School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Notes from the Tour
1. We began in the lobby at the Hill Pavilion
a. Being a resident in New Jersey and getting into an out-of-state
veterinary school was discussed
i. He said although there are no longer any UPenn contract
seats with New Jersey, the state with the second most
number of admitted students at Upenn (other than
Pennsylvania) is New Jersey. He reiterated that we should
not lose hope.
b. The Hill Pavilion is a brand new building (<3 years old) that
contains two lecture halls, lots of small meeting rooms, a library, a
common lounge, labs, and more.
2. We then proceeded to Old Quad (Old Vet)
a. About the building
i. Established in 1912 and is the oldest building on the
veterinary campus.
ii. he anatomy lab and some research facilities
iii. The former fecal lot (in the center of all the quads) has been
renovated into a student gathering area and future plans
have it as an outdoor lecture hall
b. Anatomy Lab
i. The entire freshman class was at the anatomy lab (including
a Rutgers graduate!) and they were currently working on
horse legs.
ii. The lab is set-up to cover many different animals (horse,
goat, dog, etc.) with focus on one body part at a time. There
are lab practicals and a written exam for the class. He let us
know that an anatomy class (like our Functional Human
Anatomy) would be extremely helpful to take in undergrad.
iii. He informed us that generally, students are in classes 9-5
each day, and that although there is a lot of work, it is all to
actually help you learn and not just busy work
3. We then proceeded to the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital
a. We began in the basement to see the pathology lab
i. We saw some second-year students in the lab, as pathology
is a required course (not an elective).
ii. Dr. Van Winkle, a pathologist and associate dean, talked to
us about many of the things that were going on
1. The students were currently covering the
cardiovascular system, so they were working on
hearts. There were three different tables, each with
some hearts on them, and the students had to figure
out what was wrong with each of the hearts (one of
the tables had acquired cardiovascular problems, the
other had secondary cardiovascular problems, and
the third had primary cardiovascular problems [in the
young]). The students didn’t know what Dr. Van
Winkle told us, so it was very interesting to watch.
2. He let us know that the things they work on are
donated from the hospital upstairs. The fourth year
students will work on autopsies and collect samples
for the second year pathology class. This will have
the cause of death and any other problems predefined, so it acts as sort of an answer sheet for the
pathology students trying to figure out and studying
the organs.
b. We then went upstairs to the main part of the hospital
i. Rob said that although all schools have capable small animal
hospital programs, he emphasized that UPenn’s advantage
is that they see so many different types of cases
ii. The building next door to the hospital (that we did not get to
see) is Rosenthal, which houses MRI, Cat scans, nuclear
therapy, and other imaging services
iii. On the first floor of the building, there are several exam
rooms and some diagnostic rooms, which include: radiology
reading, orthopedic, genetics, exotics, oncology,
dermatology, behavior, cardiology, grief counseling, dental,
medicine, ophthalmology, and an emergency room.
iv. On the third floor, there are more treatment-type rooms,
which include: surgery, surgical prep, blood bank, posttreatment wards, etc.
v. We had their kidney donor system explained to us, in which
they have mainly cats, that will donate a kidney to another
pet, and the owner will then take them both home. We also
got to see their blood bank and how that works.
vi. The second floor had mainly offices and nothing of interest,
except for the student surgery room, in which veterinary
students can work on simple surgical procedures
Notes from Meeting with Rob DiMeo, Admissions Counselor
We then sat down with Rob at the Hill Pavilion to ask questions.
Q: Are specific laptops or just laptops in general required?
A: No, laptops are not required, but there is a school-sponsored online blog
where students recommend which laptop is best to get
Q: Could you explain when and where we would take electives and rotations?
A: First Year- You take all required courses, with room for three or so elective
courses
Second Year- You take mostly required courses, but have room to add electives
Third Year (1st half) - You will for the most part take half required classes, and
half electives
Third Year (2nd half) - The first half is the large animal block, and the second half
is the small animal block. Although most students will participate in both, you
may opt to skip one of the blocks (say if you only plan to be a large animal vet)
and replace it with externships or possibly research.
Fourth Year- As soon as you finish your third year, you begin 25 2-week
rotations until graduation
Q: How do you look at unfinished prerequisites when applying?
A: Just make sure that all of your major science classes are done since they will
judge your application with a heavy basis on your science classes. Microbiology
and biochemistry are not required, and as long as you complete your
prerequisites before starting veterinary school in the fall, you will be fine.
Q: When do we send our transcripts in while applying?
A: You will send your transcripts in the fall that you are applying, which is
already coming up soon!
Q: Are there any requirements for GRE scores?
A: No, but it is recommended that you score at least in the 70th percentile. A
score of 711Q and 570V would be fine (verbal can be lower than quantitative, just
make sure it is not too low)
Q: Could you explain the interview process?
A: You will go with 30 students to the school and then go on an individual
interview with two people (one who knows your application and one who does
not). You will also be allowed time to network with the other students on the
interview. You should also have substance with your academics, and if you
write something down on your application you should be able to elaborate on it.
You will not be asked to reiterate specific information from each of your classes
though.
Q: Is there a requirement for number of experience hours?
A: There is no requirement, but it is recommended that you have at least 500
hours. Everyone should have small animal experience (like at an animal
hospital), unless you absolutely want to work with horses or food animals. It is
also better to have more locations and of course more hours. Therefore, if you
have worked at a small clinic for a few years, it would be best to try and work for
a larger clinic, or vice versa.
Q: Does working in human medicine help, such as working at a hospital or being
an EMT/paramedic?
A: It can help to supplement your animal and veterinary experience, show that
you have a love for medicine, and show that you use similar science on the job
such as taking blood pressures. You must be careful though, because if it seems
as though your true interest is in human medicine, they will look down upon
that, so just make sure you relate your experience to veterinary medicine as
much as possible.
Q: If you are deficient on animal hours, would it help to have research experience
such as a senior thesis?
A: Just like with the human medicine, it will definitely supplement your animal
experience, but it will not replace it. They will turn away a student with a
brilliant senior thesis and great research experience if they do not have any
veterinary experience. If your research is under someone who is a veterinarian
as well, that may look better than if it was just someone with a PhD.
Q: How are the GPA’s calculated?
A: There is an overall GPA and a last 45-credits GPA calculated, and although
there is not a science GPA calculated, your performance in science classes is
looked at heavily.
Q: How do you view students taking summer classes?
A: It is completely understandable for a pre-veterinary student to be taking
summer classes with the kind of workload we see. We just need to be careful to
not solely rely on summer classes (taking all of your major science classes in the
summer and none in the regular school year), but taking a few is not looked
down upon.
Q: How do you view someone who finishes undergrad in 3 years?
A: It is a positive thing for you if you do well, but if you do poorly then it is
much worse. It’s not really special by itself though (it’s not going to be highly
looked at compared to any of the other applications just because undergrad was
finished in 3 years).
Q: Could you explain the difference between the 4th year in school, and
internship, and a residency?
A: The fourth year in veterinary school is comprised of 25 2-week rotations
where you work under veterinarians in many different areas such as small
animal surgery, cardiology, large animal medicine, etc. An internship is for
those who have received their veterinary degree and wish to get some more
practice/experience before going on their own, or also to prepare for a residency.
A residency is usually a 2-4 year program, in which you are a full veterinarian
with your degree, and you work towards getting board certified in a particular
specialty. For example, someone who wanted to specialize in Internal Medicine
(ACVIM), they would do a residency and once they finish they would take the
proper examination and complete the proper requirements. They would then
officially be a specialist in that area.
Q: Can you do research with professors at the veterinary school?
A: Yes, but it is not heavily emphasized and it is either here and there or all over
your time at school
Q: Could you explain the dual VMD/PhD program?
A: Usually about 35 apply, 10 are interviewed, and about 2-6 are accepted. Some
of the candidates are ones that have been accepted to either the PhD or VMD
program separately and then wish to pursue both during their first years.
Q: What is most recommended if you have a low graduating GPA?
A: Since science classes are the most heavily looked at, if you have done poorly
in them, it would be best to take higher level undergraduate science classes or
graduate level science classes and perform well in them to show that you are
capable of handling the veterinary school coursework.
Q: Is a final sit-down needed after rejection?
A: Absolutely yes. The biggest mistake that applicants do is not contacting the
school after rejection. When people don’t call, they tend to self-diagnose their
problems, and re-apply with the same problems that prevented them from
getting in, in the first place.
Q: Could you explain what you require for letters of recommendation?
A: One academic letter and one veterinarian letter are required. A third, nonspecific letter is required as well, that could be from another academic or
veterinary source (preferred), or possibly from somewhere else. They will look
at six letters maximum, so it is a good idea to add upon other references. An
office manager or veterinary technician manager/supervisor would be good for
a fourth or fifth recommendation, but not for your third, which is highly
suggested to be another veterinary or academic letter. A research professor that
is a DVM/VMD could be considered a veterinary letter, but a MD would only be
considered as an academic.
Q: How is veterinary experience classified?
A: If you work for a veterinarian or at an animal hospital, that is considered
veterinary experience. One thing that should be mentioned though, is that there
is a difference between a paid position and a volunteer. A paid position’s duties
will be the priority and any learning experiences would only be supplemental,
whereas a volunteer can easily learn many things that would be helpful without
having to worry about required duties.