Boston College
Pre-Veterinary Society
Issue #5, Spring 2014
“Uniting and preparing Boston College undergraduates for careers in
the field of veterinary medicine through advising, animal experience
and exposure to the veterinary field in the disciplines of large animal,
small animal, and exotic medicine.”
This issue:
1
Veterinary Current Events
Whole Cat Conference: A
2
3
4
Student’s Perspective
Resources for Pre-Veterinary
Another year is coming to a close.
Thanks to all the pre-vets who keep
Students from the AAVMC
the sense of community alive! Look
Continuing Education
out for announcements about
before Veterinary School
Profile: Virginia-Maryland
5
Happy Summer!
Regional College of
Veterinary Medicine
meetings and events in the Fall 2014
Semester. Have a great and relaxing
summer!
Profile: Ohio State University
6
College of Veterinary
Medicine
Profile: Texas A&M College
7
of Veterinary Medicine &
Biomedical Sciences
Good Luck to our Graduating
Seniors!
Veterinary Current Events:
Some Articles Worth Reading
In the veterinary world, there are always new current events that are of interest for those
involved in the field. Below are some publishing sites that can keep you updated, as well as
a few examples of the stories you can find there. Please visit these websites for more articles
relevant to the field of veterinary medicine.
Science Daily:
The Humane Society:
Cleft palate discovery in dogs to aid in
understanding human birth defect
World Spay Day Turns 20
March/April Issue
April 7, 2014
University of California- Davis
A discovery was made of a genetic mutation
causing a form of cleft palate in a retriever breed.
With this new model organism, some insight into
the genetics of cleft palate might be in the near
future.
Tufts Wildlife Clinic Website:
Interesting Cases
Red Tailed Hawk with Rodenticide Poisoning
February 25 marked the 20th annual Spay
Day, which celebrates two decades of helping to
reduce the homeless pet population and improve
health of animals. Since 1995, over 1.5 Million
pets have been spayed or neutered.
AVMA
Soring Horses: Unethical Practice Making
Horses Suffer
While rodenticides (such as rat poison)
may control pest populations, they can also have
negative effects on the wildlife, including the
birds of prey who eat the rodents. This red-tailed
hawk was diagnosed with rodenticide poisoning,
but fortunately received treatment and was
released after 5 weeks of care.
2
Even though it has been illegal since
1970, the practice of soring horses to exaggerate
the gate is still continuing, particularly on
Tennessee Walking Horses. On this page, AVMA
provides some resources for the public to learn
more about the issue and how to stop it.
Members can also subscribe to the
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical
Association (JAVMA) and the American Journal
of Veterinary Research (AJVR).
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Whole Cat Conference: A Student’s
Perspective
Sara Doyle, ‘15
“Since
veterinary
medicine is
such a
collaborative
field, I am
very happy I
had the
opportunity to
meet with
others and
talk about the
relevant
issues.”
Since high school, I have volunteered with the
Massachusetts Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(MSPCA). It’s been a really great experience, and helping out
in a shelter has shown me a lot about some of the different
issues that can come up in shelter medicine.
Being curious about some new shelter legislation, as
well as being interested in veterinary developments, I decided
to attend the Whole Cat Conference in March, produced by
MA Animal Coalition and Tufts Cummings School. There were
two “tracks” that participants could move between, a
Veterinary Medicine Track and a PetSmart Charities Animal
Welfare Track called “Community Cats.” I spent my morning
at the Community Cats track, where I learned about the first
draft of new Shelter legislation, which will drastically change
the way shelters operate. It was really interesting to hear
people’s perspectives on it, and I was fortunate enough to
have some of the staff from the MSPCA there to talk with me
about their thoughts. Since veterinary medicine is such a
collaborative field, I am very happy I had the opportunity to
meet with others and talk about the relevant issues.
The second half of the day was spent at the Veterinary
Medicine track. The first lecture was given on efficient business
principles for shelter settings, and the second on diagnosing
and treating ringworm. It was really interesting to hear these
two very different lectures, as they show two different aspects
of the concerns of a
shelter medicine
veterinarian.
I would highly
suggest keeping an eye
out for events like this in
the future. Tufts is fairly
close to Boston (and
reachable by the
commuter rail!), and it’s a great opportunity to meet people
involved in animal care and learn a little bit more about the
world of veterinary medicine.
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AAVMC’s Pre-Veterinary Resources
“Gain as much
broad exposure
to veterinary
medicine as
possible.
Consider job
shadowing with
veterinarians,
scientists, working
on a farm, or
volunteering at
an animal
shelter.”
-AAVMC Website
For a pre-veterinary student, the road to veterinary
school can seem a little daunting. If you’re feeling like you
could use some guidance, the AAVMC (Association of
American Veterinary Medical
Colleges) has a web page
dedicated to Pre-Veterinary
Resources. On the page, you
can find plenty of
information, for both high
school and college students.
New to the page is the
APVMA (American PreVeterinary Medical
Association) video series, called “VetVids.” If you want more
videos about the pathways veterinarians have taken, a
three-part AVMA Series called “Becoming a Veterinarian” is
also available.
On the page, you’ll also find resources such as the
AVMA’s “Veterinary Admissions 101” Page, which offers
advice. A Test Deadline Chart is available, which gives a list
of requirements of standardized testing for individual
veterinary schools. Information on the APVMA Symposium,
which is held annually at a Veterinary College in the United
States, is also available. A link to the APVMA’s Facebook
page is also provided, which allows
students to ask questions of veterinary
students and other pre-vet students.
If you or someone you know is
interested in receiving emails based on
their specific status (high school, college,
parents, etc.), the web page also provides
a link to subscribe to the AAVMC
Engagement System.
The website can be found at
http://www.aavmc.org/Students-Applicants-andAdvisors/Pre-Vet-Student-Resources.aspx
4
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Continuing Education:
After College, Before Vet School
Here are a few options for students who may want to take additional education
before applying to veterinary schools. Please see the websites for the most accurate
information on these and other programs.
Drexel University College of Medicine in
Philadelphia offers a Certificate in Veterinary
Medical Science Program, a one-year postbaccalaureate program designed for
students who are seeking to improve their
credentials before applying to schools of
veterinary medicine.
Students enrolled in the program take
courses in Medical Biochemistry, Animal
Anatomy, Clinical Laboratory Techniques
and Concepts, Medical Microbiology,
Medical Physiology, Molecular Genetics,
Biostatistics in Vet Science, and Special
Topics in Anatomy over two semesters. Upon
completion of the VMS certificate program,
students also have the option of continuing
education further and pursuing a Masters in
Laboratory Animal Science degree.
The program is designed to be rigorous, but
flexible, so that it can either be completed in
one year or two years depending on the
student’s individual needs and interests. The
goal of the program is to provide students
with the necessary undergraduate science
prerequisites to pursue different careers
paths in the medical fields. The program
offers linkage agreements to certain
professional schools as well.
For more information, please contact:
For information on the program, students
can inquire at the website:
http://learn.uvm.edu/health-3/postbaccalaureate-premedical-program/
Erin Vogelsong, MS
Academic Administrator, Assistant Professor
Drexel University College of Medicine
Office of Professional Studies in the Health
Sciences
245 N. 15th St., Room 15305
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215.762.7968
Erin.Vogelsong@DrexelMed.edu
5
The University of Vermont offers a PostBaccalaureate Premedical Program,
designed to help students pursue medical,
dental, veterinary, pharmacy, physician
assistant, nurse practitioner, physical therapy,
and other health professions.
To contact UVM Admissions:
(802) 656-3131
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Veterinary School Profile:
Course Pre-Requisites:
General Biology with lab (2)
English (2)
Organic Chemistry with lab (2)
Math (2)
Physics with lab (2)
Humanities/Social Sciences
Biochemistry (1)
(2) Fox raised in captivity
Sara with “Socks,” a Red
Address: 205 Duck Pond Drive,
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Phone: (540) 231-4699
To request counseling appointment,
email the DVM Admissions Office at
dvmadmit@vt.edu
*note that the website should be consulted for the
The Virginia-Maryland Regional
College of Veterinary Medicine is
built on the foundations of Virginia
Tech and University of Maryland at
College Park. The main campus is
located at Virginia Tech, with two
additional campuses at College
Park and Leesburg. Students have
the option of pursuing dual degree
programs, including the DVM and
MPH Dual Degree Program and the
DVM and MS/PhD Dual Degree
Program.
most accurate information
6
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Veterinary
School
Profile:
Course Prerequisites:
English Composition
Humanities and Social Sciences
General Chemistry (with Lab)
Mathematics
Organic Chemistry (no lab required)
Microbiology (with Lab)
Biochemistry (no lab required)
Molecular Genetics
Address: 1900 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: (614) 292-1171
Programs Offered:
DVM Degree
MS and PhD degrees in the Graduate Program in
Comparative and Veterinary Medicine Graduate
Veterinary Public Health specialization towards
MPH
“Balancing school and
work and still
maintaining a social life
is pretty challenging but
definitely
well worth
it.”
*note
that the website
should be
consulted for the
In 2007, Ohio State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
received full accreditation from
the Council on Education of the
American Veterinary Medical
Association (AVMA). The college
focuses on a “One Health”
approach, working to combine
veterinary medicine issues with
both human health concerns
and environmental concerns for
a more global perspective.
most accurate information
7
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Veterinary School Profile:
Course Pre-Requisites:
General Biology with Lab
Physics
General Microbiology with Lab
Statistics
Genetics
Composition and Rhetoric
Animal Nutrition
Introduction to Psychology
Inorganic Chemistry with Lab
Speech Communication
Organic Chemistry with Lab
Technical Writing
Biochemistry
(equivalent courses list available)
Address: 422 Raymond Stotzer Parkway,
College Station, TX 77845
Phone:
Admissions: (979) 845-5038
Undergraduate Inquiries: (979) 845-4941
*note that the website should be consulted for the
most accurate information
Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine &
Biomedical Sciences was founded in 1916 as a
school of veterinary medicine, and has since
grown to include medical and research
centers. Some other degrees offered include a
PhD in Biomedical Sciences and Masters
degrees in Laboratory Animal Medicine,
Epidemiology & Public Health, and Science
and Technology Journalism, among
others.
V