Veterinary Medicine

A veterinarian, also known as a "vet," is a doctor who specializes in the treatment of animal diseases, injuries, and health conditions. They diagnose, treat, and prevent illnesses in animals, ensuring their well-being and also contributing to public health by preventing the spread of animal diseases.  Specialties include anesthesia, dentistry, emergency and critical care, internal medicine, ophthalmology, pharmacology, radiology, rahabilitation, zoological medicine, and more.

In order to become a veterinarian, an individual must earn a Doctor of Veterinary medicine degree (DVM).  Though a bachelor's degree is not required for admission to a veterinary program, a bachelor's is strongly recommended and will make a candidate more competitive for admission.  To specialize in a particular area within the veterinary field, additional training and an examination is required (AVMA, 2018).

Degrees and Coursework

What major should I select at UNT for a pre-veterinary path?

Popular majors among pre-veterinary students at UNT include:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Biology, College of Science
  • Bachelor of Science in Biology, College of Science
  • Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, College of Science
  • Option III would be the best fit for pre-health students 

Please note that veterinary medicine programs do not require a particular degree. If you choose a major outside of the sciences, we recommend taking extra courses in biology, in addition to all of the required prerequisites. 

For more information about each major, please visit the UNT Catalog and select 'majors, minors, certificates' that is found beneath the link to ‘Catalog Home'.

What courses do I need for veterinary school?

Please refer to our Pre-Veterinary Packet for a list of prerequisites for each Texas DVM program. To review prerequisites for DVM programs outside of Texas, please refer to each individual school's website.

Applying to Veterinary School

What makes a competitive application to veterinary school?

Admission to a veterinary program is very competitive and students should create a strategic plan well in advance. Below you will find typical categories of a competitive application. Please contact our advisors in the UNT Office of Health Professions to further explore each competitive characteristic and to create your pre-veterinary plan. 

Recommendations for a Competitive Application:

  • Overall and Math/Science GPAs - 3.6-4.0 (average admitted GPAs vary by school)
  • GRE scores – Verbal: 155+ / Quantitative: 155+ / Writing: 4+
  • Shadowing/Vet Experience - 100+ Hours of shadowing or working closely with a veterinarian
  • Animal Experience - 100+ Hours
  • Volunteering - 100+ Hours 
  • Various Extracurricular Activities, On or Off Campus

Core Competencies for Healthcare

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) came up with a set of skills, knowledge, and personal characteristics that they believe are essential for future physicians called the pre-med core competencies. Because of its relevance to all healthcare professions, many other health professional schools have embraced the core competencies as well.  Since many, if not most, health professional schools evaluate applicants based on these competencies, we recommend that students develop proficiency in them.  More information on the AAMC Core Competencies can be found here.

Using this handout, your pre-health advisor can help you evaluate your progress on becoming a competitive applicant to optometry school. 

How do I apply to veterinary school?

The majority of veterinary schools in the United States use one online application service called VMCAS (Veterinary Medicine College Application Service), with the exception of Texas which uses TMDSAS for its veterinary schools.  The VMCAS application cycle opens in January of each year, accepting applications for entering the program the following year, and TMDSAS opens in May of each year.  Please note that there are fees associated with using these services.

When should I apply to veterinary school?

Students must apply to veterinary schools one year before entering a program. On the traditional four-year path, students will apply during the summer after their junior year of college, complete their bachelor's degree at the end of their senior year, and enter veterinary school the following fall semester. However, every student’s journey is different and your UNT Health Professions Advisor is committed to helping create a plan and timeline that accommodates each student’s individual goals and circumstances.

Do veterinary schools require an entrance exam?

Many veterinary programs require the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) be taken before applying.  The score range for the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE is 130-170. The range for the writing section is 0-6. For more information about the GRE, please visit the official ETS website.

Additional Resources for Students

Are there any pre-health scholarships available to pre-veterinary students?

Yes, pre-veterinary students can apply for the following pre-health scholarships using the College of Science general scholarship application:

The Dr. Charles D. and Vernil Mitchell Endowed Scholarship
To be considered, a student must enroll as a full-time undergraduate student in any degree-granting major in the College of Science and be a graduate of any high school in Dallas ISD. For more information, please contact us at healthcareers@unt.edu. 

What are some additional resources for pre-veterinary students at UNT?

You can find a list of health-related student organizations at UNT here.  You can search for other student clubs and organizations on OrgSync.

If you are a current student, join our canvas course to receive important announcements and view resources related to your pre-optometry journey.

How can I get started with creating a pre-veterinary plan?

If you are a current student at UNT, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with one of our pre-health advisors using the following link: https://unt.navigate.eab.com/. If you are a prospective student, interested in enrolling at UNT in the future, and have any questions about "pre-optometry" at UNT, please feel free to contact us at healthcareers@unt.edu. ete