Program Overview

Program Overview

The University of New Hampshire (UNH) offers a Pre-Veterinary Program designed for students interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. This well-established program serves over 200 students and provides rigorous academics that meet the requirements for veterinary school admission. The program is led by exceptional faculty, including board-certified veterinarians.

Curriculum and Requirements

The Pre-Veterinary Program at UNH involves a rigorous set of core sciences established for entrance into most professional schools. The program is flexible and tailored to individual student interests, with the goal of cultivating the "One Health" concept. This concept can lead to numerous career opportunities in the medical, veterinary, and health sciences.

• Recommended Courses Sequence for Incoming Freshmen:
  • First Year:
    • Fall Semester: BIOL 411 – Principles of Biology, CHEM 403 – General Chemistry, ENGL 401 - First-Year Writing, Discovery course
    • Spring Semester: BIOL 412 – Principles of Biology, CHEM 404 – General Chemistry, MATH 424B – Calculus for Life Sciences, Discovery course
  • Second Year:
    • Fall Semester: GEN 604 – Principles of Genetics, CHEM 651/652 – Organic Chemistry I, Discovery course, Elective
    • Spring Semester: BMS 503 – General Microbiology, CHEM 653/654 – Organic Chemistry II, Discovery course, Elective
  • Third Year:
    • Fall Semester: PHYS 401 – Introduction to Physics, BCHM 658/659 - General Biochemistry, BIOL 528 – Applied Biostatistics, Major Elective
    • Spring Semester: PHYS 402 – Introduction to Physics, Major Elective, Major Elective, Discovery course
  • Fourth Year:
    • Fall Semester: Major Elective (Capstone experience), Major Elective, Elective, Elective
    • Spring Semester: Major Elective, Major Elective, Elective, Elective

Four-Year Action Plan

The program outlines a four-year action plan to guide students through their undergraduate studies and prepare them for veterinary school applications.

• Freshmen Year:
  • Attend Intro to Veterinary Professions workshop and social
  • Meet with pre-vet advisor to learn pre-vet requirements
  • Review veterinary school admission requirements and develop a pre-vet course of study
  • Plan a tentative schedule for the next 3.5 years
  • Apply to the Honors Program or Honors-in-Major Program (if desired)
  • Develop study skills and maintain an excellent GPA
  • Attend The University Day Campus Picnic and Student Activities Fair
  • Begin extracurricular activities and participate in the pre-vet club
  • Work, volunteer, or shadow in veterinary, medical, and/or animal industry/biotechnology
  • Subscribe to veterinary and/or medical journals and read interesting books about health, medicine, and veterinary medicine
• Sophomore Year:
  • Continue to work, volunteer, or shadow in the veterinary and medical field
  • Meet with the pre-vet advisor to discuss the program
  • Fine-tune the college schedule
  • Read interesting books and journals in the veterinary and medical fields
  • Maintain an excellent GPA
  • Plan for any special junior-year program (e.g., study abroad, national exchange, honors, UROP, IROP, etc.)
  • Consider participating in research
  • Study for the GRE/MCAT (summer before junior year if taking the exam early)
• Junior Year:
  • Take the GRE/MCAT (if not yet taken)
  • Apply for the GRE/MCAT (if not yet taken)
  • Gather information about veterinary schools
  • Go to the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges website for links to specific schools
  • Start to narrow down the list of schools to which to apply and ensure all required courses are taken
  • Get applications through the Veterinary Medical Colleges' Application Service (VMCAS)
  • Check individual school admissions websites for supplemental applications
  • Begin preparing VMCAS essays
  • Request reference letters
  • Obtain, send, and review transcripts
  • Apply for the Early Acceptance Program (optional)
  • Visit nearby schools of interest
• Senior Year:
  • Continue to work, volunteer, or shadow in the veterinary and medical field
  • Meet with the pre-vet advisor to discuss the program
  • Fine-tune the college schedule
  • Read interesting books and journals in the medical and veterinary field
  • Maintain an excellent GPA
  • Take the GRE/MCAT in August to improve scores or if not yet taken
  • Apply to veterinary school
  • Complete supplemental applications and confirm that schools have received application materials and letters
  • Interview at veterinary schools (typically scheduled for January–March)
  • Complete financial aid forms
  • Look for local, state, national scholarships and awards
  • If wait-listed, send a letter confirming interest
  • Consider what to do the following summer (keep options open)
  • Accept an offer (generally by May 15)
  • Consider and/or accept additional offers; withdraw previous acceptances
  • Thank references and the pre-vet advisor for their help

Curriculum Electives

The pre-veterinary curriculum is very flexible, allowing students to go beyond the core requirements. The goal is to cultivate the "One Health" concept, leading to numerous career opportunities. Some elective examples include:

• Animal Rights and Societal Issues
• Coastal Ecology and Bioclimates
• Ethical Issues in Health Management and Medicine
• Field Marine Biology and Ecology
• Greek and Latin Origins of Medical Terms
• Health Management and Policy Critical Issues
• Human Genetics
• Infectious Diseases and Health
• Law, Medicine, and Morals
• Medical Anthropology: Illness and Healing
• Methods of Therapeutic Riding
• Psychobiology

Faculty

The program is led by exceptional faculty, including:

• André Brito, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Stephen Crawford, DVM, State Veterinarian
• Dean Elder, MS, DVM, Director, Animal Resources Officer
• Vanessa Grunkemeyer, DVM, DABVP (Avian), Lecturer
• Colleen Monahan, DVM, Dipl ACVP, Clinical Assistant Professor
• David Needle, D.V.M, Dipl. ACVP, Clinical Assistant Professor, Senior Veterinary Pathologist
• Sarah Proctor, MPH, DVM, Veterinary Technology Program Director, Clinical Assistant Professor
• Sarah Hamilton Rigg, Director of Equine Program & Principal Lecturer
• Inga Sidor, D.V.M., M.S., D.A.C.V.P., Clinical Associate Professor, Senior Veterinary Pathologist
• Roger Wells, DVM, Dipl ACVP, Emeritus Faculty

Veterinary School Admission Criteria

Admission to veterinary school is based on several criteria, including:

• Academic Credentials (50-60%): Overall Grade Point Average, Standardized Test Scores (GRE, MCAT)
• Quality of Academic Program (5-10%): Prerequisite Course and overall Grade Point Averages, Course selection, Academic minor, research projects, teaching assistantships
• Veterinary and Related Work Experiences (20%): Veterinary and animal-related experience and employment, Non-veterinary experience and employment, Research, veterinary specialty interests and experience
• Personal Attributes, Interests, and Achievements (10-15%): Leadership and interpersonal skills, Community service, social awareness, Work ethic, ability to handle stress, Interests, hobbies
• Personal Essay (5%): Communication Skills, Motivation for a career in veterinary medicine
• Letters of Evaluation (5%): Employers, Professors, Academic Advisor

Additional Resources

• Experience Activity Log
• ProMED
• One Health Initiative
• Food & Agriculture Organization
• USDA: Animal Health