PRE-VETERINARY ADVISEMENT WORKSHEET

							                    PRE-VETERINARY ADVISEMENT WORKSHEET
                                             2009-2010


University of Central Oklahoma
Prepared by: Dr. Anne L. Ewing
Assistant Professor/Health Professions Advisor
Department of Biology
200C Howell Hall
(405) 974-5733
aewing2@uco.edu
http://www.biology.uco.edu/PersonalPages/AEwingWeb/index.html




                   VETERINARY MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Academic requirements for admission to veterinary medical schools vary. To be eligible for most U.S. programs,
you are advised to complete the following:


                2 semesters of English composition       1 semester of English elective
                2 semesters of biology, including        2 semesters of inorganic chemistry w/lab
                  zoology w/lab                          2 semesters of organic chemistry w/lab
                1 semester of animal nutrition           1 semester of biochemistry w/lab
                1 semester of microbiology w/lab         2 semesters of physics w/lab
                1 semester of college algebra or         1 semester of genetics
                     higher math

Additional requirements do exist, and they must be met or the applicant will not be considered. (Beware: CLEP
and/or AP hours are not always acceptable). Contact individual veterinary college admissions offices for specific
information.

For example, academic requirements for admission to the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary
Medicine include certain coursework, a minimum grade point average of 2.8 in at least 64 semester hours, and a
competitive score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and the Biology Subject Test of the GRE. The course
requirements may be met by earning a C or better in the following courses at UCO:

   Inorganic Chemistry                 General Biology                      Social Sciences and Humanities (6 hrs)
    CHEM 1103 + 1112                    BIO 1204                             2 semesters of any combination
    CHEM 1223 + 1232                    BIO 1404
                                        BIO 2314                            English
   Organic Chemistry                    BIO 3304                             ENG 1113
    CHEM 3303 + 3312                                                         ENG 1213
    CHEM 3323 + 3332                   Physics                               ENG ---3
                                        PHY 1114
   Biochemistry                         PHY 1214                            Optional areas that may strengthen
    CHEM 3403                                                               preparation for professional curriculum:
                                       Animal Nutrition                     statistics, microscopic and gross
   Mathematics                          ANSI 3543 (by OSU Correspondence)   anatomy, and physiology.
    MATH 1513 or higher

Note: All prerequisite courses must have been completed within 8 years of application.


Students planning to apply to veterinary medical schools other than OSU need to check the specific admission
requirements of those schools by consulting their preveterinary advisor.
                                                         PRE-VETERINARY MEDICINE

CREDIT HOURS AND GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA):                                    SELECTION OF MAJOR: It should be emphasized that “pre-
All applicants to the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine must                  veterinary” is not a major. It simply means that the student is
present a minimum of 64 semester credit hours from an accredited               meeting requirements for admission to veterinary medical school.
college or university. Applicants with only this minimum;                      Thus, in addition to satisfying these requirements, the student
however, are not encouraged to apply unless they have                          should be working toward a baccalaureate degree in some area.
demonstrated exceptional personal and intellectual maturity. If a              There is no recommended major for preveterinary medical
student has completed 109 hours, the possibility exists that UCO               students. The College of Veterinary Medicine encourages a broad
will grant a bachelor’s degree in Biology after successful                     general curriculum in the social sciences and humanities in
completion of the first year in vet school. This is an option                  addition to a high level of competence in the physical and
requiring careful supervision by the preveterinary adviser. More               biological sciences. Good communication skills are also
than half of the students in recent classes have had bachelor’s                important. Beyond this, the best advice for students is to select a
degrees.                                                                       major in an area that will offer stimulating challenges and provide
                                                                               a viable alternative to veterinary medicine if they are not admitted
In addition to the minimum hours, applicants must present a                    to the College
minimum grade point average of 2.8 (A=4.0) with a minimum
grade of “C” in each required course. For a recently entering                  QUALITY OF CURRICULUM: Preveterinary medical
OSU class, the average GPA was 3.48 overall.                                   students should choose a curriculum that demonstrates a capacity
                                                                               to handle the rigors of veterinary medical school. If they choose
GRADUATE RECORD EXAM (GRE): All applicants to                                  the easiest curriculum they can manage, it will be obvious to the
veterinary medical school must take the Graduate Record Exam.                  Admissions Committee that they have been protecting their GPA.
Students should take the test during the fall semester of the year             It will certainly deprive them of the level of preparation they need
they apply. The Biology subject test given by GRE is also                      for professional school.
required. The test must be completed no later than the November
or December test dates offered. For information about the test                 VETERINARY EXPERIENCE: In order to test the depth of
and for registration,                                                          their commitment, preveterinary medical students are advised to
http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.fab2360b1645a1de9b                 get direct exposure to the world of veterinary medicine. Many
3a0779f1751509/?vgnextoid=b195e3b5f64f4010VgnVCM10000                          veterinarians will allow students to shadow in their clinics, and
022f95190RCRD For a recently entering OSU class, the                           talk with them about career choices. Three letters of
average scores were 483-verbal, 613-quantitative, and 565-                     recommendation will be required in the application process, and
biology.                                                                       one of them must be from a veterinarian.

RESIDENCY STATUS: In addition to specific courses, grade
point average, and GRE scores, a factor considered in the
selection of students is their residency status. Because the
College is state-supported, applicants must recognize that priority
will be given to state residents.

ADVISEMENT AT UCO: Advisement for students planning to enter
the health professions is coordinated by Dr. Anne Ewing in the Biology
Department. Graduation checks and curriculum planning are
coordinated by Ms. Brenda Brent; NUC 1211. Since the preveterinary
advisor will assist in the application process, wise students will visit Dr.
Ewing regularly enough to be known by her personally and benefit from
her knowledge of the application process. However, it is essential that
premedical students hold themselves responsible for knowing the
requirements and deadlines.



   For more information about Veterinarians and Veterinary Medical programs: http://www.aavmc.org/

   For information from Oklahoma State University contact: Dr. Katrina Meinkoth, OSU College of Veterinary Medicine,
   110 McElroy Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078. 405-744-6985.
   OSU Veterinary Medical Site: http://www.cvhs.okstate.edu/
   To apply to vet schools: http://www.aavmc.org/vmcas/vmcas.htm




                                                                                                                                    Revised 07-09