X. Degree Programs

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)

Program Information

The University of Guelph offers the degree program Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) at the Ontario Veterinary College. The program is offered during the Fall and Winter semesters only and normally requires four years to complete. The college is accredited jointly by the Canadian and American Veterinary Medical Association, and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons of Britain. The D.V.M. degree from Guelph is respected by veterinarians throughout the world.

Students entering the D.V.M. Program prior to Fall 2000 should refer to the undergraduate calendar for their year of program entry for appropriate course listings.

Objectives of the Program

  1. The graduates should have the knowledge and skills appropriate to their career orientations and sufficient to allow the pursuit of a variety of careers in veterinary medicine, including graduate studies. They should be able to pass the examinations of all Canadian licensing bodies and must possess a fundamental core of academic veterinary science knowledge and of technical competence.

  2. The graduates must be able to solve animal health problems and must have knowledge of the management of domestic animals and the functioning of the various animal industries.

  3. The graduates must be able to communicate effectively, whether writing scientific papers or conversing with clients.

  4. Through a commitment to continuing education, the graduates must accept the professional responsibility to stay abreast of new developments and to pursue solutions to new problems.

  5. The graduates must have a genuine concern for the welfare of all animals. The graduates should be aware of their responsibilities to the profession in terms of ethical and professional conduct and have an understanding of the moral questions facing veterinarians.

  6. The graduates must have had the opportunity during their university tenure to develop a range of non-veterinary interests sufficient to equip them to take a responsible role in society.

Regulations for Licence to Practise

Graduates are eligible to practise in Canada, but the degree in veterinary medicine does not in itself confer the right to practise. For information on matters relative to licence to practise in the various provinces of Canada, students should communicate with the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, 339 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1R 7K1, who will refer them to the appropriate provincial veterinary association.

Admission to the Veterinary Medicine Program

Complete details on admission requirements and procedures are listed in Section IV--Admission Information.

Academic Counselling

The Office of the ssociate Dean, Students provides academic counselling and referral to other appropriate resources for all D.V.M. students. In particular, students who are requesting a Supplemental Privilege are required to meet with the Associate Dean so that the student can be informed of appropriate resources (such as Learning and Writing Services and the Counselling and Student Resource Centre) and use them to deal with his or her academic difficulties.

Conditions for Continuation of Study

For supplemental and deferred privileges, all students in the D.V.M. Program are subject to Deferred Privilege Procedures and Supplemental Privilege Procedures outlined in Chapter VIII--Undergraduate Degree Regulations and Procedures.

For continuation of study, a student must satisfy the conditions presented below. In order to graduate, students must fulfill the course requirements for the program and have achieved at least a 60% Program Average (PA). The Academic Review Sub-Committee will assess all cases where a student's academic progress does not meet the Continuation of Study requirements and will interpret the academic regulations. The requirements will be applied with due consideration to the credit weights of the course, the role of the course in the Phase and the degree of integration of the course with concurrently required courses, and in light of the student's particular circumstances (see VIII--Undergraduate Degree Regulations and Procedures).

Full-time Study

The D.V.M. program is offered as a full-time program and normally requires four years (over the equivalent of eight academic semesters at the University of Guelph) to complete. In exceptional extenuating circumstances, the Academic Review Sub-Committee may allow a student to take courses on a part-time basis. In these instances, the Academic Review Sub-Committee has the discretion to select the courses that the student will register in on a part-time basis. Students permitted to take courses on a part-time basis are cautioned that there is an enrolment limitation for the program and that access to certain courses or resumption of the program on a full-time basis will be conditional on the availability of space.

Failed Courses

  1. Continuation of study from one phase of the D.V.M. Program to the next is dependent on the successful completion of all courses, or approved equivalents, in the published schedule of studies for the D.V.M. Program.

  2. A student who fails one course in a Phase may be required to repeat all courses in the Phase. The consequences of failure of any particular course in the D.V.M. Program are as follows:

    1. Failure in any of the following courses result in the Repeat of the Course: VETM*3000, VETM*3210, VETM*3390, VETM*3430, VETM*3220, VETM*3440, VETM*3510, VETM*4220, VETM*4450, VETM*4530, VETM*4610, VETM*4620, VETM*4660, VETM*4670, VETM*4680, VETM*4710, VETM*4720, VETM*4870, VETM*4880, VETM*4890, VETM*4900, VETM*4920, VETM*4930, VETM*4940.

    2. Failure in any of the following courses result in the Repeat of the Phase:VETM*3070, VETM*3080, VETM*3120, VETM*3400, VETM*3410, VETM*3450, VETM*3460, VETM*3470, VETM*4460, VETM*4470, VETM*4480, VETM*4490, VETM*4540.

    This information is also available as part of the Phase Handbooks.

  3. A student will be allowed to fail a particular course only once. Any student who fails the same course twice will be required to withdraw and will be ineligible for readmission to the D.V.M. Program.

  4. Grades obtained by D.V.M. students who repeat one or more VETM course(s) will be reported on the transcript in addition to the original course grade. In the instance where all courses in a Phase are repeated, the grades from the repeated VETM courses will constitute the new Phase Average (PHA). The new D.V.M. Program Average will include the grades obtained in both the original and repeated VETM course attempts.

Supplemental Privileges

  1. In the circumstances of a failed course, the Academic Review Sub-Committee may, if appropriate and under special circumstances only, allow a student the opportunity to gain credit standing in a failed course by granting a supplemental privilege (see Failed Courses and Supplemental Privilege in Section VIII). Students must request a supplemental privilege by submitting the request to the Academic Review Sub-Committee, and the fee for the privilege, within 7 days of the release of grades for the phase in which the failure occurred. The Academic Review Sub-Committee, upon receiving a request from a student, and after consulting with the instructor and reviewing the student's course performance, will determine whether a supplemental privilege should be granted.

  2. Students will be permitted supplemental privileges in a maximum of two courses over the entire D.V.M. Program. A supplemental privilege will not be granted for a second failure in a course. Any student granted a supplemental privilege must meet with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs who will inform the student of appropriate resources to be used to deal with his/her academic difficulties.

Conditions for Graduation

In order to qualify for graduation from the D.V.M. program, the student must have completed successfully all of the courses approved for the program. Students will not be allowed to graduate with a PA of < 60% or PHA of < 60% in Phase 4.

Voluntary Withdrawal from the Program

Students who have voluntarily withdrawn from the D.V.M. program and who wish to return must give notice to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, O.V.C., of their intention to return by May 31 if they wish to return in September of the upcoming academic year. Students contemplating a withdrawal from the program are cautioned that there is an enrolment limitation for the program and that re-entry will be conditional on the availability of space. The Program Committee reserves the right to select the quota from among the qualified applicants.

Estimate of Expenses

Attention is drawn to Section VI--Schedule of Fees for information on tuition, University student organizations and rabies immunization required for all students in the program. In addition, while the college supplies most laboratory equipment, students may wish to purchase instruments for personal use. Texts, protective clothing, and a minimum of supplies for personal use may cost approximately $500 per semester.

Health and Safety

Students must follow the health and safety policies required for the various courses in the veterinary program. Pregnant students and others with increased medical risks should consult Health Services concerning potential health risks which may occur during the normal course of their studies.

Immunization against rabies is a requirement for admission and continuation in the D.V.M. Program. Annual rabies titres and booster immunizations (if necessary) are mandatory for all Program participants. Prospective students and in-course students should contact Student Health Services (519-824-4120 extension 52131) for further information and guidance about the rabies surveillance program. Faculty and staff members should contact Occupational Health Services, extension 52133, for information about medical surveillance programs provided in accordance with University Safety Policy 851.13.03.

Schedule 4 (D.V.M. Continuation of Study)

Students admitted to the DVM Program in Fall 2007 or earlier follow Schedule 4 and should consult the appropriate calendar http://www.uoguelph.ca/registrar/calendars/index.cfm?undergraduate.

Schedule 5 (D.V.M. Continuation of Study)

Students admitted to the DVM in Fall 2008 or beyond follow Schedule 5.

Continuation of Study is assessed on the student's D.V.M. Program Average (not the University Cumulative Average) and according to the policy on failures as stated above.

In Phase 2 and beyond, eligibility to continue is also assessed at the end of each Phase using the Phase Average (PHA). Courses that are given a grade of Pass or Fail do not affect either the PA or PHA because they are not attached to any numerical grade.

Students required to repeat a Phase must achieve the required PA of > 60% by the end of the repeated Phase. If a student does not achieve the required standing by the end of the repeated Phase, he or she will normally be required to withdraw from the program.

The required averages are as follows:

For Course Attempts in Phase I

Continuation of Study Assessment for DVM Students in Phase 1

Program Average (PA)

Status of Student

PA < 50%

Required to Withdraw

PA ≥ 50% but < 60%

Required to Repeat Phase

PA ≥ 60%

Eligible to Continue

If Repeating Phase 1:

Continuation of Study Assessment for DVM Students Repeating Phase 1

Program Average (PA)

Status of Student

PA < 60%

Required to Withdraw

PA ≥ 60%

Eligible to Continue

For Course Attempts in Phase 2

Continuation of Study Assessment for DVM Students in Phase 2

Program Average (PA) and Phase Average (PHA)

Status of Student

PHA < 50%

Required to Withdraw

PA or PHA ≥ 50% but < 60%

Required to Repeat Phase

PA and PHA ≥ 60%

Eligible to Continue

If Repeating Phase 2:

Continuation of Study Assessment for DVM Students Repeating Phase 2

Program Average (PA)

Status of Student

PA < 60%

Required to Withdraw

PA ≥ 60%

Eligible to Continue

For Course Attempts in Phase 3

Continuation of Study Assessment for DVM Students in Phase 3

Program Average (PA) and Phase Average (PHA)

Status of Student

PHA < 50%

Required to Withdraw

PA or PHA ≥ 50% but < 60%

Required to Repeat Phase*

PA and PHA ≥ 60%

Eligible to Continue

* Students finishing Phase 3 with a PA or PHA > 50% but < 60%, will not be permitted to proceed to the Externship course or into Phase 4.

If Repeating Phase 3:

Continuation of Study Assessment for DVM Students Repeating Phase 3

Program Average (PA)

Status of Student

PA < 60%

Required to Withdraw

PA ≥ 60%

Eligible to Continue

For Course Attempts in Phase 4

Continuation of Study Assessment for DVM Students in Phase 4

Program Average (PA) and Phase Average (PHA)

Status of Student

PHA < 50%

Required to Withdraw

PA or PHA ≥ 50% but < 60%

Required to Remediate*

PA and PHA ≥ 60%

Eligible to Continue**

* Students finishing Phase 4 with a PA or PHA > 50% but < 60%, will not be permitted to graduate. The Academic Review Sub-Committee will establish the appropriate remediation requirements that must be fulfilled in order for the student to obtain the standing of Eligible to Graduate. These may include repeating a component of a course, one or more entire courses, or one or more clinical rotations.

** Students finishing Phase 4 with a PA and PHA ≥ 60% and having satisfied all course requirements for the program are Eligible to Graduate.

University of Guelph
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1
Canada
519-824-4120