School of Veterinary Medicine School of Veterinary Medicine The mission of the School of Veterinary Medicine is to provide the best possible health care for animals through teaching, research and public service. Students are offered a rigorous four-year program of study that prepares them for diverse career opportunities in veterinary medicine. Preparing for the Study of Veterinary MedicineTo be considered for admission to the School, you must have completed 108 quarter units (72 semester units) in an accredited college or university and have completed the following courses:
To convert semester units to quarter units, multiply by 3/2. For example, a four-unit semester course is equivalent to a six-unit course in the quarter system. You should plan your pre-veterinary medical education carefully. An undergraduate major should be selected on the basis of individual interest and aptitude; there is no advantage gained toward admission by selecting one major over another. If you have definite areas of interest within the general field of veterinary medicine, you are encouraged to take courses (for example, computer science, agricultural economics, molecular and biochemical genetics) that will broaden your background in these areas. Some specialized areas include laboratory animal medicine, exotic animal medicine, public health, food animal practice and biomedical research. Examinations. You must take the General Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) no later than October 1st of the year you apply for admission. Applications for the exams and additional information may be obtained from the Educational Testing Service at http://www.GRE.org. Grade Point Average. To be considered for admission, you must have a minimum grade point average of 2.500 for both the required sciences and the cumulative grade point average. Applicants who do not meet the minimum grade point average can qualify for admission by receiving GRE scores in the upper 30th percentile for the combined General Aptitude Test scores. Applicants who do not have transcripts with letter grading can qualify for consideration with these same scores or by receiving a bachelor’s degree with honors. Practical Experience. Admission to the School requires extensive experience with animals. This experience must entail more than having family pets and should include experience with several animal species if that experience includes activities that give you an appreciation and understanding of the veterinary profession. The minimum requirement for animal, veterinary and biomedical science experience is 180 hours (4.5 weeks). This experience must also include working with veterinarians, to give you an understanding of the duties and responsibilities of a practitioner and the breadth of veterinary medicine. Applying for AdmissionOctober 1 is the deadline for filing applications for admission to enter the School of Veterinary Medicine the following fall quarter. Students are admitted to the School of Veterinary Medicine in the fall only. All applicants must apply through the online Veterinary Medical College Application Service-VMCAS at https://www.vmcas.org. Students interested in admission to the School of Veterinary Medicine should see the School's Guide for Prospective Students at http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/StudentPrograms/StudentGuide_Post.cfm for detailed information on admissions requirements. Applicants with disadvantaged backgrounds (cultural, economic, social, educational, disabled and other factors) are encouraged to apply to the Veterinary Medical Opportunity Program (VMOP). For further information, see http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/StudentPrograms/subpages/vmop_application.pdf. Letters of Evaluation. Three letters of evaluation are required. Letters should be requested from those who know you well, who understand academic and professional demands and have had the opportunity to evaluate your personal qualities and potential as a professional person. The evaluator should be willing to write a thorough, comprehensive letter on your behalf. Interviews. Interviews may be requested, as deemed necessary, by the Dean and Admissions Committee to obtain additional information. The Dean and Admissions Committee may require additional evaluation procedures for selecting candidates for admission. Out-of-State and Foreign Applicants. California residents are given priority for admission to the school. A small number of uniquely qualified applicants who are not California residents may be admitted as nonresidents. The criteria for determining residency are explained in Residence for Tuition Information in the Appendix of this catalog. Specific questions should be addressed to the Residence Deputy, Office of the University Registrar, One Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, CA 95616. No other persons are qualified to give rulings on residency. If you are from a country other than the United States, you must include a certified English version of your college transcript and, if English is your second language, the official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) taken within five years of the date when your application is submitted. SelectionAcademic Factors (50-60%)
Non-Academic Factors (40-50%)
Non-academic factors will be evaluated based on the following criteria: understanding of the veterinary profession and the responsibilities of being a veterinarian; a demonstrated interest in serving the public through the profession of veterinary medicine; and the possession of maturity, motivation and other qualities needed for successful academic and professional workNon-academic factors will be evaluated based on the following criteria: understanding of the veterinary profession and the responsibilities of being a veterinarian; a demonstrated interest in serving the public through the profession of veterinary medicine; and the possession of maturity, motivation and other qualities needed for successful academic and professional work. Program of StudyDoctor of Veterinary Medicine. To receive a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, students must study veterinary medicine for the equivalent of 13 quarters. A minimum grade point average of 2.000 (C), computed on all courses taken while in the School, is required and students must satisfactorily complete all required work as determined by the faculty of the School. Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine. Applicants for candidacy to the Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine (M.P.V.M.) degree program must have completed the Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine or the equivalent; final admission decisions rest with the M.P.V.M. Admissions Committee. Application deadline for August admission is March 31. International applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible. The M.P.V.M. degree normally takes one year to complete; however, some students may require as much as two years to finish the program. Students who intend to complete the program in one calendar year must begin the program in August. Candidates for the M.P.V.M. degree must satisfactorily complete a total of 40 units of course work while in residence. This includes 28 units of required courses in epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methodology and a minimum of 12 units of approved elective courses in areas such as epidemiology, biostatistics, herd health management, animal health economics, simulation modeling, veterinary medical data management, zoonoses and veterinary public health. Students must also complete a research study which culminates in a written report and oral presentation. A committee consisting of three faculty members reviews each paper for acceptability and assigns an appropriate grade. Application forms and information about the program are available from the Director, M.P.V.M. Program, Office of the Dean, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis CA 95616; or see http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/mpvm/mpvm.htm. A combined D.V.M./Ph.D. program is offered. Information regarding the Veterinary Scientist Training Program (VSTP) is available at http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/VSTP. Information on additional combined degree programs can be found on the Graduate Studies Web site at http://www.gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/programs/. Combined Degree Programs. Students may enroll in combined degree programs. General information regarding these degrees can be found in the Announcement of Graduate Studies, available from Graduate Studies, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis CA 95616. For more detailed information, write to the chairperson of the department in which you want to study and the School of Veterinary Medicine. Academic Calendar 2008–2009*
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Updated: July 10, 2008 3:12 PM