Preparation for Veterinary Medicine

Colleges of veterinary medicine require four years of pre-veterinary preparation for admission. Students should obtain information as early as possible about the requirements of the school where they plan to apply. A list of accredited colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States can be obtained from the American Veterinary Medical Association, 1931 N. Meacham Rd., Schaumberg, IL 60173 (http://www.avma.org/).

The following are recommended by most veterinary schools:

• Biochemistry with lab (one semester)
• Biology (full year)
• Calculus
• English composition
• General chemistry with labs (full year)
• Genetics (one semester)
• Microbiology (one semester)
• Organic chemistry with labs (full year)
• Physics (full year)

The pre-veterinary medical student is urged to confer frequently with an advisor, particularly with respect to planning their prerequisite courses for meeting the admission requirements of the preferred veterinary school. Note: Veterinary school prerequisite courses vary, and the student is responsible for checking admissions requirements for the schools of their choice. Most veterinary schools require the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), which means students should also be meeting with an advisor to discuss preparation.

In addition to completing the group requirements for the degree sought, a student should plan to take the required courses to complete a major and a minor.