Veterinary Medical School Preparation at UC Davis

Most pre-vet students are interested in applying to the veterinary school at UC Davis. However, each year an increasing number of students apply out of state, and many will be especially interested in the new, private vet school in southern California ( Western University of the Health Sciences in Pomona). Required course work varies from school to school and, consequently, you should be certain that you are meeting the requirements for each individual school where you wish to apply.

Health Sciences Advising (160 South Silo) has several informational handouts to help you with this. Other good resources for information on vet school admission requirements and pre-requisite coursework include the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and Net Vet Veterinary Resources on the web. This information is also published in the Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements in the United States and Canada text, which you can view in the Health Sciences Advising Office or purchase at the UC Davis Bookstore. If you plan to apply to out-of-state schools, make certain that you are preparing yourself appropriately in all areas. Individual school requirements can be found in the resources listed above or by contacting the instituion. The academic requirements for the two California schools are as follows:

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

Applicants must have completed at least 108 quarter units (72 semester units) at an accredited college or university before entering UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. More difficult versions of these courses and courses completed at other colleges/universities (check ASSIST for articulation with California schools) are also acceptable.

• General Chemistry - 1 year w/lab (CHE 2ABC)
• Organic Chemistry - 2 quarter sequence (CHE 8AB or 118ABC but not 118AB only)
• Biochemistry - one course (ABI 102 preferred; BIS 103 acceptable)
• Physics - 2 quarters (PHY 1AB or 7AB)
• Biological Sciences - 3 quarters intro bio (BIS 2ABC)
• Genetics - 1 course (BIS 101)
• Physiology - 1 course (NPB 101)
• English - 12 units to include 1 course in composition (UWP) or English AP plus 2 courses
  composition/ rhetoric/ speech/ literature (but not English 57 or ESL)
• Humanities and/or Social Sciences - 12 units
• Elementary Statistics - 1 course (STA 13, 100 or ASE 120)

Western University of the Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine (WU)

The requirements for (WU) school may change; be sure to join the prehealth-events Listserv and/or visit the WU Web site for updates.

• Organic Chemistry - 1 course w/lab (CHE 8B, or 118A)
• Biochemistry - 1 course (ABI 102 or ABI 103 or BIS 102 or BIS 103)
• Physics 1 year sequence (PHY 7ABC or 9ABC but not 1AB)
• Biological Sciences - 3 courses including two advanced courses and one lab course (choose
  from courses in biology, zoology, physiology, anatomy, cell bio, botany, embryology, mammalogy, animal science, reproduction, or ecology)
• Microbiology - 1 course (MIC 102 preferred; MIC 10 acceptable)
• Nutrition - 1 course (NUT 10 or NUT 101 or other with approval from WU)
• Genetics - 1 course (BIS 101)
• Statistics - 1 course (STA 100 or other course designed for the sciences)
• English Composition - 1 course ( ENL 3 or UWP 1 or 101 or 102 or other with WU approval)
• Technical Writing - 1 course in addition to composition (UWP 19 or 102A or 102B or 104E or other with WU approval)
• Public Speaking - 1 course (CMN 1)
• Humanities and/or Social Sciences - 3 courses (including at least 1 in psychology or sociology)
• Macroeconomics - 1 course (ECN 1B or other course with global cultural/financial perspective with WU approval)

Note: The requirements of each school may differ; check individual school's Web site or catalog for specific requirements.

Major

There is no inherent advantage in the choice of one particular major over another. Any major is acceptable as long as the required pre-veterinary courses (science and non-science) have been completed and your science grades are strong.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

This is the only standardized examination required for entrance to all but one US veterinary school, including UC Davis and Western U. (Note: different schools have different testing requirements and may accept other exams.) Only the General Test is required. It involves seven 30-minute tests (3.5 hours of testing), and can be taken at a computer testing center at any time throughout the year. A small number of schools require the GRE biology subject test in addition to the General Test. Check individual schools' websites to view their GRE requirements. There is no longer a paper version of the GRE General Test.

More GRE Information can be found on the GRE Web site. For the UC Davis Vet School, the GRE must be taken no later than September 30th of the year you apply to veterinary school. A few schools require that the GRE be completed sooner. If you feel that your GRE scores do not reflect your true ability, you may take the exam again. Only the best score for each section will be considered by the admissions committee at UC Davis when reviewing your application. This policy, however, varies from school to school. WU will accept either the GRE or the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test).

Experience

One hundred and eighty (180) hours of veterinary, animal and health-related experience is the required minimum amount to apply to UC Davis; however, most successful applicants have more than this amount (3,000+ hours on average). Western U requires at least 500 hours of hands-on experience. Other schools have varied requirements. Diverse work experience will aid you in deciding which veterinary track to pursue and will strengthen your vet school application as well. Start your preparation as early as possible.

Application Format

UC Davis and WU now use the Veterinary Medical Colleges Application Service (VMCAS). This is the centralized application process for applications for most of the U.S. veterinary medical colleges. VMCAS organizes the distribution, collection and processing for applications but is not involved with setting application, admissions, or deadline requirement, or with making admission decisions; questions concerning these matters should be directed separately to each school of veterinary medicine. Applicants to WU may apply through VMCAS or directly to the university. You are encouraged to speak with an HSA pre-vet advisor if you have questions.

You must also request that the Educational Testing Service mail copies of your GRE scores to VMCAS (UC Davis institutional code = 4975). This can be done when registering to take the examination.

Official transcripts must be submitted to each school at the time of application.

Transcripts can be ordered in the basement of Mrak Hall.

Application Process

A student applying to veterinary school has the option of doing so after two years of college have been completed and the minimum requirements (see above) have been met, but most successful applicants complete a bachelor's degree prior to matriculation into vet school. The Veterinary Medical Colleges Application Service (VMCAS) is now available only online. Applications need to be submitted one year prior to the year of matriculation with an October 1st deadline for most schools. Applications usually become available on the Web site in June. Contact any non-VMCAS schools you would like to apply to directly to request an application. Although UC Davis requires only the VMCAS application, Western U and many other schools require a supplemental application. Supplemental applications generally consist of several short essays, and are available on the individual schools' websites. Supplementals usually have the same deadline as the VMCAS application.

Be sure to attend the HSA Vet School Application Workshop during the Spring Quarter before you apply for tips on how to complete the best application possible. This workshop will be announced on the HSA prehealth-events Listserv (along with other programs of interest to pre-vet students) and will be posted on the Advising Services Web site calendar.

Personal interviews for admission are usually part of the admissions process; be sure to attend the HSA Vet School Interview Workshop offered each Winter Quarter.

Criteria for Selection

Applicants to the vet school at UC Davis are evaluated based on the following factors:

• Academic Factors (~ 50-60%) including GRE scores and 3 separate GPA's:
  • Overall undergraduate/graduate GPA
  • Last 45 semester units GPA (UG/Grad)
  • Required science courses GPA
• Non-Academic Factors (~40-50%)
  
  • Narrative (personal statement) and experience
  • Letters of Evaluation
  • Interview

At each stage of the application process, HSA advisors are available to assist you through the use of the Web, printed materials, workshops and individual advising. They will review your personal statement and answer questions about your application and resume. For tips on writing an effective personal statement, go to the webpage on Writing a Personal Statement Application to a Health Profession School. You can also join our facebook group to gain more information about our services.

Call our office at (530) 752-4475. to schedule an appointment. We’re here to help!