Veterinary Medicine
Preprofessional Studies
For the love of animals.
If you’re passionate about helping and protecting animals, a career in veterinary medicine could be the path for you. As a preveterinary medicine student, you’ll be focusing on foundational courses and skills that will eventually assist in your work to provide care for people’s pets, monitor the health of zoo inhabitants, participate in research, or manage agricultural animals.
The details
What you need to know.
A career as a practicing veterinarian requires a
four-year doctor of veterinary medicine degree from an accredited institution. The American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education bestows the highest accreditation a veterinarian program can earn.
Workplace Environment
- Private veterinarian office
- Pet hospital
- Wildlife conservation
- Marine biology
- Agricultural animal care
- Public health
- Medical research
In addition, there are a variety of specialties in the field of veterinary medicine that can be pursued with additional education.
Being a preveterinary medicine student does not refer to your chosen undergraduate major. Rather, it indicates that, regardless of your major, you are preparing now to be ready to apply to a professional veterinary program in the future, possibly the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine in West Lafayette. Purdue’s veterinary program is ranked as one of the premier veterinary programs in the United States. While planning your preprofessional journey, it’s important to know the following:
- No specific undergraduate major required
- Prerequisite courses required
- Meet with the preprofessional advisor as early as possible
Note: Once you have finalized your major and academic plan, a discipline-specific faculty member may be also assigned as a predental mentor and guide.
A career as a practicing veterinarian requires a
four-year doctor of veterinary medicine degree from an accredited institution. The American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education bestows the highest accreditation a veterinarian program can earn.
Workplace Environment
- Private veterinarian office
- Pet hospital
- Wildlife conservation
- Marine biology
- Agricultural animal care
- Public health
- Medical research
In addition, there are a variety of specialties in the field of veterinary medicine that can be pursued with additional education.
Being a preveterinary medicine student does not refer to your chosen undergraduate major. Rather, it indicates that, regardless of your major, you are preparing now to be ready to apply to a professional veterinary program in the future, possibly the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine in West Lafayette. Purdue’s veterinary program is ranked as one of the premier veterinary programs in the United States. While planning your preprofessional journey, it’s important to know the following:
- No specific undergraduate major required
- Prerequisite courses required
- Meet with the preprofessional advisor as early as possible
Note: Once you have finalized your major and academic plan, a discipline-specific faculty member may be also assigned as a predental mentor and guide.
Requirements and Recommendations
What to expect from your preprofessional studies.
The following list includes some of the most common prerequisites for professional veterinary programs—and those included in the doctor of veterinary medicine program through Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine:
- Biology with lab (at least two semesters)
- Chemistry with lab (at least two semesters)
- Organic chemistry with lab (at least two semesters)
- Physics with lab (at least two semesters)
- Biochemistry
- Microbiology with lab
- Genetics
- Humanities (three semesters)
- Statistics
- Communication
- Composition
Hands-on experience and nonacademic activities play a large role in successful admission to a veterinary college or program. Spending time with animals and developing skills in handling different animals is important. You can do this by volunteering at a pet hospital, helping out at a farm, or job-shadowing a veterinarian. In addition, since many veterinarians rely on their ability to communicate, problem-solve, and lead, getting involved with student government or taking leadership positions in student organizations can also benefit preveterinary students.
Appling to graduate or professional school
Prepare for the next step.
The Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) is a one-stop, central application process for most colleges of veterinary medicine that can be found through the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). To apply to veterinary medical school, you should do the following:
- Craft a personal essay
- Obtain letters of recommendation
- Submit required material through VMCAS along with the online application
Note: Since some application requirements will differ between colleges and programs, it is your responsibility to be sure that you submit everything requested by each school.
Contact Us
Have questions?
Contact Marcy Ball, preprofessional advisor for health programs at [email protected] or 260-481-5735.