Pre-Veterinary Medicine

Program Contact/Coordinator

David Knudsen, Professor
Department of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences
Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory 1122, Box 2175
605-688-5171

Pre-Professional Interest Area Information

The SDSU Pre-Veterinary Medicine program combines academic preparation, professional veterinary advising, and opportunities for gaining practical experience.  Each Pre-Veterinary student in the program is assigned an advisor who is a veterinarian from the SDSU Department of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences. Along with academic advising, this veterinary advisor will assist the student in the planning and preparation of an effective veterinary college application. The Pre-Veterinary Medicine program does not offer an academic degree within the program. While in the program, students also pursue a bachelor’s degree in a related field. In addition to veterinary advising from the Pre-Veterinary Medicine program, the student is also assigned an advisor in the home department for their selected major.

Admission to colleges of veterinary medicine (CVM) is both competitive and selective. A solid foundation in the sciences is basic to success in the veterinary profession, as are less tangible skills gained during Pre-Veterinary Medicine preparation, such as effective leadership and teamwork skills, time management, and priority setting. Scholastic performance in science prerequisite coursework, scores on aptitude tests such as the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), and achievement in campus and community activities are all used in the selection process for admission to a CVM. During the Pre-Veterinary preparatory period, animal health and veterinary experiences are important to the Pre-Veterinary Medicine student and highly valued by CVM admission committees.   This experience can be gained by volunteering or working at veterinary practices throughout the region, or through available part-time employment at the SDSU Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory or elsewhere on campus.

SDSU also offers an academic Animal Health Minor  designed to benefit Pre-Veterinary Medicine program students by encouraging them to complete electives in biomedical sciences and infectious disease while here at SDSU. These courses foreshadow much of the professional curriculum at any CVM. By making at least some areas of study easier at the professional school level, the student’s eventual success in that curriculum, and as veterinarians, can be enhanced.

Suggested Majors

• Animal Science (B.S.) - Science Specialization  
• Biology (B.S.)  
• Biotechnology (B.S.)  
• Dairy Production (B.S.)  
• Microbiology (B.S.)  
• Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (B.S.)