• Application process summary
• Required courses and course descriptions (Pre-veterinary minimum course requirements)
• Evaluation criteria
• DVM Plan of Study
• Combined Degree Program (combined DVM / MS or Ph.D. for research/academic careers)
• Transfer Admission Criteria
• Cost of a professional education
• Qualifying for Resident Tuition Status
• Prospective Student Frequently Asked Questions
  

• Veterinary Medical School Admissions Requirements (Assoc. of American Veterinary Medical Colleges)
• Veterinary Medical Colleges Application Service (VMCAS)

Below is a YouTube playlist that contains mutliple videos featuring current DVM students talk about why they chose Purdue Veterinary Medicine.

The Purdue Advantage:

- Educating the entire veterinary team
- Small class size
- One-on-one interaction with faculty
- Hands-on animal learning sessions from day one
- National award winning educators
- Opportunities for international experiences
- Diverse and inclusive environment
- Opportunities for research experiences
- State-of-the-art facilities
- Opportunities for student leadership

• 2012 - 2013 Fact Sheet

Our students benefit from: 

• A well rounded academic background (including college honors courses and study abroad programs)
• Routine and responsible work experience with a variety of animals
• Familiarity with the veterinary profession through direct work experience with veterinarians
• Involvement in extracurricular activities and demonstrated leadership ability both in high school and college
• Development of communication skills both oral and written
• Demonstration of critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Well-established work record through full-time summer employment and/or part-time academic year employment
• Commitment to a life-long learning process

The DVM curriculum consists of four years of courses. Success in these courses is dependent upon a strong knowledge base gained from the pre-veterinary course requirements. The first two years of the curriculum focus on the basic sciences while the third and fourth years focus on clinical sciences. A minimum of 18 credits per semester is required in years 1-3. Additional elective courses may be taken.

Problem-based learning is incorporated throughout the first and second years in the Applications & Integrations courses. Students work in groups of 7-8 under the guidance of a tutor (a faculty or instructional staff member who helps to guide the group through the learning process). Clinical cases are studied with the emphasis on applying basic science information that is being learned concurrently in other courses to understand the pathophysiology and treatment of these cases. These courses foster the development of problem-solving skills, communication skills and teamwork skills.

A series of animal handling courses, Behavior, Husbandry and Diagnostic Techniques I-III, are taught throughout the first and second years, giving students the opportunity to work with live animals from the beginning of veterinary school. Students learn animal handling and husbandry, physical examination techniques, sample collection techniques and a variety of other clinical skills on the major domestic species (e.g. dogs, cats, horses, cows, sheep, pigs). All students gain experience with all the major domestic species.

The Purdue DVM curriculum incorporates tracking in the third and fourth years. All students take a core of didactic courses covering medicine and surgery of the major domestic species. During semester 5, students are required to choose a track from seven tracks (see fourth year curriculum for more information). Tracking allows the student to focus his/her clinical training along species lines. Students who do not wish to focus their training on particular species can choose the Mixed Animal Track which is a traditional multi-species curriculum. PVM first implemented tracking in the fourth year of the DVM curriculum in 1990.

• Core/elective approach
• Courses organized along species lines
• Core courses
  • required for all tracks
  • cover all major domestic species and all major disciplines
• Core - selection required courses
  • student must take a minimum number of credits in the discipline but can choose the species focus
• Electives
  • chosen based on track and student's career goals
  • choices made in consultation with faculty advisor

The fourth year consists entirely of clinical rotations.  There are no didactic courses in the fourth year.  The fourth year begins the Monday following semester 6 final examinations and continues for a full 12 months.  

Click here for a complete overview of the fourth year curriculum.

The fourth year curriculum is determined by the student’s track. Track selection occurs during semester 5 while selecting electives for semester 6. The track chosen determines the required and elective blocks for the fourth year. There are seven tracks (Click on the individual track to see the plan of study for that track):

1. Equine track

2. Food animal track

3. Small animal track

4. Companion animal track (horses and small animals)

5. Large animal track (horses and food animals)

6. Mixed animal track (all species)

7. Non-practice track (for individuals targeting a career in industry or research)