Vet Prep Program

Program Overview

The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University offers a year-long program to assist disadvantaged students in obtaining the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. The program offers coursework and mentoring to selected students who, upon successful completion of the one-year program, will be admitted to the professional veterinary medical program at Colorado State University .

Candidate Selection and Eligibility

Because of the limited number of positions in the veterinary program, many qualified applicants are denied admission each year. The Veterinary Admissions Committee ranks qualified disadvantaged* applicants who were denied admission (or ranked as alternates) in the regular admissions process and selects the top 7 applicants to be offered positions in the Vet Prep Program. If an offer is declined, the next-ranked candidate will be offered the position. 

*Disadvantaged circumstances will be evaluated as one or a combination of economic, educational and cultural-social factors.

• Economic factors include: a demonstrated history of low income of applicant and family unit prior to college entrance and pre-veterinary education; level of financial support provided by applicant to the family unit prior and during pre-veterinary education; if applicant has a major financial responsibility to a household; and history of financial aid.

• Educational factors include: inadequate early education because of frequent change of schools during elementary and secondary education; unusual number of hours of employment or necessitated other time commitments for supporting self or family unit during high school and pre-veterinary education; lack of exposure to academic role models and of participation in sound educational programs.

• Cultural/environmental factors include: born to immigrant parents; reared in an ethnic minority culture; reared in a family with English as a second language; experienced cultural stress as a result of transition from a predominantly ethnic minority community to an academic environment; reared in an economically depressed area; reared by someone other than parents; reared in an environment lacking exposure to opportunities offered by higher education; reared in an environment of abuse such as alcohol, drugs, child abuse and other physical abuse.

Orientation - Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The selected students will be expected to attend a half day orientation on Tuesday before Fall classes begin. This orientation will introduce participating faculty and peer mentors and provide details of expectations of the program.

Expectations of the Program

Fall

(No official enrollment required unless by choice of student)

1. Critical: Establish Colorado domicile by the end of July (latest date is one year from the planned date of matriculation in the PVM program the following fall). It is the student's responsibility to take the steps necessary to establish domicile. All Vet Prep students are required to contact the Tuition Classification Office at (970) 491-6321 to verify steps needed to quality for a Colorado position in the veterinary program. Be sure to comment that you will be establishing domicile for the purposes of admission to the veterinary program. Plan on moving to Colorado , at the latest, by the end of July in order to leave plenty of time to establish domicile by the required date.
2. Attend required half-day orientation in late August.
3. Take VS 331 Histology (online + 1-hour microscope lab/week). Options include :
   • Take the course but do not enroll.
   • Register for one credit of Independent Study (if need eligibility for CSU student services and/or Student hourly employment).
   • Register for 6 credits of coursework (4 credits of VS331 and 2 credits of Independent Study - in order to maintain Financial Aid status.)
   • Enroll for a full-credit semester (if needed or desirable for other reasons determined by student, e.g to complete one or more preveterinary requirements or a degree).
4. Meet once weekly as a group with program director (and program co-directors as available)
5. Update Colorado Supplemental Applications.

Spring

(Students must enroll in undergraduate courses at CSU full-time - minimum 12 semester credits)

1. Course requirements (depending on previous coursework)
   • Pharmacology (BMS450)
   • Physiology (BMS300, BMS360 or BMS501, depending on previous physiology coursework)
   • Independent Study (weekly 1-hour session of student-chosen topics facilitated by Program Director)
   • Elective biomedical sciences course (as determined by student in consultation with program director)
2. Submit FAFSA (if requesting financial aid for PVM program); be sure to include “Parental Data” to be eligible for potential “Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students.”*

*Veterinary students from disadvantaged backgrounds are considered for Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) all four years of the veterinary program (as funds are available and as individual students qualify). Qualified Vet Prep students are ranked preferentially for these scholarships (current range $3-5,000/year). Please contact Dr. Sherry Stewart at Sherry.Stewart@colostate.edu for additional information about the SDS award.

Summer

(No official enrollment required)

1. Course requirement
   • VS333 Gross Anatomy of Domestic Animals (condensed to 6-week session, mid May -late June). Includes gross dissection laboratory (detailed dissection of embalmed canine cadaver plus fresh equine limbs as available – also condensed to 6-week session)
     Students should plan on being engaged in class activities 8am-3 pm daily M-F.
2. Meet once weekly as a group with program director.

Guaranteed Admission to the PVM Program:

In order to meet the guaranteed admissions provision, students must:

1. obtain a C grade or better in all coursework (including fall and summer courses) .
2. complete all academic requirements with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (including fall, spring and summer courses) .
3. be eligible for a Colorado position via having established domicile by the appropriate date (alternately student will have the option of a guaranteed Non-sponsored position ).

 

Appeals

Students who are dismissed from the VetPrep Program for failing to maintain minimum requirements may appeal the decision within 30 days.  Appeals must be in writing and directed to the Assistant Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs.