UofC

Admission to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is competitive and meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission. Students must be Alberta residents at the time of application, as defined by the Province of Alberta. The Admissions Committee recommends students for admission to the program on the basis of academic and non-academic factors. Students are assessed academically on performance in their last four full undergraduate terms and in the required courses (see Minimum Academic Requirements below). Selected applicants are invited for an interview where non-academic factors are assessed. At interview day, applicants are required to complete an on-site essay and participate in a series of interviews and other activities. The interview day will normally take place on a week-end in March at the Foothills campus. Applicants must attend interview day at their own expense. Three references are required. References must include an instructor at a post-secondary institution, a supervisor from a work/volunteer setting and a personal reference who is a non-relative.

Consistent with UCVM's mandate, preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate the attributes for successful careers in veterinary practice that support rural development and sustainability, and for careers related to our areas of emphasis. While no specific animal or veterinary-related experience is required, such experience is an asset. Understanding of the veterinary profession and animal industries relevant to the applicant's career interests is expected. This can be obtained through practical experience or through other means.

The application deadline will normally be in November for admission in the next fall term, with interviews in March in Calgary. The exact dates will be published each fall on our website and included in the application manual. Applicants will typically be notified of the Admissions Committee's decision no later than mid-June in the year of admission.

Applicants to the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine should ensure they have read the application manual which can be found on the Faculty website vet.ucalgary.ca/dvmapplication. The application manual details the latest requirements, processes and timelines for admissions.

To be eligible to apply, you must be an Alberta resident at the time of application. The Alberta Government Guidelines within the Student Financial Assistance Regulations will be used to determine residency status. Details of the residency requirements can be found on the Alberta Government website at: studentaid.alberta.ca/.

Proof of Alberta residency will be required with your application. Supporting documents must include both an Alberta Health Care card and a valid Alberta driver’s license or Alberta identification card. If you have any questions regarding your residency status, please email: vet.admissions@ucalgary.ca.

Indigenous Students

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine does not normally accept applications from students who have withdrawn, who have been required to withdraw, or who have been expelled from any school or college of veterinary medicine.

In selecting students, UCVM is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive admissions process. UCVM is committed to removing barriers that have been, and continue to be, encountered by equity-seeking groups, including but not limited to sex and gender, Indigenous peoples, visible/racialized minorities, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ2S+.

Physical and learning disabilities must not prevent the applicant, upon graduation, from demonstrating competency in the skills and procedures expected of an individual who has completed a DVM degree in an accredited institution.

Normally, the minimum academic requirements for an applicant to be considered for admission are:

(a) Completion of four or more terms (semesters) of full-time post-secondary undergraduate education at a recognized university or at a college providing university-equivalency in coursework. A full-time term is defined as a minimum of four courses per term (semester) completed during the standard Fall (September to December) and/or Winter (January to April) Terms. Repeat attempts on a course may not be used to meet the requirements of a full-time term (see “d” below). The third and/or fourth terms may be in progress at the time of application but at least four terms of undergraduate education must be completed by April 30th of the year of admission.

(b) A minimum combined grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 ("B" or its equivalent) over each of the last four full-time terms of undergraduate academic years, as defined above. The combined GPA of the last three undergraduate terms as of January of the year of admission will be used to calculate GPA for interview eligibility and selection. The last four terms as of April of the year of admission will be used to calculate GPA to determine eligibility. Applicants may use the average GPA of courses from their most recent graduate program to count towards their most recent full-time term provided that the graduate degree will be completed in the year of application prior to registration in the DVM program.

All units/credits completed during the Winter Term will be counted toward a student’s full-time status defined in (a) above.

Grades associated with courses taken during the Winter Term will only be considered when all units/credits presented on the transcript for the Winter Term are reported as a letter/numerical grade.

(c) A passing grade in each of the following required courses*. Once this requirement has been met courses will not be used further in the admissions process.

Two Introductory Biology courses
Two Introductory Chemistry courses
One Introductory English course
One Introductory Organic Chemistry course
One Introductory Statistics course
One Introductory Biochemistry course
One Introductory Genetics course
One Introductory Ecology course

*Required courses completed during the Winter Term that received credit using a non-weighted grading system (e.g., pass, credit received, completed requirements etc.) will be accepted as meeting the requirement, however, will not be included in the average calculation.

(d) A required course may not be repeated more than once for consideration. No more than four of the required courses may be repeated.

Applicants must have completed or be in the process of completing the required courses, with at least seven of the ten required courses being completed before December 31 in the year preceding admission. In-progress courses must be completed by April 30 of the year of admission. Repeat courses may not be used towards meeting the definition of a full-time term (see “b” above). A grade that is achieved from a repeat attempt on a required course cannot be used towards the four-term GPA.

Applicants are advised to monitor the UCVM website for any exceptions or changes to these requirements. Students requesting an exception to any aspect of the minimum academic requirements must do so at the time of application by completing the necessary section of the application form. Such requests will normally only be considered on submission of a complete application.

English language proficiency must be demonstrated for all applicants for whom English is not their first language. English language proficiency can be demonstrated in one of the following ways:

(a) Completion of at least two full years within a degree program offered by an accredited university in a country which the University of Calgary recognizes as English language proficiency exempt.

(b) A score of 100 with a minimum score of 27 in each sub-score on the TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language); OR

(c) A minimum score of 8.0 with no bands below a 7.0 on the IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System).

Online application forms and the current-year application manual for the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine are available on the Faculty website (vet.ucalgary.ca/dvmapplication). Applicants to the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine should ensure they have read the application manual and are familiar with the latest requirements and processes regarding the admissions process. Application deadlines are strictly followed.

Applications will be considered from those applicants who meet the stated residency, English and Minimum Academic Requirements. Application packages are to be submitted by the established deadlines along with the application fee. A current set of official transcripts must be submitted directly to the UCVM Admissions office. Applicants should delay submission of the first transcript until final marks from their Fall Term are available; the final submission deadline for Fall transcripts will be established each year but will normally be in the last week of January. Applicants are also required to provide official transcripts for the Winter Term as soon as they are available; the final submission deadline for Winter transcripts will be established each year but will normally be in the last week of May. Please consult the current year application manual for details.

Transcripts should be sent directly to the UCVM Admissions Office:

UCVM Admissions
TRW 2D03, 3280 Hospital Drive NW
Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6

Offers of Admission will be sent by email, typically during the first two weeks of June. You will have five working days to reply either by email (vet.admissions@ucalgary.ca) or telephone (403.220.8699) to this offer. You will have five working days from the date of your email or telephone call to submit (hand delivery, regular mail or courier) the signed acceptance page. You must also submit a deposit of $500.00 electronically to your Student Centre. Such deposits will be applied to the first year's fees. Failure to do so may result in the position being assigned to another applicant. An applicant who accepts a position but later rescinds the acceptance will forfeit the entire $500.00 deposit.

Official acceptance letters will be mailed upon receipt of the signed acceptance page and deposit. Letters to waitlisted students and students not admitted will be sent in the second week of June. If and when additional spaces become available, waitlisted students will be notified immediately. Please note that placements may be available well into the summer.

The Medical College Admission Test must be written by all applicants in advance of the application deadline such that adequate time is allowed to ensure that their MCAT scores will be available to the Admissions Committee on the deadline date. Normally that means writing the test by mid-August of the year of application. The last possible MCAT sitting for the current application cycle will be noted on the UCVM Admissions website (vet.ucalgary.ca/future-students/dvm-students-undergraduate-program/application-admission). Applicants should contact the MCAT Program Office (students-residents.aamc.org/taking-mcat-exam/taking-mcat-exam) for details about the test and they must instruct the organization to release their MCAT results to the University of Calgary.

Applicants to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine DVM program should also be aware that all applicants must complete the 2015 MCAT within three (3) years of the submission date of their application. A minimum MCAT score of 495 is required.

Interviews

Selection for an interview is based upon a threshold of academic performance during undergraduate study established by the four full-term GPA of = 3.00 and a Score of = 495 on the 2015 MCAT. Applications meeting or exceeding the threshold will then be called academically qualified applications and will be subject to a file review. The file review process includes both objective and subjective assessment of non- academic attributes by three (3) members of the File Review Subcommittee. The File Review Subcommittee will be blinded to the GPA and MCAT scores as well as sex, age and name of the applicant.

Applicants will be notified in February regarding whether or not they will be invited for an interview. The interview will take place at the University of Calgary in March. Applicants must attend the interview at their own expense. Applicants must take part in multiple mini-interviews (MMI), which the Committee will use to assess the candidates' non-academic qualifications and write an onsite essay.

Offer of Enrolment in the Class

The maximum number of interviews that can be offered is 128 per year. Each interviewed applicant is assigned an MMI score based on performance in the MMI and the score from an onsite essay written on the same day as the interview. The final admission offer decisions are made based on the final score, which consists of 70 per cent MMI Score and 30 per cent Essay Score.