Preveterinary Medicine

Advisor: Steven Cooper, Ph.D.

Preveterinary medicine is a preprofessional program that serves as a guide for students with an interest in graduate work in veterinary medicine. It is not an academic degree. Most students enter veterinary medical school after completing a baccalaureate degree. Students may choose to major in any field of study, and early entrance into veterinary medical school is possible for some students. 

Admission into veterinary medical colleges is quite competitive, so it is essential to work closely with the preveterinary medicine advisor to ensure that the student has a strong and competitive application and that all course requirements are completed prior to submission.

Each veterinary medical school has slightly different admission standards and requirements, but there are some core expectations. It is the responsibility of the preveterinary medical student to become aware of any additional requirements and to work with their advisor to customize the needed preveterinary medical curriculum accordingly. The preveterinary concentration below represents the core expectations for admission to most veterinary medical colleges.

Students can compare the admission requirements of any veterinary medical college (VMSAR: https://www.aavmc.org/publications/vmsar.aspx) to the curriculum offered at Harding University.

Most veterinary medical colleges require one or more standardized tests during the application process during the spring of the junior year. For more information, contact the testing agencies listed below.

1. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (www.gre.org)
2. Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) (www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat)

General recommendations* for Harding University undergraduates in the preveterinary medicine program include:

1. Enroll in a science-based curriculum that includes the required and the suggested courses in biology, chemistry, physics and math. 
2. Maintain a high GPA during your undergraduate education.
3. Get a wide range of experience and exposure to veterinary medicine. This experience should include shadowing with veterinarians, scientists, working on a farm, and volunteering at animal shelters. The prepared student should have 500-1000 hours of experience.
4. Join a preveterinary student or animal science club.

*Information included above is adapted from the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) guidelines.