Can't find the answer to your question here? Check out our faculty moderated Forum by clicking the link under "Extras" on the top bar!
- What are the requirements for getting into Ontario Veterinary College?
- What does the OVC's BIF / Reference Form look like?
- What university program do I choose to prepare for veterinary school?
- How many years of university do I need before I can apply?
- Do I have to write the MCAT or GRE?
- What kind of experience does the OVC expect?
- What counts as veterinary, animal, and employment experience?
- Are there international veterinary schools accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)?
1. What are the requirements for getting into Ontario Veterinary College?
Please see the Ontario Veterinary College’s DVM Program page
As well as the Admissions Requirements
This list of acceptable pre-requiste courses may also be helpful
2. What does the OVC's BIF / Reference Form look like?
Find a sample BIF / Referee Form at this page: https://admission.uoguelph.ca/dvmbif
3. What university program do I choose to prepare for veterinary school?
You can take any program you feel you will succeed in, so long as you are able to complete the pre-requisite courses for veterinary school! Generally any Bachelor of Science program will give you a good background for entrance to the veterinary program, however non-Science programs can also be a great route to vet school if you use your electives to take prerequisites. Just make sure that the program at your University includes the required pre-requisite courses (or that school's academic equivalents) for admission to the DVM program; the OVC has 8 pre-requisite courses you can view on their admissions website. Pre-vet students commonly take programs such as Animal Biology, Bio-Medical Science, Biological Science, Zoology, Wildlife Biology and Conservation, One Health, or Arts and Science. See the University of Guelph Admission pages for more details.
4. How many years of university do I need before I can apply?
You will need at least 4 full-time (5 courses) semesters of university level education. Meaning you cannot apply to the Ontario Veterinary College until you are in your third year. At that point, if you are accepted in your third year, you would attend the DVM program instead of continuing onto your 4th year of undergraduate studies.
5. Do I have to write the MCAT or GRE?
No, neither the MCAT or GRE are required. You do have to write the Casper, an ethics test administered by Acuity Insights. Check out our Youtube for recordings of our Casper/Interview high achievers talk to gain tips.
6. What kind of experience does the OVC expect?
You must have VETERINARY experience working or volunteering with veterinarians. Experience can be clinical, industry, research, government – as long as you job shadowed a veterinarian. Of course, the amount of experience differs for each individual (due to the accessibility of veterinary opportunities). Quality is what counts, and the goal is to experience what the role of a veterinarian is. Veterinary and animal experiences working with different species can help give you a comfort level with all kinds of animals since you will have to do that in the DVM program. Extracurricular activities will help you hone your interpersonal skills which are so important! Veterinary medicine is so much about people too (animal owners, colleagues, etc.).
7. What counts as veterinary, animal, and employment experience?
Veterinary experience refers to any experience with a veterinarian present with you. If the veterinarian is not present while you are accomplishing a task, but you are still working in animal care, this would qualify as animal experience. If what you are doing is neither veterinary nor animal experience, but still work related to an animal/veterinary field, it counts as employment experience. This can be, for example, working at a reception desk at a clinic. All three types of experience can be done at the same place, so make sure to keep a log of your hours identifying what you did in order to classify your experience correctly.
8. Are there international veterinary schools accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)?
Yes, there are many! You can see the complete list of AVMA accredited vet schools by clicking here. Different vet schools will have different admissions requirements, so be sure to check their admissions criteria on their website. Also, please note any vet school we invite to talk in our FVC University Talk events will always be AVMA accredited.
Please see the Ontario Veterinary College’s DVM Program page
As well as the Admissions Requirements
This list of acceptable pre-requiste courses may also be helpful
2. What does the OVC's BIF / Reference Form look like?
Find a sample BIF / Referee Form at this page: https://admission.uoguelph.ca/dvmbif
3. What university program do I choose to prepare for veterinary school?
You can take any program you feel you will succeed in, so long as you are able to complete the pre-requisite courses for veterinary school! Generally any Bachelor of Science program will give you a good background for entrance to the veterinary program, however non-Science programs can also be a great route to vet school if you use your electives to take prerequisites. Just make sure that the program at your University includes the required pre-requisite courses (or that school's academic equivalents) for admission to the DVM program; the OVC has 8 pre-requisite courses you can view on their admissions website. Pre-vet students commonly take programs such as Animal Biology, Bio-Medical Science, Biological Science, Zoology, Wildlife Biology and Conservation, One Health, or Arts and Science. See the University of Guelph Admission pages for more details.
4. How many years of university do I need before I can apply?
You will need at least 4 full-time (5 courses) semesters of university level education. Meaning you cannot apply to the Ontario Veterinary College until you are in your third year. At that point, if you are accepted in your third year, you would attend the DVM program instead of continuing onto your 4th year of undergraduate studies.
5. Do I have to write the MCAT or GRE?
No, neither the MCAT or GRE are required. You do have to write the Casper, an ethics test administered by Acuity Insights. Check out our Youtube for recordings of our Casper/Interview high achievers talk to gain tips.
6. What kind of experience does the OVC expect?
You must have VETERINARY experience working or volunteering with veterinarians. Experience can be clinical, industry, research, government – as long as you job shadowed a veterinarian. Of course, the amount of experience differs for each individual (due to the accessibility of veterinary opportunities). Quality is what counts, and the goal is to experience what the role of a veterinarian is. Veterinary and animal experiences working with different species can help give you a comfort level with all kinds of animals since you will have to do that in the DVM program. Extracurricular activities will help you hone your interpersonal skills which are so important! Veterinary medicine is so much about people too (animal owners, colleagues, etc.).
7. What counts as veterinary, animal, and employment experience?
Veterinary experience refers to any experience with a veterinarian present with you. If the veterinarian is not present while you are accomplishing a task, but you are still working in animal care, this would qualify as animal experience. If what you are doing is neither veterinary nor animal experience, but still work related to an animal/veterinary field, it counts as employment experience. This can be, for example, working at a reception desk at a clinic. All three types of experience can be done at the same place, so make sure to keep a log of your hours identifying what you did in order to classify your experience correctly.
8. Are there international veterinary schools accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)?
Yes, there are many! You can see the complete list of AVMA accredited vet schools by clicking here. Different vet schools will have different admissions requirements, so be sure to check their admissions criteria on their website. Also, please note any vet school we invite to talk in our FVC University Talk events will always be AVMA accredited.