Veterinary (DVM)
The majority of students who enter a college of veterinary medicine have a bachelor’s degree and some have completed graduate study. Check the specific veterinary admissions requirements for your schools of interest. For information about general admissions and entrance exam requirements, visit the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC).
What does a D.V.M. do?
- Diagnose and control animal diseases
- Prevent the transmission of animal diseases to people
- Ensure a safe food supply by maintaining the health of food animals
- Involved in wildlife preservation and conservation and public health of the human population
In addition to the many geographic choices available to the veterinary physician (D.V.M.’s are licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico), there are a variety of settings or types of practices, such as: private practice; teaching and research; public health; U.S. Army Veterinary Corps; and private industry.
Application Timeline (begins the winter prior to the cycle you plan to apply)
January – April
- Submit Health Professions Applicant Preparation Materials
- Schedule an hour-long appointment with an HPAP advisor
- January 2024: VMCAS 2021 Application Launches
- Plan and sit for GRE exam (if not already taken)
- Request Letters of Evaluation/Recommendation
- Letters will be sent to the veterinary schools through the VMCAS application service
- Begin drafting your personal statement
- Submit a final draft for review (through July)
- Create a school list
- Submit Dean’s Disciplinary Form to HPAP if you have any disciplinary history
- Information about Situational Judgement Tests
- Take Acuity Insights Assessments for select programs (note: if applying to both US and Canadian schools there will be two different assessments)
- PrepMatch offers practice resources for CASPer
May/June
- Request transcripts be sent to application services
- It takes up to four weeks for transcript verification and this process must be completed/verified before the September deadline
June-August
- Submit copies of completed application to HPAP
- Complete secondary applications
September – December
- September 2024: VMCAS Application Submission Deadline
- Watch “Interviewing for the Health Professions” video
- In preparation, read veterinary journals/articles, and review potential ethical dilemmas that may be asked about during the interview process
- Interview at medical schools
December – April
- Evaluate offers of acceptance and financial aid
- Review Yale Resources for Financial Literacy
- Final decision due by mid-April