Doctors of veterinary medicine are medical professionals who play a significant role in the health care and welfare of animals, human public health, medical research, and public safety (aavmc.org).
The Prerequisites:
The necessary prerequisite courses vary significantly among institutions. However, most veterinary programs require:
1 Year General Biology — Bio 111 and 112
1 Year General Chemistry — Chem 111, Chem 241
1 Year Organic Chemistry — Chem 221, Chem 321
1 semester Biochemistry — Chem 361
1 semester Genetics — Bio 211 *
1 semester Microbiology — Bio 325 *
1 Year Physics — Phy 109 and 110, Phy 111 and 112
1 semester Calculus — Math 111 *
1 or 2 semesters Composition — English 101, English 201, English 410 *
*There is considerable variation among Veterinary schools regarding specific course requirements. Some programs require one semester each of Anatomy and Physiology (Bio 221 & Bio 315, respectively), some require statistics (MA 217 or Psy 201). To see prerequisite courses for individual schools, visit AAVMC. The Purdue Veterinary School prerequisites can be found at Purdue DVM Admission Site.
There is a centralized application service for veterinary school programs, VMCAS. All veterinary school programs accept the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) as the standardized test required for entrance and a few schools will also accept the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
Typically, a student needs a minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale to be a competitive candidate for veterinary school.
For more information on a career in veterinary medicine, contact Jill Rogers, pre-health professions advisor.