Pre-Professional Veterinary Medicine

Biology
Life Sciences 1, 2, 3, 4. One year of coursework with lab.
Notes: LS 1-4 will prepare you for the Biology section of the VCAT. If you took LS 2 and 3 before Fall 98, then take two additional life science lab courses (in departments such as EEB (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), MCD Bio, neuroscience, psychobiology, or physiological science). Many schools recommend extra upper division life science courses in addition to this basic requirement.

Chemistry
Life science or non-science majors: Chemistry 14A, 14B/BL, 14C/CL, 14D; plus 153A/L (biochemistry).
Physical, life or non-science majors: Chemistry 20A, 20B/L, 30A/AL, 30B/BL, 30C*; plus 153A/L (biochemistry). *Chem 30CL may not be required for applicants from the life science majors. General and organic chemistry courses are required. Many schools include a separate requirement for or a strong recommendation to take biochemistry. The chemistry coursework will prepare you for the Chemisry section of the VCAT.

Physics
Physics 6A, 6B, 6C or 6AH, 6BH, 6CH or 1A, 1B, 1C, 4AL, 4BL
One year with labs is generally required. Trigonometry-based physics can also satisfy this requirement, but UCLA only offers calculus-based courses and these are required for the various science majors.

Math
Math 3A, 3B, 3C or 31A, 31B, 32A
This is your preparation for calculus-based physics. Several schools require one year of college level math. For other schools, this requirement is strongly recommended, especially as preparation for physics. One year of math can include statistics (see below) and computer programming classes
(PIC 10A, 10B, 10C). These courses will prepare you for the Quantitative Ability section of the VCAT.

Statistics
Statistics 10, M11, M12, 13, Biostatistics or Biomath, Psychology 100A*
One quarter of statistics is required for some schools including UCLA and strongly recommended for others. *Check with individual schools for acceptability of classes offered outside of the Statistics department. These courses will prepare you for the Quantitative Ability section of the VCAT.

English
One year of college level literature and composition. Writing I and Writing II courses, select general education literature courses, and any upper division English literature or English Composition courses will satisfy this requirement. Please see the “English requirement for health professions schools” sheet for a complete list of suggested courses. These courses will prepare you for the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension sections of the VCAT.

Foreign Language
Knowledge and cultural competency in any language other than English is a valuable asset to working in a health care field. If your future plans include working in California or the southwestern states, Spanish is highly valued and somewhat expected. Ask yourself: Can I walk into a hospital room and get a patient history in another language? If the answer is no, then consider taking college level foreign language classes to brush up on your skills.

Other Humanities and Social Science courses are strongly recommended. The non-science GPA is an important component to your overall academic record and liberal arts education. Courses in the following can enhance your communication skills and overall understanding of the world: Anthropology, Communication Studies, Economics, any ethnic studies area (e.g. Women’s Studies, LGBT Studies, Afro-American Studies, Chicana/Chicano Studies, Near Eastern Studies), Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Speech to name a few.

Computer skills are strongly recommended. Many programs have incorporated computers and electronic media into their curriculum. Several programs are strongly recommending that a student owns a computer. Other programs have indicated that they will soon have the purchase of a computer as part of the requirements of their program.

ANIMAL AND VETERINARY EXPERIENCE
Experience in veterinary clinics and in research laboratories is strongly encouraged. Some schools require a minimum of 300 hours of veterinary medical exposure and animal experience by fall of the year you are applying to the school. (UC Davis requires 180 hrs.) Try to become involved with animals and/or working in a veterinary practice. Such involvement could consist of breeding, rearing, feeding, and showing various species of animals including companion animals, livestock, laboratory animals, zoo animals, or wildlife. The importance of working with a veterinarian before applying to veterinary school is vital and all animal experience is helpful and will look favorable on an application. The current trend seems to be that most veterinary colleges favor those applicants with a significant number of hours working in a veterinary setting. For example, currently at UC Davis, those applicants who were admitted into the veterinary or biomedical programs had an average of 2,000 hours working in a veterinary setting.

STANDARDIZED TESTS AND TIMELINES
Most veterinary medical colleges require one or more standardized tests: the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT), or Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Check with your schools of interest to find out which standardized exam is required. Please note that although a few veterinary schools accept the MCAT, most of them want the GRE.

The best time to take the exams is in the spring or summer prior to the year you plan to enter veterinary school. Application materials for any of the exams can be picked up at the Pre-Professional Services Office.

APPLICATION PROCESS
In addition to taking the required exams, you will need to contact each veterinary medical school you want to attend to find out if they participate in VMCAS. The Veterinary Medical Colleges Application Service (VMCAS) is a centralized application service, which provides for the collection, processing, verification and distribution of applicant data to the participating colleges for their use in the applicant selection process. VMCAS applications are available in July at the Pre-Professional Services office. Applications should be returned by late summer of the year prior to entering.

MINIMUM GPA (RECOMMENDED)
Schools vary in terms of the GPA of their entering classes but most schools require GPA's of 2.8 or above. Aside from cumulative GPA, applicants are evaluated on the basis of science GPA, experience and achievements in veterinary and animal related work, research, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, maturity and broad cultural perspective, and motivation and dedication to the veterinary career.

CHOOSING A SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
There are currently 28 veterinary medical schools in the United States, the newest one is part of Western University in Pomona, CA, and four schools are in Canada. Many schools restrict acceptance to residents of their own state. Therefore, applying to an in-state school increases your chances of being accepted. In addition, students typically pay less tuition at in-state schools than at out-of state institutions. This, however, should not limit you to in-state schools, especially considering that the only veterinary school in California is at UC Davis. Be sure to check the Veterinary Medical School Admissions Requirements (VMSAR) catalog, available at the Pre-Professional Services Office, regarding the admissions and residency requirements of out-of-state veterinary schools. Further information may also be obtained on the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges website: www.aavmc.org.

For a list of U.S. schools and colleges of veterinary medicine, send a letter sized self addressed stamped envelope to:

American Veterinary Medical Association
1931 N. Meacham Rd., Suite 100
Schaumburg, IL 60173
www.avma.org

For further information on veterinary education, write to:
Association of American Veterinary Colleges
1101 Vermont Ave. NW, Suite 710
Washington, DC 20005

All programs at schools of veterinary medicine lead to a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.). They require four years of post-baccalaureate work and, following graduation, students must pass the required tests and/or practical examinations of the state in which they wish to practice.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

HOW CAN THE UCLA CAREER CENTER HELP?
The Career Center offers a wide range of workshops to assist you in preparing for graduate and professional school. Workshop topics range from Graduate School Planning to Resume Writing and Mock Interviewing. In addition, a number of special programs and panels related to the healthcare/veterinary field are planned for Career Week to be held in January. A list of workshops and special programs can be found on the Career Center's web site: career.ucla.edu

PERSONAL STATEMENT
For assistance with developing the personal statement, the Career Center Resources Library houses several publications on this topic. In addition, the Career Center will be conducting workshops on Developing a Winning Personal Statement in conjunction with Academics in the Commons. For assistance in developing your personal statement, Composition tutors are able to assist students in the writing process, contact Academics in the Commons (228 Covel Commons) at 310.206.1493. Once your personal statement has been critiqued, you may also want to have a final review by a Career Counselor at the UCLA Career Center. The first step would be to arrange a drop-in counseling appointment. Consult the Career Centers' web site listed above for more information about drop-in counseling hours and personal statement workshops.

HEALTH CARE RELATED INTERNSHIPS
Experiential educational and volunteer programs are an excellent way to expand your knowledge of the health professions beyond the classroom. Participation in health related internships will strengthen your application to professional schools and provide exposure experiences that can be highlighted in the personal statement. A select number of health care internships focusing on research, legislation and public policy are available through the Career Center's internship office on a local, national and international basis. A sampling of internship opportunities include (but are not limited to) the National Institute of Health, the Surgeon General's Office, Cedar Sinai, AIDS Action, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services and the American Heart Association. Visit the Career Center's Internship and Study Abroad Services Office for a resource sheet handout providing an overview of health related internships. Please visit career.ucla.edu for more information.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Most veterinary schools require three to four letters of recommendation, with a minimum of two from science professors and one from a person for whom you have worked, such as a veterinarian. The Career Center offers UCLA students and alumni a service which stores and sends letters of recommendation to graduate schools. To open a PPS letter file, visit career.ucla.edu. All letters should be forwarded directly to the career center by the author, as these are confidential documents.

VETERINARY RELATED BOOKS (Available in the UCLA Career Center Resource Lab)

VETERINARY RELATED WEB SITES

FDA site: Center for Veterinary Medicine www.fda.gov/cvm/default.htm

CAREER INFORMATION