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	Pre-Veterinary Studies Pre-Veterinary studies include required courses in chemistry, biology, physics, math, English composition and liberal education. Students may pursue their Pre-Veterinary studies at any accredited college or university and pursue any undergraduate major. Many community and junior colleges offer the majority of courses required with the possible exception of some of the more advanced science courses such as genetics and microbiology. Although a Bachelor's degree is not required for admission to the D.V.M. program, approximately 75% of the students entering the program each year have completed their Bachelor's degree. The most common majors of students entering the D.V.M. program were biology and agriculture but include students with majors in engineering, business administration, history, education and music to mention only a few. http://www.dvmnews.com/dvm/ General Preparation Students enrolled in veterinary school generally come from an undergraduate college that offers a strong animal science or biological science program. Students interested in applying to veterinary school must earn excellent grades in math, science and biology courses. It is necessary that applicants complete all prerequisite requirements before they can enroll in one of the 27 veterinary medical colleges/schools. These requirements vary significantly from one institution to another. There are several ways to determine the specific veterinary school/college prerequisites. Consult Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements in the United States and Canada (Williams & Wilkins Publishing Company, Inc.) or, if you have access to a computer and the Internet, visit the Association of American Veterinary Medical colleges at http://www.aavmc.org/ . This website has links to all the veterinary schools/colleges in the United States, and will allow you to find out specifics in terms of admission policies, academic program, and enrollment statistics. Veterinary schools base admission on the following criteria: GRE or VCAT scores, GPA, veterinary work experience, letter of intent, letters of recommendation, and the personal interview. While the different schools may not rank these equally, expect the initial screening process to rely heavily on standardized test scores and GPA. It is the recommendation of DVC that prospective applicants investigate GRE and/or VCAT preparation courses to help insure high scoring on these examinations. It is also the recommendation of DVC that, due to the competitive nature of veterinary schools/colleges, students maintain a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.5. Relevant work experience in large and small animal medicine is very important. At the American Veterinary Medical Association annual convention in 1997, a session titled “Career Pathways in Veterinary Medicine” stressed three vital criteria: hard work, career planning, and ample work-related experience. The recommendation of the panel is to obtain as much veterinary-related work experience as possible. Students can obtain this experience through voluntary or paid employment at veterinary hospitals in the vicinity of DVC and complete their employment program requirements at the same time. Your letter of intent is a direct reflection of your character and commitment. The screening process reviews these for grammar, syntax, spelling and content. Schools desire to learn about the applicant and their understanding of the profession through these letters, as well as getting an appreciation for the applicant’s communication skills. Do not neglect your coursework in English and the liberal arts. Letters of recommendation can be of considerable value to applicants who may be competing with other individuals of similar caliber. Individuals who you select to write a letter of recommendation should know you on more than a student - instructor basis. Don’t just be another face in the classroom. Interact with faculty, let them know of your ambitions and keep them abreast of your progress. The better a faculty member knows you and your capabilities, the better and more persuasive will be their letter of recommendation. If you are successful in passing the initial screening process, you will be invited for an interview. Every school is different in their approach to the interview process. To best prepare yourself, attempt to speak with a graduate or student at that particular institution. Helpful advice in all the aforementioned aspects can be found in The Pre-veterinary Planning Guide (Betz Publishing Company). The admissions advisors or officers at the veterinary schools/colleges may also be contacted for suggestions on making your application more competitive and they can answer questions regarding prerequisite requirements. In general, it requires an average of eight years of college work, undergraduate and graduate, to practice veterinary medicine. Educational indebtedness of a veterinary education can be substantial and, coupled with undergraduate loans, it can be staggering. Students should plan carefully and comparison shop to keep future indebtedness to a minimum. Recent graduates face good probability of employment but, unfortunately, salaries for private practice veterinarians are not in line with those in other medical professions. Salaries in other areas of veterinary medicine are more competitive but may require post-graduate work.

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