Pre-Veterinary

Training in Veterinary Medicine requires four years at a veterinary college and subsequent licensing. While a bachelor’s degree is not required for admission at all schools, most strongly prefer it. In addition to the prerequisites indicated below, individual schools may require additional courses. Some schools require an admissions test, usually the Graduate Record Exam, though many schools are no longer requiring any test at all. Grades and test scores requirements vary among the colleges. Average GPAs for admitted students remain 3.6+. It is important to confirm the courses and test requirements of any school to which you are applying. Volunteer/animal contact hours are very important and some schools specify a precise minimum number required for application. Furthermore, competition is very strong, and many schools have strict residency requirements.

There are over 30 colleges of veterinary medicine in the US. The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) provides information and a central application service, the VMCAS. Not all the schools utilize the central application service so be sure to obtain up to date information. The authoritative guide is the Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements in the United States and Canada. There are two colleges of veterinary medicine in New York at Cornell University and Long Island University. In recent years, students admitted to Cornell had an average GPA of 3.8+, and approximately 1,500 hours of animal care experience. The closest vet school to the Buffalo Metropolitan area is the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph.

Most veterinary colleges are publicly supported institutions. As such they can have rather restrictive policies regarding how many out of state students they will admit. Research carefully the schools that interest you. If you will be applying as a non-resident, be sure to determine how many non-residents are admitted. 

Start planning as a freshman to meet the following course requirements: A minimum of one year each of chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, and physics, all with a year of lab; one year of English; and one year of Math recommended. Most require biochemistry. Below are the UB courses we recommended to meet these requirements:

*Consult with a prehealth advisor regarding additional lab requirements if taking a physics sequence which includes only one lab.

• ONLINE prerequisite courses are STRONGLY DISCOURAGED as many professional schools will not accept them..
• Most veterinary colleges have additional required courses like genetics, biomedical microbiology, math and/or nutrition. Additional information can be found at Veterinary Medical School Requirerments.
• All required courses must be taken for a grade. Each school has its own policy about AP credit. Usually, AP credit in these areas should be followed with additional upper level work in the discipline including labs. AP credit in math is the only subject in which more advanced work is not necessarily required.
• Let your major advisor know of your professional goals so they can help you, along with Prehealth, plan your courses accordingly. There are sometimes cases for course substitutions that are allowed (for example, engineering majors) and always a need for careful planning.