Download Veterinary School Admissions Guide as a printable PDF
Doctors of Veterinary Medicine (DVM’s) are dedicated to animal welfare. Veterinarians diagnose and treat diseases and injuries in animals. They also prevent the spread of disease from animals to humans. The majority of veterinarians are in private small, large or mixed animal clinical practice.
Prerequisites
Each Veterinary school establishes its own set of prerequisites. Check the websites of the schools in that you are most interested to obtain a current list of undergraduate requirements.
All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of a “C-“ or higher.
| Subject Area | Recommended Courses |
|---|---|
| General Biology* | BSC 114/115 and BSC 116/117 or honors equivalent |
| Cell Biology* | BSC 300 |
| Biochemistry* | BSC 450 |
| General Chemistry* | CH 101 and CH 102 or honors equivalent |
| Organic Chemistry | CH 231, CH 232 and CH 237 |
| Mathematics | MATH 115 |
| General Physics* | PH 101 and PH 102 or honors equivalent |
| Animal Nutrition* | Taken online through other universities: ASI 318 (Kansas State University) ASC 378 (University of Kentucky) ANSC 221P (Purdue University) ANSI 3543E (Oklahoma State University) **contact the individual university for more information about registration and fees** |
| Highly Recommended | BSC 315 (Genetics) |
Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is a standardized examination that consists of four multiple-choice sections that cover basic mathematics and reading comprehension skills. The GRE is designed to measure general academic ability. It is required by most Veterinary schools. Typically, students take the GRE about one calendar year prior to their intended date of matriculation to professional school. The GRE is a nationally standardized test, similar to the ACT and SAT. A GRE score is good for three years at most schools, so taking the test in the spring of junior year does not necessarily mean that you must enter PA school right after college graduation.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Veterinary Schools expect academic excellence. Good grades; typically an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or better is required to be competitive.
Timeline
Freshman Year
- Connect with a Health Professions Advisor or Faculty Member.
- Start taking basic sciences (See chart above).
- Think about possible majors (Study what you love)
- Begin getting involved with volunteer opportunities (campus and community).
- Start shadowing
- Join some student organizations i.e. The PreVeterinary Society, AED, etc.
Sophomore Year
- Continue with next sequence of courses.
- Stay involved in extracurricular activities (shadowing, volunteer, etc.)
- Begin to think about becoming an officer in your organizations.
- Begin research on professional schools, their requirements, and assess your competitiveness.
- Investigate GRE preparation options.
- Identify programs you are interested in.
- BOTTOM LINE: Keep working on the things you established your first year!!
Junior Year
- Talk to Health Professions advisor or faculty member to narrow program options and assess competitiveness (Fall).
- Register for the GRE (Fall).
- Study for GRE and take it (Spring/Summer).
- Identify 3-4 individuals to write letters of recommendation (Spring).
- Complete VMCAS (Spring/Summer).
- Schedule a mock interview with Career Services.
- Keep working on the things you have established thus far.
Senior Year
- Submit Application(s) if you haven’t already (Fall).
- Wait to be contacted for interviews from veterinary schools.
- Continue with activities and professional experiences/shadowing.
- Talk with an advisor about Plan B if necessary.
- Finish degree requirements and GRADUATE!