Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Interested in being a veterinarian? Our pre-veterinary medicine program will prepare you for the next step in your career.
Specialized support is available to pre-veterinary medicine students through the Health Careers Center.
Pursue Your Passion for Animal Well-Being
Offering a thoughtfully designed curriculum and remarkable learning opportunities, you will be well prepared for a career as a veterinarian. Pre-veterinary medicine is not a major at UW-Eau Claire, but rather a declaration of your intention to enroll in a graduate-level veterinary program and become a veterinarian.
Careers in veterinary medicine deal with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all animal species, both domesticated and wild. A specific major is not required to get into veterinary school, but many UWEC pre-veterinary medicine students choose to major in biology, chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology, or biology with a microbiology emphasis.
Entry into vet school is based on a student’s academic record, interviews, letters of recommendation, and other criteria set by particular programs. Most schools of veterinary medicine also require applicants to obtain direct experience in the veterinary medical profession and in the care and handling of animals. This should include experience with both small animals and food-producing animals and is typically done through practicing veterinarians.
Pre-vet students are supported by exceptional advisors and faculty members, including the Health Careers Center who stays current on pre-vet requirements and trends in the veterinary medicine school application process and will help you understand what it takes to develop a competitive application.
Program Details
Are you planning a future in a health career? UW-Eau Claire is one of only a few schools of its size with a specialized Health Careers Center dedicated to helping you achieve your health career goals. We offer access to targeted programming, high-quality clinical and volunteering opportunities, and personalized academic and pre-professional advising delivered by our caring expert staff.
Courses are taught by expert, engaged faculty who will take time to invest in you. Your professors will know you by name and will do all they can to support you in earning your bachelor's degree. Utilize them to get the most out of your education, whether it's through research collaborations, career advice, or a letter of recommendation.
While pursuing your undergraduate degree at UWEC, you'll learn alongside a small team of students who, like you, have a love for helping keep animals safe and healthy. You and your peers may find yourself volunteering at the humane society or Bob’s House for Dogs, a local dog shelter, or swapping ideas on how to best prepare your application for veterinary school. Access to pre-veterinary medicine advisors help make planning out your semesters easy, as well as help you secure a major you are passionate about.
Blugold Stories
Students in an animal behavior class analyzed the differences between herding and toy breeds, male and female dogs, and rescued and non-rescued pets. This unique research gave Blugolds experience in the field and a close look at how domestication can affect an animal’s biology.
Where can the pre-veterinary medicine program lead me after graduation?
After earning your undergraduate degree from UWEC, your next step towards becoming a veterinarian is enrolling in a veterinary school for the advanced professional degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or VMD).
UWEC acceptance rate for students to veterinary schools is above the national average. More importantly, our students feel well-prepared for their professional school and do well once they're accepted. Most UWEC students attend the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, or the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.
Courses you can expect as a pre-veterinary medicine student include general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, introductory and advanced biology, physics, and statistics. Requirements vary by program and students should connect with the Health Careers Center and access pre health advising information early and often. Visit the Health Careers Center for a more detailed guide on pre-vet advising.
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