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In the College of Veterinary Medicine .
The D.V.M. program is made up of two types of courses: Foundation and Distribution. All students take Foundation courses at the same time, in a prescribed sequence. The entire program takes four years to complete (174.5 credits of in-person study).
Foundation courses account for approximately 70% for the credits required for graduation, reflecting the College’s commitment to a broad, generalize veterinary education.
Distribution courses make up the remaining 30% of the credits required for graduation and offer students an opportunity to pursue their individual interests through a system of structured choices.
Coursework
Foundation Course Requirements
Foundation/Core Course Requirements (excluding clinical year rotations)(credits noted in parentheses)
Total Foundation/Core Course Credits Required (excluding clinical year rotations): 97.5
Elective Course Requirements (excluding clinical year)
May choose any elective courses outside clinical rotation to meet requirements, requirement/limitations noted below.
Must Choose One Anatomy Elective (required minimum 3 credits):
VTMED 6100 - Anatomy of the Carnivore (3)
VTMED 6101 - Anatomy of the Horse (3)
VTMED 6102 - Anatomy of the Ruminant (3)
VTMED 6103 - Comparative Anatomy: Pattern and Function (3)
Teaching, Special and Research Projects (VTMED 6897, VTMED 6898 and VTMED 6899)
Limit of 10 credits total, see semester and class year limits on application information.
Total Elective Course Credits Required (excluding clinical Year): 31
Foundation (Core) Clinical Rotations (2 credits each)
Total Foundation/Core Clinical Year Rotation Requirements: 26
Clinical Year Pathway Rotation Requirements (7 blocks) *
Pathways are listed below. The makeup of the rotations for each is determined during the 2nd year.
*Once the pathway rotations are determined a student may revise up to three rotations if approved through the revision process.
- Small Animal
- Equine
- Mixed
- Exotic Pets/Small Animal
- Zoo/Wildlife
- Production
Total Pathway Clinical Year Rotation Requirements: 14
Clinical Year Elective Rotation Requirements (3 blocks)
May be satisfied by repeating a core rotation or any elective rotations (maximum repeat 3 blocks)
Total Elective Clinical Year Rotation Requirements: 6
Total Credits Required for Completion of Degree Requirements
Total Foundation/Core Course Credits Required (excluding clinical year rotations): 97.5
Total Elective Course Credits Required (excluding clinical Year): 31
Total Foundation/Core Clinical Year Rotation Requirements: 26
Total Pathway Clinical Year Rotation Requirements: 14
Total Elective Clinical Year Rotation Requirements: 6
Total Credits: 174.5
Required Curriculum Milestones (4 total)
The DVM program includes four Curriculum Milestones that each student must successfully complete before advancing to the next phase of the program and/or graduating. The three OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) Milestone exams are clinical skills assessments held at key points following relevant instruction. They ensure that students are competent in fundamental skills before they progress in the curriculum. The Fourth Year Milestone ensures that students meet performance expectations during their clinical rotation year and undertake any necessary remediation prior to graduation.
As degree requirements, the Milestones are not affiliated with a particular course. Rather, when successfully completed, the results are recorded on the student’s transcript. To help students track their progress, audits of their degree requirements include the Milestones.
First Year OSCE – Physical Examination
Appropriate remediation and retesting will be conducted as needed for any student who does not pass. If, after remediation a student does not pass this exam, the Class Teachers will be convened, and a decision will be made by that group on how to handle the student’s technical or knowledge-based limitation(s) based upon the Colleges Academic Standards and the Technical Skills guidelines.
Second Year OSCE – Surgical Skills
Students are required to pass the Surgical Skills OSCE before participating in surgical exercise laboratories. Appropriate remediation and retesting will be conducted as needed for any student who does not pass this exam. If after remediation a student does not pass the Surgical Skills OSCE, the Class Teachers will be convened, and a decision will be made by that group on how to handle the student’s technical or knowledge-based limitation(s) based upon the College’s Academic Standards and Technical Skills guidelines.
Third Year OSCE – Clinical Skills
A student who does not pass the Third Year OSCE will be permitted to work on their area(s) of weakness during the clinical year of training. Clinical rotations will be identified in which the deficient skill(s) can be reassessed. If those identified rotations(s) is/are successfully completed, the Milestone will be considered complete. If a student does not pass the Third Year OSCE and then demonstrates deficiencies in one or more of the identified clinical rotations, or, in the rare case in which at student’s performance on the Third Year OSCE is deemed extremely deficient (for instance failing grades on all portions of the OSCE), the Class Teachers will be convened to make recommendations, based up on the College’s Academic Standards and the Technical Skills guidelines.
Fourth Year Milestone
A student earns this milestone by successfully completing their clinical year requirements, including any required remediations assigned by the Clinical Assessment and Teaching Support Committee. Students who do not earn this milestone by the end of the clinical year will have up to 7 clinical rotation blocks to successfully complete their required remediation and earn the milestone. Students who do not earn this milestone within this time frame will be administratively withdrawn from the college with no opportunity to reapply or otherwise continue in the DVM program.
Administrative Requirements
- Payment of any outstanding amounts due the College of Veterinary Medicine or other units of Cornell University
- Completion of Exit Interview required of all financial aid recipients
Reminders
- It is your responsibility to know the requirements for graduation and to complete them on time. You may check your progress towards degree completion using the “Academic Requirements” tab in student center. Be aware that courses with “R” and “Incomplete” grades do not count.
- Complete any course(s) for which you receive an “Incomplete” within the time specified by the course instructor and notify my office, in writing, immediately upon completion. Then, check your grade record on Student Center a week or two later to confirm that the grade has been recorded. This is important since faculty members are entitled to sabbatical leave, retirement, and other absences from the college, and may not be around to help clean up your record the last minute before graduation.
Other Requirements
- To receive the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree, candidates must successfully complete curricular requirements, pay all fees, and be recommended for graduation by the faculty of the college.
- Residency and Full Time Student Status (8 semesters/terms)
- Eight semesters (fall and spring) of full-time study is required. External transfer students are credited with one semester in residence for each full-time semester (or equivalent) earned at another institution. To satisfy a semester in residence a student must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 credit hours. Carrying fewer than 12 credits will have financial aid implications, potential impacts for international student status and subject to academic review.
*The DVM program is not eligible for pro-rated tuition or In Absentia status*
- All graduation requirements for the DVM degree must be completed within six years of a student’s initial registration in the DVM program. This requirement applies to all veterinary students except those participating in the DVM/PhD degree pathway (two years DVM, up to four years PhD, two years DVM total up to eight years of a student’s initial registration in the DVM program).
- Maximum enrollment of 23.5 credits per semester.
- May not graduate with any outstanding incomplete grades.
- Final GPA of 2.0 or higher.
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