Pre-Veterinarian

Freshman year (or immediately upon transfer): reach out to a veterinary advisor, create a game plan for your time at Radford University

Sophomore – Senior years: complete coursework, gain practical experience in veterinary medicine (keep a log of hours, special cases)

Junior – Senior years: pursue student-faculty collaborative experiences for 2 or more consecutive semesters, aiming for tangible outputs (presentations, publications)

Senior year: deadline for veterinary school applications typically in September (please check with each school’s requirements and deadlines).

Required Courses  (For most veterinary schools, a C- or better is required for each course)

Required Courses	Radford University Courses
Biochemistry: 1 semester	BIOL/CHEM 471 (3)
Microbiology: 1 semester	BIOL 334 (4)
Communication/Public Speaking: 1 semester	COMS 114 (3)
Medical Terminology: 1 semester	HLTH 215 (3)
Science Competencies: 24-30 credit hours	Many choices in BIOL, CHEM, PHYS and up to 6 cr MATH (algebra or higher)
Humanities/Social Science Competencies: 16-20 credit hours	Most general education courses, including but not limited to: history, economics, anthropology, psychology, art, sociology, music literature, languages, writing and ethics

Other veterinary colleges have slightly different requirements, so students are strongly advised to research the requirements of each school to which they plan to apply. Our list is not comprehensive. For instance:

• University of Florida requires a microbiology course for science majors; currently, BIOL 334 for health science majors is not accepted, but efforts are in place to alter BIOL 334 to ensure rigor suitable for science majors.  GRE scores are not required.
• North Carolina State requires 2 semesters of organic chemistry plus a course in animal nutrition (which Radford University does not offer but IS offered on-line through other universities) and GRE scores above the 50th percentile.
• Lincoln Memorial University-College of Veterinary Medicine (Tennessee) requires 2 semesters of organic chemistry, one semester of physics, and one semester of anatomy/physiology.
• University of Tennessee-Knoxville requires 2 semesters of organic chemistry, 2 semesters of physics, 4 cr of biochemistry, cell biology, and genetics.

Again, students are strongly advised to research the requirements of each school to which they plan to apply. Our list is not comprehensive.

Suggested Courses

VMRCVM currently no longer lists suggested biology-related courses on its admissions page; instead, it suggests taking more liberal arts courses if the student is a science major, and more science courses if the student is not a science major.

Below are courses that may help students best prepare for classes taken while in veterinary school.

Suggested Courses	Radford University Courses
Cellular Biology	BIOL 230 (4)
Comparative Anatomy and Comparative Physiology	BIOL 350:351; also helpful is BIOL 310:311 (4-8)
Genetics	BIOL 231 (4)
Nutrition	NUTR 214 (3)
Immunology	BIOL 412 (3)

Many vet schools rely not just on courses completed and GPA, but also relevant work and research experiences.

Radford University excels in student-faculty collaborative research experiences. Gaining meaningful experience for 2 or more semesters (regardless of the research topic; it need not be animal-centric) is a suitable goal, though successful students may collaborate for 3 or more semesters, present research at external conferences, and even co-author published work. Please reach out directly to faculty members who are completing research of interest.

Practical experience working in a veterinary clinic is imperative to becoming a competitive applicant. Shadowing or working part-time or full-time at a clinic is encouraged but need not be completed during the typical fall or spring semesters; summer work or shadowing can be established as a student internship (e.g., BIOL 495 or similar) so that the practical experience may also help students work towards degree requirements. Please work with faculty members to facilitate the internship experience. The number of hours are not set by VMRCVM, but competitive applicants typically accumulate between 500-1000 hours by the time they are accepted to veterinary school. Realize that hours like this may require a gap year after graduation, and this is not an unexpected route.

Gaining a wide variety of veterinary experiences is encouraged, and may include small animal clinic medicine, large animal (equine, farm animal) experience, shelter medicine, wildlife rehabilitation efforts, and corporate animal experiences (laboratory animals, etc.).

Please visit the application process section for updated information, but GPA is just one of many features considered in the application process. In the past several years, the average GPA ranged from 3.55 to 3.66 for accepted students.

Some schools still require the GRE (general exam), but the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) currently does not require it.

Because most Radford University students are residents of Virginia, the information presented focuses on admission to the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) located in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Only 32 accredited veterinary medical colleges exist in the United States – many fewer in existence than medical schools. Consequently, competition is quite intense. This college admitted to the Class of 2028: 128 students, 87 Virginia/Maryland/West Virginia residents, and 41 non-residents (2,116 applied). The incoming GPA averaged 3.56. Furthermore, state veterinary colleges are allowed to give priority to in-state residents for the few positions that do exist, leaving only a few spots for outstanding out-of-state applicants. Those students who are not residents of VA/MD/WV are encouraged to speak with admissions counselors at their respective state veterinary institution to understand the specific admissions requirements for that school.

The VMRCM has instituted a competency-based application, looking across a wide variety of skills, courses, and experience to evaluate students. According to their page, this includes: “VMCAS application, academic record, roster of experiences, letters of recommendation, the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine’s resiliency essay, situational judgement test, written and verbal communication with the Admissions Office, and Multiple Mini Interview.” Collectively, students are rated on a competitive scale for ultimate selection for the program. Please visit the vet school’s application website for more details.

The VMRCVM offers two veterinary programs – the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and a graduate degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Biomedical and Veterinary Services. The latter better prepares students for jobs focusing on research of veterinary medicine. Tracks within the program can prepare for future careers in working with a variety of patient groups: small animal, equine, food animal, mixed animal species, and public/corporate veterinary careers  Dual degrees (DVM/PhD) are offered, as well, to exceptional applicants. A Master's in Public Health also is a viable route for those who are interested in animal and human care, but might not meet the rigorous standards for vet school or might simply choose to follow a different career path.

In the U.S., veterinary school lasts for four years with at least one year being dedicated to clinical rotations. Upon completion of veterinary school, graduates must pass a national board examination before being eligible to practice veterinary medicine as a DVM plus a state board exam for the state in which they wish to practice.

Some newly accredited veterinarians choose to pursue post-doctoral residencies in more specific fields before moving into private practice or other permanent jobs. Specialized programs are numerous, and might include: zoo and wildlife medicine, dentistry, chiropractic medicine, endocrinology, oncology, ophthalmology, and neurology. Given the acknowledged shortage of veterinarians working in government positions, these post-doctoral experiences are becoming more appealing to veterinary students in recent years.

In order to practice veterinary medicine, graduates in the DVM program also must pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE). Those who wish to go into private practice must also pass a state board examination for the state in which they plan to practice.

The average salary for new veterinary school graduates varies greatly by location (state, rural vs. urban) and employer (government vs private practice). Those starting their own business made slightly less than average. The type of animal practice also influences salary; those in large animal private practice made markedly less than those in small animal private practices. Further, those working as public or corporate veterinarians (e.g., working for a university or the federal/state government) might expect a higher salary than those in private practice.

One major consideration for vet school is cost. Average student debt upon completion of veterinary school was just over $150,000. The estimate for non-US-based schools (e.g., Caribbean schools) is ca. $230,000 - suggesting that the choice of these non-US options might be financially crippling for years to come.  Additionally, employment at the time of graduation is not guaranteed. So, students are encouraged to truly consider long-term debt issues and future employment options before choosing this challenging route.