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Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine Tufts University

Admissions Contact Information

Phone: 508-839-7920
Email: vetadmissions@tufts.edu
Address: 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536
Website: http://www.tufts.edu/vet/

Background Information

  • When was the school founded? The school was founded in 1978 and it is the only veterinary school in the six-state New England Region. 

  • What is the mission of the institution? Our mission at the Cummings School is to improve the health and well-being of animals and people and the environment in which they live. We do this through excellence and innovation in clinical service, research and teaching.

  • Is it a public or private University? Private University

  • Do they have any special programs? They have a program during the summer called the adventures in veterinary medicine program. It is a unique career exploration programs designed to provide participants further inside into the field of veterinary medicine and many other different opportunities.

  • Do they have any special facilities? They have the Hospital for Large Animals, Foster Hospital for Small Animals, Tufts Wildlife Clinic, and the Tufts Ambulatory Service. They also have many research facilities.

​Ranking​

  • U.S. News and World Report Ranking: #13

  • Accreditation: ​They were re-accredited in March 2012. 

​Required Coursework

- General Biology (2 semesters)

- General Chemistry (2 semesters)

- Organic Chemistry (2semesters)

- Physics (2 semesters)

- Genetics (1 semester)

- Biochemistry (1 semester)

- Mathematics (2 semesters)

- English (2 semesters)

- Social and behavior sciences

- Humanities and fine arts

 

​Coursework Criteria​

  • DVM applicants must have completed the equivalent of at least three full undergraduate academic years at an accredited college or university and fulfilled 90 semester hours of course work before enrollment. Candidates must successfully complete the following courses prior to enrolling at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

​​Veterinary Program​

  • How many years is the program? 4 years 

  • What is the start date? Last week in August

  • What is the average class size? 111 

  • What concentrations are offered? Small animal, large animal, equine, companion, zoological, food animal, exotics, and dairy.

  • What other degrees are offered? DVM, DVM/MS (comparative biomedical sciences, laboratory animal medicine), DVM/MA with Tufts Law School, DVM/MPH, DVM/PhD, PhD in Biomedical Sciences, MS in animals and public policy, and MS in conservative medicine. 

  • What are the residency placement options? They themselves have 12 residency programs at the University and they have partnerships with many other veterinary colleges in order to allow their students a variety of options. The following are some examples of specializations offered at the school: Anesthesiology, cardiology, diagnostic imaging and radiology, emergency medicine and critical care, Tufts VETS Emergency Medicine and Critical Care, large animal internal medicine, large animal surgery, neurology, small animal clinical nutrition, small animal internal medicine, small animal medical oncology, and small animal surgery.

  • What is the NAVLE pass rate? 99%

  • What is the retention rate? 97% 

  • What are some student activities? They have a lot of opportunities for students to get involved with different research levels. They have pre-clinical studies, animal models, research specialists, research animal housing/facilities, and support services. They also have a few signature opportunities such as the international veterinary medicine program and the wildlife and conservation medicine program. Students can also get involved on campus through various veterinary and general students organizations.

  • What professional development do they offer graduates? The internship programs at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine are one year programs that provide an intensive experience in managing cases under direct faculty supervision. Most programs offer opportunities to rotate through a variety of specialties within the Cummings School hospitals and can be tailored to the specific interests of individual interns. Only individuals eligible to work in the US or who qualify for TN visas will be considered for internship programs. They also have different classes and conferences for the veterinarians throughout the nation. The Tufts Residents Enhanced Veterinary Education and Academic Learning (REVEAL) Program was developed through an NIH education grant. The program focuses on veterinary residents, with the goal of attracting veterinarians to academic and research careers.

  • What academic support programs do they have? They have open houses that allow students to broaden their networks and knowledge. They have a farm field dog park for use by the community, students, and faculty for pets. They have many outreach programs that students can get involved in for a variety of reasons. They have health care programs, housing programs, and counseling services.

  • What is the curriculum? Students in the DVM program at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine are required to complete a prescribed professional curriculum consisting of four academic years, and one summer period of full-time clinical training between the last two years. Each of the four academic years of study toward the DVM degree is approximately thirty-eight weeks. In addition to maintaining a satisfactory level of performance in the basic sciences and clinical course work, DVM degree candidates are encouraged to prepare a research thesis for the Thesis Program during their first three years of veterinary school. Those who complete a thesis will be acknowledged at graduation, and the achievement will be noted on their academic records. By means of the Selectives Program, students may emphasize one or more areas of special interest. This program includes sessions which meet one or two afternoons per week in the first two and a half years of the DVM program. Students may choose from a variety of different topics in clinical, research, species emphasis, and other areas.

​Admissions General Information​

  • Professional Application Service:  VMCAS

  • VMCAS Deadline: October 2nd

  • Do they have a supplemental application? Yes, they have a supplemental application that is sent to all applicants. It has a $70 fee associated with it. 

  • Do they have interviews? Yes, they have interviews. Approximately 250 candidates are selected for interviews. Attributes evaluated during the interview include motivation, knowledge of the profession, communication skills, maturity, and leadership potential.

  • Are AP credits accepted? Yes, they are accepted.

  • Do they require a pre-professional curriculum? No, they do not require anything specific beyond the required courses.

  • ​What professional test do they accept? GRE

Admissions Statistics (2013)

General Statistics 

# of applications received per year - 848

# of students accepted - 91

% of applicants accepted - 10.7%

% of in-state students enrolled - 83.3%

% female - 14%

% male - 86%



GPA Statistics

Avg. cumulative GPA of admitted students - 3.65



GRE Statistics

Avg. verbal score for admitted students - 162

Avg. quantitative score for admitted students - 159

Avg. analytical score for admitted students - 4.5

 

Subjective Review Components

The admissions committee considers the following factors when considering an applicants status:

​

1.Academic Record = this includes overall GPA, GPA of preprofessional courses, and any advanced degrees or academic honors achieved. 

 

2.Performance on the GRE. 

 

3.Veterinary, animal, and or health science experiences = This includes any care, knowledge, and experience gained working in a veterinary, agricultural, research, human health, and or biomedical setting. They also base it on the bredth and depth of the experiences.

 

4. Letters of Evaluation = these should be written by people who know you well, understand the academic/professional demands of veterinary medicine, and have had the opportunity to get to the knowt your personal qualities and potential as a vet. You need three letters of recommendation. One must come from a pre-veterinary professions committee, dean, advisor, or faculty member. The next should be from a faculty member you have had a required course with. Finally the third letter should be from a veterinarian or research scientist with whom you have had a lot of experiences with.

 

5. There are also two essays specific to Tufts that must be completed.

 

6. Extracurricular and community activities, committees, leadership roles and employment not related to animals are also taken into consideration.

 

7. They also gauge an applicants potential for contribution to and advancement of the profession.

 

8. Interview = Tufts also holds interviews by invitation only that are held by the Committee of Admissions or the dean. Based on the above criteria, 250 of the top applicants are selected for the interview process.

 

Tuition and Fees

  • In-state tuition = $41,940

 

  • Out-of-state tuition = $46,120

 

  • Is there an enrollment deposit required? Yes, there is a $500 deposit upon acceptance.

 

  • Residency status options = You can not change your residency once you are submitted you application. 

 

​Funding Options​

  • Grants-in-aid - Yes, there are federal and state grants that students can be awarded. There are also grants awarded by the university to students who exhibit financial need and academic excellence.

 

  • Fellowships - They do have certain research based fellowships available for students. Such examples are the summer research training program which provides students with a stipend for living and other expenses. There is also the NCRR Research Training Program and it has a stipend of $16,000, which helps pay for health insurance and one national scientific meeting. There is also the Merial Veterinary Scholars Program and it has a $5,400 stipend. This program is designed to expose talented veterinary students to opportunities inherent in a research career.

 

  • Scholarships - Yes, Institutional financial aid is awarded based on documented financial need. Scholarships come from multiple TCSVM and donor supported sources. The Financial Aid Office awards scholarships through our need-based aid application process to students who are enrolled in the DVM program. There are a lot of scholarship opportunities through Tufts and the outside area. The following link takes you to the endowed scholarship list, which is extensive. There are also annual scholarships for student in the DVM program.

 

  • Assistantships - Yes, the Federal Work Study Program provides federal funds to support employment opportunities for students in need of financial aid.

 

  • Military Funding - The U.S. Army offers a variety of scholarships for veterinary students. If you are interested in the military, they will pay for your entire tuition in exchange for four years of service as a veterinarian. They also pay for all of your books/fees and you get a $1907 per month stipend. Once you start school you are a Second Lieutenant and after you graduate you are promoted to a Captain.

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