Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in Veterinary Medicine

Professional Curriculum in Veterinary Medicine

The professional curriculum seeks to deliver to the veterinary medical profession a student fully prepared to begin a medical career in the arts and sciences of animal health and disease. Emphasis on professional specialization is reserved for graduate programs.

Veterinary medicine encompasses the full scope of the technology of animal health and disease, including the arts and sciences of disease prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. The professional curriculum begins at the basic level and systematically moves to clinical application.

Graduates are qualified to formulate and implement programs for disease control and prevention in domestic farm animals, poultry, pet animals, zoo animals, fur-bearing animals, laboratory animals and wildlife. They are equipped to administer and advise in public health problems arising from intertransmission of diseases between humans and lower animals and are capable of performing animal disease regulatory duties for governmental agencies. They are also oriented for professional careers in the armed forces.

The degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine is awarded to the student upon successful completion of the professional curriculum in veterinary medicine. In addition to the DVM degree, the student must take and pass the NAVLE and state licensing examinations to practice clinical veterinary medicine.

Academic Regulations

Each professional student will have access to an electronic copy of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Professional Student Handbook via Canvas. This document contains the school’s policies on grading, promotion, dismissal, probation, grievance procedures, withdrawal, personal conduct and the honor code. Because matriculation in veterinary medicine is a privilege and not a right, the faculty retains the prerogative to request withdrawal of any student who does not attain adequate academic performance or who does not exhibit the personal qualifications prerequisite to the practice of veterinary medicine. These criteria shall apply at all times during the curriculum. Academic performance will not be the only factor in determining admission, promotion, graduation or request for withdrawal.

Scholastic Deficiency

An average grade of C and passing grades in all courses in the professional curriculum are the minimal scholastic achievements considered to be satisfactory. When a student’s scholastic performance falls below the minimal satisfactory level in any term, scholastic probation may be imposed or the student may be dropped from the professional curriculum or placed on scholastic suspension from the University.

Scholastic probation is conditional permission for a student to continue in the professional curriculum under the conditions of the probation while working to remove any deficiencies. A student’s failure to meet the conditions of scholastic probation may result in dismissal from the professional curriculum or suspension from the University at the end of any term for which scholastic probation is imposed. The terms of the probation are determined by the Academic Progress Committee for the year of the curriculum in which scholastic deficiency occurs. A student who fails any course prescribed in the professional curriculum or who otherwise fails to achieve satisfactory scholastic progress may be dropped from the curriculum for cause.

Readmission

A student in the professional curriculum who voluntarily withdraws, or who is dropped from the rolls of the University or from the professional veterinary curriculum for cause, forfeits his or her standing and must apply for readmission and be approved before being re-enrolled by policies and procedures of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

NOTE: While every effort is made to assure accuracy and timeliness of this publication, the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is not responsible for any misrepresentation which might arise through error in the preparation of this catalog, or through failure to give notice of changes in its requirements, policies, tuition and fees, course offerings and other matters affecting students or applicants. The provisions of this catalog do not constitute an irrevocable contract between any student or applicant for admission into the professional curriculum of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Admission Information

This program is approved to be offered at the Veterinary Education, Research, and Outreach Center in Canyon, Texas,