Health Professions: Pre-Veterinary Medicine http://www.career.vt.edu/OHPA
Dr. Judith A. Wubah
Office of Health Professions
Smith Career Center (0128)
Advising
231-6241 jawubah@vt.edu
(OHPA)
Dr. Michael Denbow 3250 Litton Reaves Hall 231-6843 denbowdm@vt.edu
Pre-Vet Coordinator
Be sure to meet with your departmental Academic Advisor on a regular basis in addition to the individuals listed
above.
MAJORS INFORMATION
Any major is acceptable as long as certain specific admission requirements are met.
Common Majors: Animal Science (APSC), Biochemistry (BIOC), Biology (BIOL), Chemistry (CHEM), Dairy
Science (DASC), Fisheries and Wildlife (FIW) and Psychology (PSYC)
SPECIFIC COURSE REQUIREMENTS **Prerequisites vary among schools. Please visit
www.aavmc.org to review the prerequisite requirements for schools you are interested in.
Course Number
Title
Credits
Prerequisites
CHEM 2535, 2545
CHEM 2536, 2546
BIOL 1005, 1015
BIOL 1006, 1016
OR
BIOL 1105, 1115
BIOL 1106, 1116
Organic Chemistry
6
General Biology, General Biology Lab
OR
8
MATH 1015, 1016
Elementary Calculus with Trigonometry
6
ENGL 1105, 1106
Freshman English
6
PHYS 2205, 2215
PHYS 2206, 2216
8
MATH 1016
3
MATH 1205
CHEM 2536
BIOC 4115-4116
General Physics, General Physics Lab
OR
PHYS 2305, 2306 Foundations of Physics
Biochemistry for Biotechnology and the Life
Sciences
(or, less preferred, Biochemistry 2024)
General Biochemistry
SUGGESTED
ELECTIVES
Anatomy (BMSP 2135,2136), Genetics (BIOL 2004),
Microbiology (BIOL 2604), Nutrition (HNFE 1004)
BIOC 3114
CHEM 1036,
CHEM 1046
Principles of Biology, Principles of Biology
Lab
7
C- or better in CHEM
2535 & 2536
ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) or INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)
INFORMATION
Individual professional schools vary in specific guidelines regarding applicants with “credit-only” for a pre-requisite
course(s). Students with AP or IB credit, especially in the required sciences, should strongly consider whether or not to
accept the credits or take the courses at Virginia Tech. If students accept AP credit, they should consider demonstrating
their abilities by taking additional courses at the upper levels. If students opt to decline the “credit-only” status for a
course, they can elect to complete the pre-requisite course for a grade with the perspective that prior experience and
exposure to the subject area may enhance their potential for academic excellence as a first year student.
GET INVOLVED!! VT Student Organizations, Courses, and Opportunities
Office of Health Professions Advising http://www.career.vt.edu/OHPA
Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Med Fraternity http://www.alphaepsilondelta.org.vt.edu/
American Medical Student Association (AMSA) www.vtamsa.org.vt.edu
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Student National Medical Association http://www.snma.org/
Minority Assoc of Pre-Health Students (MAPS) http://www.snma.org/premedical.php
PreVet Club http://www.prevet.org.vt.edu/
INFORMATION SESSIONS
Health Professions Group Information Sessions: Twice per week in the Smith Career Center
Online registration required, there will be specific sessions for Freshmen/Sophomores (Wednesdays at 8am) and
Juniors/Seniors (Fridays at 8am).
Check the OHPA website frequently for dates and times.
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) Open House is typically the first
weekend in April. Check the www.vetmed.vt.edu website in the spring for specific dates and details.
APPLICATION & ADMISSION INFORMATION

Admission Test - Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). The test is computer-based and it is recommended
that this test is taken by the spring term of the year of anticipated matriculation. Students should check with the
specific institution as some require only the general exam while others require the Biology test as well. It is
recommended that students take the GRE in the spring or summer a year before planning to apply to medical
school.

GPA: ~ 3.5 to be a competitive candidate. The GPA is calculated in several different ways: overall, science, and
last 45 semester hours. Students can also go on-line and check the mean and range of GPAs for the veterinary
schools of their interest.

Experience: Many veterinary colleges require veterinary-related work experience. It is also beneficial to have
broad based animal experiences. Competitive applicants have veterinary clinical experience (paid or unpaid) which
can take place in either a private practice, or a zoo hospital, lab animal veterinarian (successful applicants have an
average of 400-600 hours). Those students interested in this career path should strive to get a variety of animal
experiences – both large and small. Those experiences can include categories such as pet ownership, kennel
worker, working in a stable, aquarium, zoo, or animal shelter. Other experiences considered as part of the
application process at VMRCVM include working for biomedically trained individuals in health care, government,
research laboratories or relevant commercial or industrial organizations.

Application: Apply through VMCAS – Veterinary Medical College Application Service
(http://www.aavmc.org/Students-Applicants-and-Advisors/Veterinary-Medical-College-Application-Service.aspx).
The application process is time consuming and students should plan accordingly.

Campus Interviews: No

Veterinary School Interviews: Yes. VMRCVM does require interviews for admission. Students should check
online for interview requirements for other schools of choice.
OTHER RESOURCES






www.ExploreHealthCareers.org, an exceptional resource for students
National Institutes of Health Career Finder, http://science-education.nih.gov/LifeWorks.nsf/feature/index.htm
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) http://www.aavmc.org/
VA-MD Regional College of VetMed – www.vetmed.vt.edu/
Assoc of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) http://www.aavmc.org/default.aspx
Virginia Tech’s Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree http://mph.vetmed.vt.edu/
The Office of Health Professions Advising assists students and alumni pursuing a health care career in medicine,
dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, chiropractic, occupational therapy, nursing, physician's assistant, veterinary medicine,
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or other graduate health professions.
Any student of Virginia Tech, regardless of major, can use the services of OHPA. Although the majority of pre health
professions students major in a science field, it is not required.
Students should meet with their departmental Academic Advisor on a regular basis to ensure requirements are being met
for graduation. The Office of Health Professions Advising is an important complement to academic advising.
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