training students and expressed confidence in the university’s experience in veterinary education. The hearing will help determine the standards governing graduates entering a profession whose responsibilities are still being defined. For animal owners, shelters and communities facing shortages of veterinary care, the final rules will clarify what services VPAs can provide and under what level of veterinary supervision.