Veterinary Science is the branch of medicine concerned with the
health of animals and the treatment of injuries or diseases that affect
them. Veterinarians are health professionals with a Doctor of
Veterinary Medicine degree. A veterinarian must complete four years
of graduate level training at a veterinary science school, usually after receiving
a bachelor’s degree from an undergraduate institution and having satisfied a
specialized set of courses as part of the undergraduate degree.
Look to the Future
Hendrix students interested in veterinary science careers should
take a series of courses that satisfy the prerequisites for admission to a
veterinary school. The requirements you need vary from program to program, but
there are common prerequisites that are generally fulfilled by a major in
biology, BCMB, or chemistry. Most Hendrix students who are interested in
veterinary science have majored in biology. Hendrix students will also
need to take a course in animal nutrition at another institution since Hendrix
does not offer the course. Most veterinary science schools also have requirements
in biochemistry and microbiology. As the required prerequisites for
individual schools may vary from these general recommendations, it is very
important to review the requirements for schools you may choose to attend in
the future.
All
pre-professional students are encouraged to gain experience by volunteer
service work in the profession, by shadowing, non-credit internships, and by
doing undergraduate research in the sciences. They should attend the annual
informational meetings and meet with the professional school admissions
officers who visit the campus periodically (even if they do not intend to apply
to that particular school because they are sure to gain useful information).
All students need to be aware of the many summer opportunities available to them.
(See the bulletin boards in D.W. Reynolds and the Morgan Center buildings.)
Students may also go to the homepage of any veterinary medical school in the
country using links provided by the Veterinary Medical College Application
Service (VMCAS).
Applicants can use VMCAS to apply to most of the accredited veterinary colleges
in the USA and abroad. Arkansas does not have a veterinary school, but has contracts
for accepting students from Louisiana State University, University of Missouri
and Oklahoma State University.
Questions?
Each student is responsible for checking the specific
requirements of the school to which the student wishes to apply, for meeting all
deadlines for application, etc., and for ensuring that the student builds a
transcript that will not only result in a good liberal arts education, but also
provides the opportunity for admission to the desired school. For more information, contact Jenn Dearolf in the Biology Department.