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University of Missouri

Admissions Contact Information

Phone: 573-882-3554
Email: cvmwebmaster@missouri.edu
Address: W-203 Veterinary Medicine Building Columbia, MO 65211
Website: http://www.cvm.missouri.edu/


Background Information

  • When was the school founded? Veterinary medicine began at the University of Missouri in 1884 with veterinary courses and agricultural based science. In 1885, the first vaccine-virus laboratory in the United States was established at the veterinary science department at U of M. The first official professional curriculum was established in 1946 and in 1950 the first class of veterinarians graduated.

  • Is it a public or private University? Public

  • Do they have any special programs? They have the pre-veterinary medicine (PVM) and AgScholars Programs. These are two programs that guarantee acceptance into the MU College of Veterinary Medicine upon completing the minimum standards of the scholars programs. To be considered for these programs you need to be either a high school senior or a MU freshman with an ACT composite score of at least 30 or an equivalent SAT score. For the AgScholars you need to have an ACT of 27 and have demonstrated experience in livestock production and health. For more detailed information and the application process you can see the link below.

  • Do they have any special facilities? They have the Teaching Hospital, Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, and the Zalk Veterinary Medical Library.

​Ranking​

  • U.S. News and World Report Ranking: 19

  • Accreditation: They are fully accredited and it is renewed on a yearly basis with a full evaluation every 7 tears. The next full review was this past year, 2013.

​Required Coursework

- Composition or courses in communication skills (6 credits)

- College Algebra or higher (3 credits)

- Biochemistry (3 credits)

- Physics (5 credits)

- Biological Science (10 credits)

- Social Sciences or Humanities (10 credits)

- Electives are open- Recommend in-depth courses in inorganic chemistry

- Recommended in-depth courses in biology electives

 

Coursework Criteria​

  • Students must complete the minimum required courses by the end of the Spring semester prior to matriculation. They are very specific in outlining the fact that there are courses that are not accepted as meeting the intended requirements. The actual course selection of applicants should be rigorous and demanding. Rudimentary courses in science should be avoided as they are generally not meant for “science majors”. No more than two 100% online courses per academic year may be used to meet biological sciences, physical sciences, composition, or communications. Courses that are taken P/F or S/U grading system will not be counted towards admissions. Students are also required to spend a minimum of 40 hours observing one or more veterinarians actively engaged in a normal work environment.

​​Veterinary Program​

  • How many years is the program? 4 years

  • What is the average class size? 100

  • What other degrees are offered? They also offer a Masters of Public Health Degree, they have various veterinary related research and professional programs offered, and there is a PhD/DVM dual degree.

  • What are the residency placement options? they offer internships in small animal surgery, equine medicine, and equine surgery. They also have various residencies in small animal internal medicine, small animal surgery, equine medicine, equine surgery, ophthalmology, radiology, toxicology, pathology, clinical pathology, theriogenology, neurology, and laboratory animal medicine.

  • What is the NAVLE pass rate? 96%

  • What is the retention rate? 98%

  • What are some student activities? The university has lots of different veterinary related organizations that students have the opportunity to join. Some examples are the Christian Veterinary Fellowship, SCAABP, SCAASP, SCAAZV, Mule Club, PALS, Raptor Rehabilitation Project, and Honors Societies.

  • What professional development do they offer graduates? Continuing professional education activities include articles in newsletters, guide sheets, conferences, seminars, and short courses. A mid-career program is conducted to give in-depth individualized training in special areas to practicing veterinarians or those veterinarians changing their focus.

  • What academic support programs do they have? They offer students free counseling and support services for any reasons needed. They also have a mentorship program with veterinarians.

  • What is the curriculum? The MU College of Veterinary Medicine has several foci of strength. One is the unique clinical curriculum. The curriculum in the last two years requires six continuous weeks in each of seven clinical specialties. Teaching is done in a form of apprenticeship with as much pragmatic involvement as possible in the Teaching Hospital. The design of teaching within blocks is highly flexible and permits frequent adaptation and improvement. Graduates are offered an average of nearly three jobs each.

​Admissions General Information​

  • Professional Application Service: VMCAS 

  • VMCAS Deadline: October 2nd

  • Do they have a supplemental application? Yes, they have a supplemental application. I was unable to find any further information on it. 

  • Do they have interviews? Yes, they have an interview process that occurs in January for out-of-state students and February through March for Missouri residents. See more detail under subjective review.

  • Are AP credits accepted? Yes, as long as they appear on official transcripts.

  • Do they require a pre-professional curriculum? They suggest focusing on getting a science related bachelor’s degree and not just a particular pre-veterinary emphasis. However, going after both options are fine. However, they do not require any certain degree beyond the required courses.

  • ​What professional test do they accept? GRE and MCAT

Admissions Statistics 

General Statistics 

# of applications received per year - 938

# of out-of-state applicants per year - 807

# of students accepted - 120

% of applicants accepted - 12.8%

% female - 78.3%

% male - 21.7%



GPA Statistics

Avg. cumulative GPA of admitted students – 3.71



GRE Statistics

- They have a required score of at least 285 to qualify with the GRE.

- They have a required score of 15 to qualify with the MCAT.



Subjective Review Components

- Academic Evaluation = An academic score will be assigned to each student by using cumulative grade point average (20 percent), the last three full-time undergraduate semesters while working toward a bachelors degree (summer not included) 10 percent), average undergraduate course load (6 percent), and performance on the MCAT or GRE general examination (4 percent). Cumulative GPA must be at least 3.00/4.00. Grades for repeated courses are averaged for calculation of GPA.

 

- Observation Requirement = Applicants should have at least 40 hours observing a veterinarian in their normal work environment.

 

- Non-Academic Evaluation - Each applicant will be scored by the Admissions Committee based upon non academic factors. The committee will evaluate the following: Motivation and concepts of the veterinary profession, Animal/medical/biomedical research/public health experience (a higher value will be assigned to observation or experience with a veterinarian than with a non-veterinarian), Communication skills, Leadership, Extracurricular activities, Work experience (while enrolled in school), and Diversity and life experience. The non academic calculation will constitute 40 percent of the total score.

 

- Overall Impression - Each applicant will receive a score for overall impression that is assigned by admissions committee members and will take into account the academic and non academic characteristics of the applicant. The score for overall impression will constitute 20% of the total score.

 

- Personal Interview - The Committee usually interviews non resident applicants in early January and Missouri applicants from February through late March. Applicants are notified of their interview appointment during this time period. The interview is required and intended to clarify and supplement the written application.

 

- They also require three letters of recommendation, but they do accept six recommendations.

- Acceptances are sent out mid-April.

 

Tuition and Fees

  • In-state tuition = $20,092

 

  • Out-of-state tuition = $49,398

 

  • Is there an enrollment deposit required? Yes, there is a deposit of $100 for in-state residents and $500 for non-residents.

 

  • Residency status options = To qualify for in-state fees, you must meet the official residency requirements established by the State of Missouri. The conditions that determine residency are very specific and in all cases require that you have lived in Missouri at least 12 months and intend to reside here permanently. To apply for in-state status, complete a Petition for Residency Status (available from Mizzou’s Residency Office) and submit it.

 

​Funding Options​

  • Loans - Loans are the most common form of financial assistance for vet students. Federal loan programs include the Federal Direct Stafford Loan program, the Federal Direct Grad PLUS program, the Federal Perkins Loan, and the Health Professions Student Loan program. There are found types of loans available to students: federal direct unsubsidized loan program, direct PLUS loans for professional students, federal perkins loan program, and the health professional student loan program.

 

  • Scholarships - Scholarships are available to veterinary medical students from various sources. Each year the College of Veterinary Medicine provides approximately $350,000-$450,000 of awards and scholarships to students from endowments given to and managed by the vet school. You can find a lot information on the types of scholarship they offer and a list of national scholarships at the following link below.

 

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