University of Guelph 1997-98 Undergraduate Calendar

IV--Admission Information


Veterinary Medicine

Students are selected for admission to a Pre-Veterinary Year of two semesters from which they may proceed to the first semester of the program leading to the degree Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. As this will be the procedure for admission to the Veterinary Medicine program, candidates should ensure that they satisfy the admission requirements as specified for the Pre-Veterinary Year.

Residence Requirements

Canadian citizens or individuals who have Permanent Resident Status of at least one year's duration and, in addition, are residents of Ontario will be considered for admission to the Ontario Veterinary College. 'Resident' in this context is interpreted to mean someone who has resided in Ontario for twelve months, exclusive of time spent in post secondary institutions. Consideration will be given to a small number of exceptional students who are residents of Quebec. Applicants from countries or regions that do not have appropriate veterinary education facilities will be considered if they satisfy the standards specified for Canadian applicants. Preference in this category may be given to those students sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency. Students from countries or regions that have appropriate veterinary educational facilities will not be considered under normal circumstances.

Pre-Veterinary Year Academic Requirements

*Calculus or a statistics course with a calculus prerequisite

All courses must be at the University level. Applicants should contact Admission Services, Office of Registrarial Services, for a list of acceptable courses and subject areas.

This preparation need not be completed in a specialized college or faculty or in a designated Pre-Veterinary program. Students wishing to undertake their preparatory work at the University of Guelph should seek admission to the B.Sc. or the B.Sc.(Agr.) programs. Students who wish to undertake their preparatory work at another university should select an institution that offers the specific course requirements listed above as part of a degree program and that has rigorous entrance requirements and a reputation for academic quality.

The College will also consider applications from persons who have successfully completed at least three full-time semesters in a graduate program. These applicants will be considered in a cohort separate from undergraduate applicants. Persons who qualify must indicate their desire to be considered in the graduate student cohort and their applications will then be removed from the undergraduate applicant pool. Selection for interview will be made on the basis of the students academic achievement, Background Information Form and assessment forms with letters of reference from persons familiar with the applicant's performance as a graduate student. Final selection will be based on this evaluation and assessment interview. A maximum of five students may be selected from this cohort to fill positions in the Pre-Veterinary Year.

Because of limitations in class size in the Pre-Veterinary Year (100 students per year), all candidates should have a secondary career objective. The best preparation for the Pre-Veterinary Year is to fulfill all course requirements while attaining excellence in the preparation for an alternative career.

Ontario Academic Course Credit Requirements:

Students contemplating admission to the D.V.M. program should include OAC English 1, Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Calculus in their program of studies, or it may not be possible to complete the admission requirements during the first two semesters of university study.

Selection Criteria

Since the number of students who satisfy the specific course requirements exceeds the number of available spaces in the Pre-Veterinary Year, the Sub committee on Admissions may use the following criteria to determine those who will be admitted to the Pre-Veterinary Year. The members of the Sub committee endeavour to select those well qualified applicants who, in their judgement, will be best able to successfully complete the veterinary medicine curriculum, and who exhibit potential to become competent, responsible veterinarians dedicated to a lifetime of productive public service and continued learning.

  1. Academic Achievement and Aptitude

    In view of the need to efficiently and quickly learn large amounts of factual material and to solve problems, applicants must have demonstrated achievement in the comprehension of scientific material. This will be evaluated by the scrutiny of transcripts and previous academic records. Attention will be paid to both the quality and consistency of grades in the program presented as preparation for admission, particularly for those students who have spent more than the minimal time in preparation.

    Course selections in an applicant's last two full-time semesters will be reviewed for academic coherence. If an applicant has selected science or mathematics courses designed for non-science students, the courses will not be considered as course attempts and will not be included in the calculation of the overall average of the last two full-time semesters.

    It is expected that the level of an applicant's courses will correspond to the semester level (year) of his or her program. An applicant who is not following a prescribed program of study may be required to submit an explanation of his or her course selections.

  2. Background and Information and Interview Form

    Applicants will be asked to complete this form, in which academic background information is requested, as well as a resume of work experience and extra curricular activities. In it the applicants are asked to write a short essay about why they wish to study veterinary medicine.

  3. Interviews

    Interviews conducted under carefully regulated conditions can give candidates an opportunity to display their ability to communicate effectively and give the interviewers an opportunity to assess students' attitudes and sensitivities for veterinary medicine. Students ought to present evidence of experience and knowledge pertaining to animals beyond a simple love of animals. Such achievements can be associated with jobs or experience with breeding, rearing, feeding and showing various kinds of animals including pets, zoo animals, farm animals, and wildlife. It can also be associated with teaching or research in basic medical sciences. Candidates should be familiar with the duties and responsibilities of veterinarians and the scope of veterinary medicine. All interviews are held at the University of Guelph (no exceptions can be made).

  4. Personal Characteristics

    The Committee endeavors to select candidates who display integrity, reliability, maturity and determination. It is important that professional people have excellent communicative skills, poise and attributes of leadership, and that they have a talent for effectively working with others.

Procedure

Students are selected for admission to a Pre-Veterinary Year of two semesters from which they may proceed to the first semester of the program leading to the degree Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. As this will be the procedure for admission to the Veterinary Medicine program, candidates should ensure that they satisfy the admission requirements as specified for the Pre-Veterinary Year.

Application Procedure

Application forms are available upon request from Admission Services, Office of Registrarial Services, Level 3, University Centre, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1. Application forms must be received no later than February 1 of the year that admission to the Pre-Veterinary Year is sought. The admission procedure will be conducted during the summer months and successful candidates will then register for the Pre-Veterinary Year that will proceed through the Fall and Winter semesters. Academic transcripts and other supporting documents must be received no later than June 15 following the February 1 deadline for receipt of the applications. Prospective candidates may be expected to provide other documents such as an essay and background information as the admission process continues.

Application Limitation

In total, only four applications for admission to the pre-veterinary year will be considered from an individual.

Admission with Advanced Standing

Applications for admission to advanced semesters will be considered from students who have been enrolled in D.V.M. programs at other institutions, subject to the availability of places in the D.V.M. program and the academic standing of the candidate. In no case will admission be considered beyond the fifth semester. Candidates selected when places are available may be asked to present themselves for interview and may be asked to pass examinations on subject matter of the veterinary curriculum assumed to have been completed. Applicants are advised that vacancies are rare.

Rabies Immunization

A condition of admission to the D.V.M. program is agreement to a rabies immunization program which includes blood titre evaluation. Exemption from this condition may be granted in exceptional circumstances, but the student concerned must sign a release absolving the University of further liability.

Use of Animals

Live animals may be used for teaching purposes in some courses in the veterinary program. All animals are protected by the Animals for Research Act of Ontario (1980), the Guidelines for the Care and Use of Experimental Animals (Canadian Council on Animal Care), and the Animal Care Policies of the University of Guelph.


1998-99 Undergraduate Calendar
IV--Admission Information

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Last revised: November 4, 1997.