OVC Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) graduates achieve excellent results in professional licencing exam in 2023-2024

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) graduates from Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) achieved a 99 per cent overall pass rate on the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) during the fall 2023 and spring 2024 testing cycle.

The NAVLE is the capstone examination for graduating students from North American veterinary programs. Representing all content across the four years of intensive training, the NAVLE is a comprehensive professional examination required of graduates to apply to receive their licence to practice in Canada and the United States.

The exam, written over a full day at a certified testing centre, consists of 360 multiple choice questions that are clinically relevant to veterinarians. The pass rate of OVC students averages 97.8 per cent over the last eight years, never dipping below 90 percent.

“We’re incredibly proud of the students who graduate from OVC,” says Dr. Jeffery Wichtel, Dean, OVC. “Students make it through a rigorous and competitive admissions process and work their way through four years of robust in-classroom learning paired with hands on practice to prepare for these examinations. The current pass rate of 99 per cent is particularly notable given the unique challenges of teaching and learning during the pandemic years.”

Student learning at OVC is upheld by faculty members who are leaders in their field and a strong curriculum that’s designed to integrate theory and practical clinical skills to set students up for success on their examinations and in practice.

“Here at OVC, we take pride in a curriculum that is constantly evolving and changing based on best practices we see in the industry,” explains Dr. Joanne Hewson, Associate Dean, Students and Academic. “Through the DVM Program Curriculum Committee, faculty and students come together with OVC leadership and the Office of Teaching and Learning to collaboratively keep our program cutting-edge. This comprehensive training ensures that graduates are prepared to tackle the challenges they will face in their professional lives.”

Hewson goes on to say, “Every year when I review OVC’s NAVLE results, I feel immensely proud of our faculty, staff and student veterinarians for their commitment to the scholarship of teaching and learning, leading to our consistent excellence on this examination across all species and areas of discipline.”