Program Requirements

Veterinarians diagnose and treat disease in animals.  Most pre-veterinary students pursue an undergraduate degree in biology.  Students are not restricted to this degree, however, so long as they complete the required pre-veterinary coursework.  Following their undergraduate education, students train for four years in veterinary school.  Veterinary school training is then often followed by one or more years of internships and residency training.

REQUIRED COURSES FOR ADMISSION BY MOST VETERINARY SCHOOLS
Course Name Credits MSJ Course(s) Pre-requisites
General Chemistry I & II 8 CHE 111 & 111A
CHE 112 & 112A		 Math placement 4 or higher
Principles of Biology I & II 8 BIO 111 & 111A
BIO 112 & 112A		  
Organic Chemistry I & II 8 CHE 211 & 211A
CHE 212 & 212A		 CHE 112
Biochemistry & Biochem: Nucleic Acid Struct 8 CHE 325 & 325A
CHE 326 & 326A		 CHE 212
Genetics 4 BIO 320, 320A BIO 111, CHE 112, CHE 211
Microbiology 4 BIO 305 & 305A BIO 112 & CHE 112
Pre Calculus 3 MTH 185 MTH 099
General Physics I & II 8 PHY 201 & 201A
PHY 202 & 202A		 MTH 185
Our Social World 3 SOC 103  
Introduction to Psychology 3 PSY 103  
Statistics I 3 MTH 174 MTH 098
Written Word 3 ENG 101  
Additional Humanities and Social Sciences 15 Several courses fulfill this requirement.  
Recommended COURSES
Course Name Credits MSJ Course(s) Pre-requisites
Anatomy & Physiology I & II 8 BIO 201 & 201A
BIO 202 & 202A		 BIO 111 & CHE 112
Cell Biology 4 BIO 310 & 310A BIO 111, CHE 112

The courses that are listed on the previous page are commonly required or recommended by graduate schools.  In addition to the specific courses that are listed above, students are expected to take core courses in the humanities, social sciences, and mathematics.  Students who are interested in a particular school should refer to that school’s website for specific requirements.

HPAC Advisor:  Eric Johnson, PhD
Office:  SC 108C, 513-244-4308
Email:  eric_johnson@mail.msj.edu

Admission Requirements

Veterinary School Admission Requirements

Most students who are admitted to veterinary school participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities, including volunteer work and biomedical research.  The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine also requires a letter of recommendation from a veterinarian.  Students apply to veterinary school through the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS).  The application process opens to students in early June of each year.  Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible.  Most veterinary schools also require a secondary application that follows the initial VMCAS submission.  Additional information is available at http://www.aavmc.org/Students-Applicants-and-Advisors/Veterinary-Medical-College-Application-Service.aspx. 

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

The standardized test requirements vary among veterinary schools.  Most veterinary schools require students to take either the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and/or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). 

The MCAT is currently undergoing a significant revision that will be implemented in 2015. The revised test will be a six-hour computerized exam. It will include four multiple-choice sections (Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems; Chemical and Physical Foundations of Living Systems; Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior; and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills). These sections will be scored individually on a scale from 1 to 15. The MCAT is offered several times from January through September. Students should take the exam 12-18 months before the expected date of entry to veterinary school. Additional information is available at https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/.

The GRE  is a four-hour computerized exam that includes two multiple-choice sections (Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning) and an Analytical Writing Section. The reasoning sections are scored individually on a scale from 130 to 170 in one point increments and the writing section is scored on a scale from 0 to 6 in 0.5 point increments.  The GRE is offered year-round but you must wait 60 days to retake the exam. Students should take the exam 12-18 months before the expected date of entry to the professional program. Each school has its own minimum requirements.  Additional information and free test preparation materials are available at http://www.ets.org/gre.

Tri-state Schools

These summaries and course listings are intended to serve as guidelines. Please refer to the College Catalog at http://www.msj.edu/catalogs for the latest information on course listings.                                             
College of Mount St. Joseph, September, 2012