Veterinary Medicine at John Carroll University

The veterinarian holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree (D.V.M.) and is licensed by each state to treat diseases, perform surgery and promote health care of animals. Truly a career of choices in today’s professional world, veterinary medicine can be practiced almost anywhere with a wide range of patients in a variety of employment arrangements.

There are 27 schools of veterinary medicine in the U.S. Most of the schools are state supported schools and give primary attention to applicants who are residents of their state. While the minimal and mean Grade Point Averages (GPA) for acceptance differ among schools, generally a GPA above 3.00 is necessary for an applicant to be competitive in the admissions process. Many schools have minimum GPA levels ranging from 2.5 to 3.5. Most schools also require that applicants have documented hours of work in a professionally supervised setting with the health and care of a variety of animal types (often 200 hours is required).This work may be paid employment or volunteer work. Only one state has more than one school (Alabama). Ohio State University’s veterinary school is one of the largest with a class size of about 130. All schools require an entrance screening examination of one of the following: the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Schools usually have preference or specific requirements in this area, thus a future applicant to more than one school must plan accordingly as to which test or combination of tests will be taken. Ohio State University prefers the general GRE.

There are some predictions that a current and future surplus of private practitioners will continue to exist on a national level. However, shortages exist in large animal (particularly agricultural animals), laboratory animal, and exotic (zoo and wild species) animal physicians. In addition global shortages exist for veterinarians in public health.

Specific undergraduate prerequisites vary by school but all schools require the following at the undergraduate level:

– two semesters of Gen./Intro. Biology (for majors) with labs

– two semesters of Gen./Inorg. Chemistry (for majors) with labs

– two semesters of Organic Chemistry with labs

– two semesters of Physics with labs

– one semester of Biochemistry (23 schools)

– one semester of Genetics (18 schools)

– one semester of Microbiology (10 schools)

A good resource to review is: J. D. Crawford, The Preveterinary Planning Guide, 3rd ed., 1995, Rockville, Md: Betz Pub. Co. This informative work can be found in most commerical bookstores.

For further information or question please contact, Dr. Gwendolyn Kinebrew, Chair of Pre-Health Professions Studies, 216-397-1971 (e-mail: gkinebrew@jcu.edu)or Miss Nichole Carter, Department Assistant, Pre-Health Professions Studies 216-397-4251 (e-mail: ncarter@jcu.edu).