General Information for Pre-Veterinary Students

I. MAJOR
Requirements for admission to veterinary school can be met through almost any major; however, the majority of students choose majors in the School of Agriculture or the School of Science since these curricula contain many of the courses required for admission to a school of veterinary medicine. Admission is competitive and students are encouraged to select a major that would be of interest to them if they were not admitted to a school of veterinary medicine. Students who experience difficulty selecting a major should consult with an academic advisor. Advisors for majors in Biological Sciences are available in Math 231 and Lilly 1-123.

II. REQUIRED COURSES
Undergraduate courses required by schools of veterinary medicine will vary from school to school. Most schools of veterinary medicine require courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Calculus. The course requirements listed below are for the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. Students who wish to prepare for veterinary study in another state are urged to contact the school directly to inquire about required courses. Students may also consult Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements, available in the Biology Counseling Office (Lilly Hall of Life Sciences, Room 1-123).

Requirements and Purdue equivalents are listed below.

Requirements	Semesters	Purdue Equivalents
General Chemistry (with lab)	2	CHM 115 and 116 or 111, 112 and 116
Organic Chemistry (with lab)	2	CHM 255/255L, and 256/256L or CHM 257, 257L and 224*
Biochemistry	1	BCHM 307 or BCHM 561 and 562 or CHM 333
Biology (with lab)	3 3	BIOL 110/111 and 231/232 or BIOL 121, 131, 136, 137, 138, 139, and 231/232
Genetics (with lab)	1	BIOL 241/242 or AGRY 320/320L
Microbiology (with lab)	1	BIOL 438/439 or BIOL 221/221L
Animal Nutrition	1	ANSC 221
Physics (with lab)	2	PHYS 220 and 221
Calculus	1-2	MA 223 and 224 or MA 161 and 162 or MA 165 and 166
Statistics	1	STAT 301 or 503
English Composition	2	ENGL 101/102 or ENGL 103 or 106 or 108
Communications	1	COM 114 or 212 or 224
Careers in Vet Medicine	1	VM 102
Humanities Electives	3	(Humanities electives include the areas of language, cognitive sciences, and social sciences. Other courses that are highly recommended include the biochemistry laboratory (BCHM 309), basic and comparative nutrition, computer sciences, business writing, macroeconomics, and animal sciences.)

*Seventeen of the 27 Veterinary Medical Schools in the United States require six or more credit hours of organic chemistry. Quantitative analysis (CHM 224) does not substitute for organic chemistry at most Veterinary Medical Schools.

III. SELECTION VARIABLES
The factors deemed most important in the selection of veterinary medical students will vary among schools. An applicant who wishes to assess his or her acceptability at a particular veterinary medical school should contact the school in question. Some of the selection variables applied by veterinary school admissions committees are listed below.

Overall Grade Point Average
Required Courses Grade Point Average
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Work experience and extra-curricular activities
General animal experience
Veterinary experience
Application and essay quality
Letters of reference

IV. STANDARDIZED TESTS
Most schools of veterinary medicine require that a standardized admission test score be submitted with each application. Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine requires applicants to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and submit test scores by December 1. The GRE is offered on computer and score reports are available 10-15 days after the test is completed. The local GRE test site is the Prometric Testing Center (447-0626). Other test sites are listed in the GRE Information and Registration Bulletin and on the website at http://www.gre.org.

Other tests that may be required are the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) or the Veterinary College Admissions Test (VCAT).

APPLICATION PROCESS
There are 27 schools of veterinary medicine in the United States. Twenty-four of these schools require students to apply through the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). VMCAS applications are available online at http://aavmc.org.

Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine requires students to submit the VMCAS application by October 1. Students should call the Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine in the summer before they wish to verify the current application deadline. Three letters of recommendation are required: one from an employer, one from an academic advisor, and one from a veterinarian.

For a copy of the Purdue University Veterinary "Admissions Process Timeline", please consult this website, click on Application Process Summary. http://www.vet.purdue.edu/admissions/college.html.

Amy Terstriep
Health Professions Advisor
Purdue University
1-112 Lilly Hall of Life Sciences
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054
(765) 494-4747

If you have specific questions about Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine contact:

Denise Ottinger
Professional Assistant
School of Veterinary Medicine
Lynn Hall
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN 47907
(765) 494-7893