Pre-Veterinary Medicine Program

Honors Program

Honors students complete an independent research project, usually spanning their junior and senior years. Your research can take you just about anywhere - in the lab or library, in the community, or in the U.S. or abroad! Honors work can also be very practical. Prospective employers and graduate admissions committees often look carefully at an undergraduate record for evidence of extra initiative and genuine intellectual strength.

Learn more about the Honors Program

Pre-Veterinary Medicine internships and job shadowing

Our outstanding Career Services Office is available to help you find internships and career opportunities. Students recently completed internships at the following locations: 

• Cedar County Veterinary Services (Hartington, Neb.)
• Central Valley Ag (Randolph, Neb.)
• Hansen Show Horses (Gretna, Neb.)
• Key Paha Veterinary Services (Springview, Neb.)
• Michael Foods (Wakefield, Neb.)
• Nebraska Wildlife Rehab (Bennington, Neb.)
• Osceola Veterinary Clinic (Osceola, Iowa)
• Wayne Veterinary Clinic (Wayne, Neb.)

Career services and internships

Topics covered in the Pre-Veterinary Medicine program

• Analytical, organic, and inorganic chemistry
• Advanced zoology and field work
• Animal parasites and effects on their hosts
• Embryonic anatomy and development
• Comparative anatomy and physiology
• Modern cellular biology
• Advanced lab techniques and management
• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Research, observation, and analysis of data

This 4-year timeline serves as a guide to help you plan for applying to veterinary schools.

Freshman year

1. Meet with your Pre-Veterinary Medicine program advisor to create a personalized plan and discuss what you'd like to accomplish during your summers (i.e. working, job shadowing, internship, or research). Your advisor and the WSC Career Services Office will help you achieve your goals.
2. Research veterinary schools and learn about their admission requirements. Be mindful of prerequisite course and GPA requirements, location, costs, program reputation, and entrance exams score requirements. Inquire with the professional school for any specific questions and guidance. Visit the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) website for a listing of accredited veterinary schools.
3. Study and practice for the Graduate Record Examinations Test (GRE), which is required by most veterinary schools. Some also require the Biology GRE. The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is also accepted by some schools in place of the GRE.
    

Sophomore year

1. Continue researching veterinary schools and their prerequisite course and GPA requirements, location, costs, program reputation, and entrance exams score requirements. Inquire with the professional school for any specific questions and guidance.
2. Investigate summer health opportunities with your advisor and WSC Career Services Office.
3. Study and practice for the GRE or MCAT, depending upon which school you're looking to attend. If applicable, take the free practice MCAT exam available at WSC each semester.
    

Junior year

1. Take the official GRE or MCAT exam, depending on the school's entrance requirements.
2. Complete field-related job shadowing, internship, or research opportunities
    

Senior year

Fall semester

1. Ask people if they would be willing to provide a letter of recommendation. Letters of recommendation are statements from professors, supervisors, or other professionals that detail your academic abilities, interpersonal skills, and character. Veterinary schools typically require 2-4 letters and will sometimes ask that some be from professors. Check with each school to which you plan to apply for the number and type of letters they require, when those letters are due, and the process for how letters of recommendation are to be submitted.
2. Work on essays - Your personal statement or essay is an opportunity to expand upon unique experiences and events and adds a personal dimension to your application. Work with professors or advisors to have your statement reviewed.

Spring semester

1. Start the application process. Most veterinary schools participate in the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). This is a centralized application service that allows you to submit one application and send it to multiple programs.
2. Complete the application process
    
   • Schools and/or centralized applications services may have application deadlines. Th­ere is often a processing time after you submit.
   • Some schools may also require a secondary application for their program. This application deadline will be after you submit your centralized application. Each school you apply to will let you know what steps you need to complete after you submit your centralized application.
      
3. Interview with veterinary schools if required for the application process. Make sure to practice by doing a mock interview.
4. Make admissions decisions - Admissions committees will review your application to decide on your admission to their program.

Graduates of the Pre-Veterinary Medicine program work in their field or continue their studies using the skills they learned while at Wayne State College. Each year, veterinary medicine schools and employers welcome WSC graduates into their organizations.

Recent grads are pursuing their DVM degrees at the following schools:

• Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Fort Collins, Colo.)
• South Dakota State University Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences (Brookings, S.D.)
• University of Nebraska School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Lincoln, Neb.)

 Career possibilities:

• Veterinarian
• Research scientist
• Animal service worker
• Animal product developer
• Zoonotic disease specialist
• Biomedical researcher

job or grad school placement rate
within six months of graduation
Data based on most recent
employment outcomes survey