DVM Admissions
Introduction
A billion-dollar North Carolina animal business, a great number of companion animals, the demand of students for an in-state education in veterinary medicine, and the emergence of Research Triangle as the largest environmental toxicology and biomedical research center in the world made the College of Veterinary Medicine a high priority need for the state.
Established in 1979, the NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine graduated its first class of students in 1985. The college is the only one of its kind in North Carolina and is among only 28 veterinary colleges in the United States. Although one of the newest colleges of veterinary medicine, the NC State University program has already established a national reputation for excellence in teaching, research and community outreach. U.S. News and World Report's 2007 Annual Guide to America's Best Graduate Schools ranks NC State University's College of Veterinary Medicine as number 5 in the nation. Located on 180 acres near downtown Raleigh, the College of Veterinary Medicine encompasses 20 buildings on its main site.
The college is unique among veterinary programs with an on-site teaching animal unit (TAU) that operates as a working farm. The TAU aids in hands-on instruction with large animal medicine and exposes students to basic agriculture principles and farm technology. The veterinary teaching hospital is a major referral center for practicing veterinarians from throughout the Southeast and admits 20,000 cases annually. These cases provide the material for clinical instruction and investigation for DVM students, interns and residents.
The college has full accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Education and underwent a re-accreditation site visit in April 2007. The average pass rate on the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination for the Classes of 2002-2006 was 95 % (an 80% pass rate is required for accreditation).
Admission Requirements
The criteria for admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine are determined and reviewed periodically by the Dean and the Faculty Committee on Admissions. The Admissions Committee is comprised of faculty from the College of Veterinary Medicine with representatives from the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association, the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the University of North Carolina system.
Applicants are evaluated on their academic performance, their understanding of the veterinary medical profession, their achievements, and their professional potential. The University complies with all Federal and State statutes regarding nondiscrimination.
Educational Requirements
"Pre-vet" is not a major; it is a track that can be chosen within a major. Pre-veterinary medical students can pursue any undergraduate major they choose, and the required pre-professional courses can be obtained through the curricula of a number of fields of study. Popular majors for these pre-professional students include animal science, poultry science, zoology, biology, biochemistry, and microbiology. Undergraduate candidates should be pursuing a baccalaureate degree and meeting all of the requirements and course stipulations of that program. An undergraduate degree, however, is not required for admission. Applicants must only complete prerequisite courses to fulfill academic admission requirements.
Changes In Policies And Procedures - Changes in the admissions process may be made without announcement as a result of continual review by the Faculty Committee on Admissions.
Admissions Information Sessions
The Student Services Office will host admissions information sessions on the following dates:
2008 Admissions Information Sessions
Tuesday February 26, 2008
Tuesday March 25, 2008
Wednesday June 4, 2008
Wednesday September 3, 2008
Saturday October 18, 2008 - university open house
All sessions begin at 5:30pm except the October date. University Open House will run from 9:30am to 1:00pm.
The session will inform prospective applicants of the criteria for admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine. It will also present tips on how to present a strong application for admissions consideration.
You may contact Tammy Ball, DVM Student Services Assistant, at (919) 513-6262 during business hours (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or tammy_ball@ncsu.edu to reserve a seat for the workshop.
Eligibility (Requirements for the 2009 Admissions cycle)
Candidates will be considered academically qualified for admission if they meet the minimum academic standards, which are:
N.C. Residents |
Non-Residents |
|
Cumulative GPA |
3.0 |
3.4 |
Required Course GPA |
3.3 |
3.4 |
Last 45 Credit Hours GPA |
3.3 |
3.4 |
Graduate Record Exam |
General Test |
General Test |
The cumulative GPA includes all college courses. The GPA for the last 45 credit hours goes back a semester at a time. If a student completed 44 credit hours in his/her final three semesters, the College of Veterinary Medicine would go back 4 semesters to calculate the last 45 credit hours, meaning it may be calculated for 46 hours or more.
Determine your GPA by converting to:
A 4.0
A-3.7
B+ 3.3
B 3.0
B-2.7
C+ 2.3
C 2.0
C- 1.7
D+ 1.3
D 1.0
D- 0.7
F 0.0
An "A+" grade will be converted to 4.0.
Grades achieved in courses that have been repeated will be averaged.
Alternative eligibility
It is recognized that applicants may not meet the minimum academic standards. In certain cases, applicants that do not meet the minimum GPA requirements may be considered for admission based on alternative evidence of academic qualification as determined by the admissions committee. Consideration under "Alternative Eligibility" applies only to GPA requirements and not the other admissions requirements (C- or better in required courses, no more than two required courses remaining in the spring semester of the admissions cycle, lack of prerequisites, etc.).
Please contact the Student Services Office if you have a question concerning "alternative eligibility."
Graduate Record Exam
The GRE score is the total from the verbal, quantitative, and written analytical portions of the general test. The general portion of the test includes questions designed to measure skills and knowledge gained over a long period of time. If an applicant takes the test more than once, the highest total score is used from a single testing date, not the highest of each section.
GRE Score reporting is cumulative. Current GRE Board Policy states that your scores are reportable for 5 years (until September 15 following the fifth anniversary of your test date). All scores earned during this time will be reported to each institution you designate. For information about registering for the GRE, contact the Educational Testing Service at 1-800-GRE-CALL or visit their web site at http://www.gre.org/.
The ETS code for NC State University is 5496. The test score must be received by NC State University on or before October 2, 2008. Therefore, it is recommended that you take the test no later than September 1 in order for the scores to reach us by the October 2 deadline. Scores that arrive after the deadline will not be accepted.
Only scores for exams taken after October 1, 2002 will be accepted.
Prerequisite or Required Courses
For the 2009 Admissions CycleFor the equivalent course at another college or university, check the NC State University course catalog or ask the advisor at your college. Use the course descriptions listed here to guide you on your assessment if a course taken at your home institution meets our prerequisites.
Required Course |
Semester Hours Required |
NC State Equivalent Course |
Animal Nutrition |
3 |
ANS 225 Principles of Animal Nutrition (3) or ANS 230 Nutrition of Domestic Animals (3) or ANS 415 (3) Comparative Nutrition |
Biochemistry |
3 or 4 |
BCH 451 Principles of Biochemistry (4) |
Biology with lab |
4 |
BIO 181 Intro Biology I (4) or BIO 183 Intro Biology II (4) or BIO (ZO) 160 Intro to Cellular and Developmental Zoology (4) |
Business/Finance |
6 |
Any business, finance, accounting, economics, or agricultural economics course including BUS 201 Introduction to Business Processes (3) BUS 225 Personal Finance (3) BUS 320 Financial Management (3) Or ACC 211 Fundamentals of Accounting (3) Or EC 201 Principles of Microeconomics (3) EC 202 Priniciples of Macroeconomics (3) Or MIE 201 Intro to Business Processes (3) MIE 330 Human Resource Management (3) Or ARE courses Or CREAM (Cooperative for Real Education in Agricultural Management) at the University of Vermont Or Business Law Personnel/Human Resource Management But excluding courses that satisfy our writing or statistics requirements or courses that have a technological focus (i.e. microcomputer application courses) |
Calculus or Logic |
3 |
MA 121 Elements of Calculus (3) or MA 131 Calculus for Life and Management Sciences (3) or MA 141 Calculus I (4) or LOG 201 Logic (3) |
Chemistry, General with labs |
8 |
CH 101 Chemistry - A Molecular Science (3) with lab CH 102 (1) and CH 201 Chemistry - A Quantitative Science (3) with lab CH 202 (1) |
Chemistry, Organic with labs |
8 |
CH 221 Organic Chemistry I/lab included (4) and CH 223 Organic Chemistry II/lab included (4) |
Composition & Writing, Public Speaking, Communications |
6 |
Any combination of the following: ENG 101 Academic Writing and Research (4) COM 110 Public Speaking (3) COM112 Interpersonal Communications (3) COM 211 Argumentation and Advocacy (3) This category doesn't include literature courses (English, American, etc.). |
Genetics |
3 or 4 |
GN 311 or GN 411 Principles of Genetics (4) |
Humanities/Social Sciences |
6 |
Humanities courses include history, foreign language, literature (English, American, etc.), music, art, and theater. Social Science courses include psychology, sociology, anthropology and political science. |
Microbiology with lab |
4 |
MB 351 General Microbiology (3) and MB 352 General Microbiology Lab (1) or MB 411 Medical Microbiology (3) and MB 412 Medical Microbiology Lab (1) |
Physics with labs (must be at least a two-course series) |
8 |
PY 211 College Physics I - mechanics, heat, wave motion and sound (4) and PY 212 College Physics II - electricity, magnetism, light and modern physics (4) or PY 205 Physics for Engineers and Scientists I (4) and PY 208 Physics for Engineers and Scientists II (4) |
Statistics |
3 |
ST 311 Intro to Statistics (3) or ST (BUS) 350 Economics and Business Statistics |
IMPORTANT ADMISSIONS CRITERIA REMINDERS
- - Required courses must be completed for a letter grade of a "C-" or higher. This also applies to repeated courses. The "repeated average" must equal a letter grade of a "C-" or higher. The numerical equivalent of a "C-" grade is 1.7. The "C-" or better grade for prerequisites must be on record at the time of review of the application. An applicant may not wait until the fall or spring semesters of the application cycle to repeat a course (see next criteria reminder).
- - All but two (2) of the required courses must be completed by the end of the fall semester during which the student applies. The remaining courses must be completed in the following spring semester. Required courses can't be completed in the summer semester immediately preceding matriculation.
- - Requirements are not waived in lieu of work experience
- - Advanced Placement (AP) courses can be used to fulfill prerequisites. The applicant's undergraduate institution must list the AP course by name on its transcript and indicate the number of credits granted. Please note that AP courses are not considered when calculating grade point averages.
- There is no time expiration or time limit on required courses. Courses could have been completed 5, 10, 15, etc. years ago in an applicant's post-secondary academic career.
- - Alternative eligibility doesn't permit applicants to be short on prerequisites.
- - Applicants offered admission must submit transcripts by July 1 showing conferral of degree, completion of courses (whether prerequisites or not), or both (if applicable).
- - Quarter hours can be converted to semester hours by dividing the number of quarter hours by 1.5.
- - For non-admitted applicants, all application materials are destroyed one year after submission. Credentials can't be reused from one admissions cycle to the next. Reapplicants must submit new credentials each time they apply.
A course in animal nutrition became a requirement effective with the 2008 admissions cycle. If you attend a college that does not offer an animal nutrition course, you may want to consider taking one via distance learning, such as an internet course or correspondence course offered by an accredited college or university. Animal Nutrition courses are offered via distance education at:
North Carolina State University
Four community colleges in North Carolina offer animal science programs: Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, NC; James Sprunt Community College in Kenansville, NC; Surry Community College in Dobson, NC; and Sampson Community College in Clinton, NC.
Three colleges in North Carolina offers an associate’s degree in Veterinary Medical Technology: Central Carolina Community College in Sanford, NC, Gaston College in Dallas, NC and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College in Asheville, NC.
VMCAS
Applications are processed by the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). The application and fee must be submitted to VMCAS by October 2, 2008. VMCAS highly recommends that applicants apply by September 1. Early submission of the application and credentials allows NC State to verify the receipt of materials before the deadline. Applicants who apply within a week of the deadline will not be able to verify receipt of credentials before the deadline. All application materials must be sent directly to VMCAS except official transcripts and GRE scores.
Official transcripts of all college-level coursework (undergraduate, graduate, or continuing education) must be sent directly to:
NC State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Student Services Office
4700 Hillsborough Street
Box 8401
Raleigh, NC 27606
Transcripts must arrive in sealed envelopes prepared by the granting institution Applicants must submit transcripts of all post-secondary coursework regardless of the number of courses completed at one institution or whether the courses fulfill or don't fulfill prerequisites. NC State University undergraduates must request a transcript from the Registration and Records Office to be sent to the CVM Student Services Office.
Transcripts must be received by the NC State University CVM Student Services Office on or before October 2, 2008 at 12:00pm (This is the due date; not the postmark date).
Applicants completing coursework in the fall semester are required to submit fall 2008 transcripts at the completion of the semester but no later than January 9, 2009. Due to the volume of applications received, exceptions to this deadline will not be considered.
Applicants completing courses in the spring semester of the application cycle who are offered admission must submit transcripts by July 1 showing conferral of degree, completion of courses (whether prerequisites or not), or both (if applicable).
Applications will be available to file electronically through VMCAS beginning in early June 2008. VMCAS heavily promotes the submissions of electronic letters of recommendation to aid in the efficiency of the application process.
Contact information for VMCAS:
Phone: 877-862-2740 and FAX: 202-682-1122
Email: vmcas@aavmc.org
Mail:
VMCAS
1101 Vermont Avenue, NW Suite 301
Washington, DC 20005-3536
Subjective Review
All applicants should complete both the standard VMCAS application form and the NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine supplemental application form by the October 2, 2008 deadline. The supplemental application is designed to provide an opportunity for the applicant to express relevant background information and qualifications that are not included in the VMCAS application.
Supplemental Application Notice
The supplemental application deadline for the 2009 admissions cycle closed on October 2, 2008 at 12:00pm.
Supplemental applications will become available online in summer 2008.
Please use the link above to access the supplemental application and submit it by the deadline if you are an applicant to the 2009 admissions cycle.
It’s extremely important that applicants maintain a valid email address that will accept email from our account. Hotmail and MSN accounts often reject mail from NC State University. It is the applicant's responsibility to monitor his/her e-mail account. Failure to receive e-mail that has been properly sent by the Student Services Office will not be considered as an excuse for missing deadlines.
You may contact the Office of Student Services at (919) 513-6262 during normal business hours (Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm) if you have any questions concerning the admissions process.
The selection procedure is based on both academic and non-academic criteria. The admissions committee will assess the seven criteria listed below. Much of the information is requested on the standard VMCAS application form, and the applicant will complete the Supplemental Application Form to provide the additional information
1. Veterinary Experience A minimum of 400 hours of clinical, medical, agribusiness, health science or research experience is required. However, supervised experiences in three or more different areas are highly recommended for a competitive application.. Experience in three (3) different areas (small animal, large animal, research, food animal production, exotic, aquatic, wildlife, zoological medicine, etc.) of the veterinary medical profession is preferred. The work can be either paid or voluntary and must be completed under the supervision of a veterinarian (or PhD scientist if scientific research). Applicants will be evaluated on duration, level of duties, and diversity of the experiences.
2. Animal Experience All other animal related experiences will also be evaluated, such as working with livestock, breeding/ showing dogs or similar, working at a zoo, aquarium or pet shop, equestrian activities, volunteer time at an animal shelter/rescue, etc., and these should be included in the "Animal Experience" section of the VMCAS application.
Like veterinary experience, animal experience will be evaluated on duration with at least 100 hours or more contact time highly recommended; multiple activities of long duration are preferred. This category doesn't include pet ownership.
While applicants are expected to obtain veterinary and animal experience on their own, NC State's Office of Pre-College Programs offers opportunities in a variety of disciplines - each aimed at helping students prepare for college while experiencing NC State life. Disciplines include agriculture, cultural education, design, engineering, leadership, math, science, technology, and writing. Some current programs are excellent experience opportunites in veterinary medicine.
3. Educational Experience Consideration will be given to academic excellence, the course load per term, employment concurrent with school attendance, and participation in intercollegiate athletics. This will also include evaluation of accomplishments such as honors, awards and advanced degrees.
4. Evaluation Forms/Recommendations Three (3) recommendations are required using the VMCAS Electronic Evaluation system (eLOR). Each evaluator should include a written narrative that supports their overall evaluation of the applicant. Applicants must submit letters through the eLOR system. Please do not submit more than 3 letters.
Two recommendations (2) must be from veterinarians or PhD scientists with whom the applicant has worked in a veterinary or research setting. The letters must describe the nature of the work relationship.
The third letter can be from an academic advisor or other evaluator of the applicant's choosing. Evaluations should support experiences listed and validate maturity, commitment and work ethic with specific examples. The admissions committee may contact references directly if further information or clarification is required. You will be asked to provide contact information for veterinarians with whom you have worked who did not provide an electronic evaluation.
Information for Reference Writers
5. Personal Statement The admissions committee will give consideration to the following three aspects of your personal statement, and each aspect should be clearly defined. Your VMCAS personal statements should help the committee understand:
(1) something about you as a person,
(2) how your interest in veterinary medicine developed within the context of your veterinary and animal-related experiences, what prepared you for a career in veterinary medicine, and your understanding of the profession, and
(3) your career goals and what you currently anticipate doing with a degree in veterinary medicine. Your career goals may change after your experiences within the program, but the committee would like to know what your current interests are and how you would anticipate using your training as a veterinarian. The statement will also be evaluated for maturity, experience, originality and communication skills.
6. Diversity Diversity, i.e., those unique attributes that a prospective veterinary medical student contributes to the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine or to the veterinary medical profession, is an important consideration during the selection of prospective veterinary medical students.*
Examples of those unique attributes include, but are not limited to (alphabetical order):
• Career interest in area with national shortage
• Graduate school course work and graduate degrees (master and doctorate-level)
• North Carolina residency (3 or more years duration)
• Other career and/or life experiences
• Personal/economic hardship
• Under-represented minority group
• Under-represented North Carolina counties
* The Admissions Committee believes that a diverse student body is beneficial because a greater variety of life experiences and viewpoints allows students to learn more from each other, and thus be better prepared to enter a diverse workforce and deal with a diverse client population. In addition, a graduating class with diverse interests is better able to serve the needs of our state and nation by providing expertise in a variety of veterinary, medical and health-related fields.
7. Extracurricular and Community Activities The level, depth of accomplishment, and leadership roles in clubs (college/university, hobby), athletics (intramural, club) and community organizations will be taken into account.
Fall Transcripts
Transcripts reflecting fall course work will be due to NC State University within 15 working days from the last day of the semester, term or quarter, but not later than January 9, 2009 for the fall 2008 semester. Student grade reports and other unofficial documentation will not be accepted in lieu of official transcripts. Any candidate submitting fraudulent information or who fails to include required materials will be disqualified immediately.
Priority for Admission
While applications for nonresidents are accepted, distinct admission priority will be given to residents of North Carolina. Questions regarding residency should be directed to: Residency Officer, The Graduate School, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7102, Raleigh, NC 27695-7102.
Timeline
VMCAS goes live - early June
NC State Supplemental Application goes live - mid August
VMCAS and NC State Supplemental deadline - October 2 at 12:00pm
Non Resident Review - October through January
NC Resident Review - January through March
Decision Letters Mailed - January through April 1
All decision letters are mailed to the permanent address as listed on the VMCAS application.
Deferred Admission
A one-year deferred admission status may be granted by the Admissions Committee to admitted applicants based on the applicant's record and the validity of the request. Please contact the Student Services Office for details on deferred admissions.
Admissions Counseling Session for Denied Applicants
Applicants not offered admission are welcome to attend an "applicant review session" conducted by the Student Services Office. Staff members will review the admissions cycle, provide statistical data and offer suggestions for improvement in a point-by-point summary of the admissions requirements.
All requests must be made in writing (e-mail is preferable) and include the applicant's name and VMCAS ID number. The 2009 admissions cycle review session will be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 5:30pm.
Submit your request to attend to cvm_dvm@ncsu.edu no later than 5:00pm on April 1, 2009. Applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail with directions and location information.
This is a group session. Individual appointments (i.e. "one-on-one" counseling) will not be conducted.
Transfer Policy
Veterinary medical students enrolled in good standing at AVMA Council on Education accredited institutions can apply to transfer to NC State University. Students will only be considered for transfer into semesters 2-5, at beginning of these semesters (transfer students must complete the entire junior and senior year at NC State).
To be considered for transfer, the curriculum at the school of origin must be very similar to that at NC State and there must be a vacancy in the class. A complete transcript of all veterinary classes, a letter of recommendation from a faculty member and a letter of good standing from the dean or associate dean of academic affairs at the applicant's current school are required. Transfer applicants should begin the transfer application process by submitting a letter of intent to the Associate Dean and Director of Academic Affairs, stating the reason for the transfer request.
Please include your mailing address, e-mail address and phone number(s) in all correspondence regarding a transfer request.
The deadline dates for reception of all materials is November 15 for the spring semester and June 15 for fall semester. If accepted, the applicant will be required to sign a statement that they have not been convicted of, or currently under investigation for, criminal activity (beyond minor traffic violations) or student misconduct.
Externships
Please follow the following procedures if you are currently a DVM student at another college of veterinary medicine and want to complete an externship at NC State:
Email the following information to Tammy Ball no fewer than 7 weeks in advance of the date you would like to start the externship: name, address, phone number, email address, service area of interest, and intended dates of externship. Please review the list of available clinical rotations before sending your inquiry.