Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)
Program Information
The University of Guelph offers the degree program Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) at the Ontario Veterinary College. The program is offered during the Fall and Winter semesters only and normally requires four years to complete. The college is accredited jointly by the Canadian and American Veterinary Medical Association, and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons of Britain. The D.V.M. degree from Guelph is respected by veterinarians throughout the world.
Objectives of the Program
- The graduates should have the knowledge and skills appropriate to their career orientations and sufficient to allow the pursuit of a variety of careers in veterinary medicine, including graduate studies. They should be able to pass the examinations of all Canadian licensing bodies and must possess a fundamental core of academic veterinary science knowledge and of technical competence.
- The graduates must be able to solve animal health problems and must have knowledge of the management of domestic animals and the functioning of the various animal industries.
- The graduates must be able to communicate effectively, whether writing scientific papers or conversing with clients.
- Through a commitment to continuing education, the graduates must accept the professional responsibility to stay abreast of new developments and to pursue solutions to new problems.
- The graduates must have a genuine concern for the welfare of all animals. The graduates should be aware of their responsibilities to the profession in terms of ethical and professional conduct and have an understanding of the moral questions facing veterinarians.
- The graduates must have had the opportunity during their university tenure to develop a range of non-veterinary interests sufficient to equip them to take a responsible role in society.
Regulations for Licence to Practise
Graduates are eligible to practise in Canada, but the degree in veterinary medicine does not in itself confer the right to practise. For information on matters relative to licence to practise in the various provinces of Canada, students should communicate with
Canadian Veterinary Medical Association
339 Booth Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1R 7K1
who will refer them to the appropriate provincial veterinary association.
Admission to the Veterinary Medicine Program
Complete details on admission requirements and procedures are listed in Chapter IV--Admission Information. Additional information may be found at: http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/recruitment/en/index.asp/.
Academic Counselling
The Office of the Associate Dean, Students & Academic provides academic counselling and referral to other appropriate resources for all D.V.M. students. In particular, students who are requesting a Supplemental Assessment are required to meet with the Associate Dean so that the student can be informed of appropriate resources (such as Learning and Writing Services and the Student Wellness services) and use them to deal with their academic difficulties.
Conditions for Continuation of Study
For supplemental and deferred assessments, all students in the D.V.M. Program are subject to Deferred Assessment Procedures and Supplemental Assessment Procedures outlined in Chapter VIII--Undergraduate Degree Regulations and Procedures.
For continuation of study, a student must satisfy the conditions presented below. In order to graduate, students must fulfill the course requirements for the program and have achieved at least a 60% Program Average (PA). The Academic Review Sub-Committee will assess all cases where a student's academic progress does not meet the Continuation of Study requirements and will interpret the academic regulations. The requirements will be applied with due consideration to the credit weights of the course, the role of the course in the Phase and the degree of integration of the course with concurrently required courses , and in light of the student's particular circumstances (see Chapter VIII--Undergraduate Degree Regulations and Procedures).
Full-time Study
The D.V.M. program is offered as a full-time program and normally requires four years (over the equivalent of eight academic semesters at the University of Guelph) to complete. In exceptional extenuating circumstances, the Academic Review Sub-Committee may allow a student to take courses on a part-time basis. In these instances, the Academic Review Sub-Committee has the discretion to select the courses that the student will register in on a part-time basis. Students permitted to take courses on a part-time basis are cautioned that there is an enrolment limitation for the program and that access to certain courses or resumption of the program on a full-time basis will be conditional on the availability of space.
Failed Courses
- Continuation of study from one phase of the D.V.M. Program to the next is dependent on the successful completion of all courses, or approved equivalents, in the published schedule of studies for the D.V.M. Program.
- A student who fails one course in a Phase may be required to repeat all courses in the Phase. The consequences of failure of any particular course in the D.V.M. Program are as follows:
- Failure in any of the following courses result in the Repeat of the Course:
Course List Code Title Credits VETM*3210 Art of Veterinary Medicine I 0.50 VETM*3390 Developmental Biology 0.50 VETM*3430 Clinical Medicine I 0.25 VETM*3220 Art of Veterinary Medicine II 0.50 VETM*3440 Clinical Medicine II 0.50 VETM*3510 Principles of Surgery 0.25 VETM*4220 Art of Veterinary Medicine III 0.50 VETM*4450 Equine Medicine and Surgery 0.50 VETM*4530 Health Management III 0.50 VETM*4610 Small Animal Stream 7.50 VETM*4660 Rural Community Practice Stream 7.50 VETM*4710 Food Animal Stream 7.50 VETM*4870 Clinical Medicine III 0.25 VETM*4900 Veterinary Externship 2.50 VETM*4920 Equine Stream 7.50 - Failure in any of the following courses result in the Repeat of the Phase:
This information is also available as part of the Phase Handbooks.Course List Code Title Credits VETM*3070 Veterinary Anatomy 2.00 VETM*3080 Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry 2.00 VETM*3120 Veterinary Histology and General Pathology 0.75 VETM*3400 Health Management I 0.75 VETM*3410 Health Management II 0.75 VETM*3450 Principles of Disease in Veterinary Medicine 2.75 VETM*3460 Theriogenology 0.75 VETM*3470 Anaesthesiology and Pharmacology 0.75 VETM*4460 Food Animal Medicine and Surgery 1.00 VETM*4470 Medicine and Surgery of Dog and Cat 1.00 VETM*4480 Comparative Medicine 0.75 VETM*4490 Systems Pathology 1.00 VETM*4540 Surgical Exercises 1.75
- Failure in any of the following courses result in the Repeat of the Course:
- A student will be allowed to fail a particular course only once. Any student who fails the same course twice will be required to withdraw and will be ineligible for readmission to the D.V.M. Program.
- Grades obtained by D.V.M. students who repeat one or more VETM course(s) will be reported on the transcript in addition to the original course grade. In the instance where all courses in a Phase are repeated, the grades from the repeated VETM courses will constitute the new Phase Average (PHA). The new D.V.M. Program Average will include the grades obtained in both the original and repeated VETM course attempts.
Supplemental Assessments
- In the circumstances of a failed course, the Academic Review Sub-Committee may, if appropriate and under special circumstances only, allow a student the opportunity to gain credit standing in a failed course by granting a supplemental assessment (see Failed Courses and Supplemental Assessment in Chapter VIII). Students must request a supplemental assessment by submitting the request to the Academic Review Sub-Committee, and the fee for the assessment, within 7 days of the release of grades for the phase in which the failure occurred. The Academic Review Sub-Committee, upon receiving a request from a student, and after consulting with the instructor and reviewing the student's course performance, will determine whether a supplemental assessment should be granted.
- Students will be permitted supplemental assessments in a maximum of two courses over the entire D.V.M. Program. A supplemental assessment will not be granted for a second failure in a course. Any student granted a supplemental assessment must meet with the Associate Dean for Students & Academic who will inform the student of appropriate resources to be used to deal with their academic difficulties.
Conditions for Graduation
In order to qualify for graduation from the D.V.M. program, the student must have completed successfully all of the courses approved for the program. Students will not be allowed to graduate with a PA of < 60% or PHA of < 60% in Phase 4.
Voluntary Withdrawal from the Program
For the D.V.M. program, students must seek advice from, and submit a Request for Withdrawal form to, the Associate Dean, Students and Academic when voluntarily withdrawing from the program. Students who have voluntarily withdrawn from the D.V.M. program and who wish to return must give notice to the Associate Dean, Students and Academic O.V.C of their intention to return by May 31 if they wish to return in September of the upcoming academic year. Students contemplating a withdrawal from the program are cautioned that there is an enrolment limitation for the program and that re-entry will be conditional on the availability of space. The Program Committee reserves the right to select the quota from among the qualified applicants.
Estimate of Expenses
Attention is drawn to Chapter VI--Schedule of Fees for information on tuition, University student organizations and rabies immunization required for all students in the program. In addition, while the college supplies most laboratory equipment, students may wish to purchase instruments for personal use. Texts, protective clothing, and a minimum of supplies for personal use may cost approximately $500 per semester.
Health and Safety
Students must follow the health and safety policies required for the various courses in the veterinary program. Pregnant students and others with increased medical risks should consult Health Services concerning potential health risks which may occur during the normal course of their studies.
Immunization against rabies is a requirement for admission and continuation in the D.V.M. Program. Annual rabies titres and booster immunizations (if necessary) are mandatory for all Program participants. Prospective students and in-course students should contact Student Health Services (519-824-4120 extension 52131) for further information and guidance about the rabies surveillance program. Faculty and staff members should contact Occupational Health Services, extension 52133, for information about medical surveillance programs provided in accordance with University Safety Policy 851.13.03.
Schedule 5 (D.V.M. Continuation of Study)
Continuation of Study is assessed on the student's D.V.M. Program Average (not the University Cumulative Average) and according to the policy on failures as stated above.
In Phase 2 and beyond, eligibility to continue is also assessed at the end of each Phase using the Phase Average (PHA). Courses that are given a grade of Pass or Fail do not affect either the PA or PHA because they are not attached to any numerical grade.
Students required to repeat a Phase must achieve the required PA of greater than or equal to 60% by the end of the repeated Phase. If a student does not achieve the required standing by the end of the repeated Phase, they will normally be required to withdraw from the program.
The required averages are as follows:
For Course Attempts in Phase I
Continuation of Study Assessment for DVM Students in Phase 1
| Program Average (PA) | Status of Student |
|---|---|
| PA < 50% | Required to Withdraw |
| PA ≥ 50% but < 60% | Required to Repeat Phase |
| PA ≥ 60% | Eligible to Continue |
For Course Attempts in Phase 2 and Phase 3
Continuation of Study Assessment for DVM Students in Phase 2 and Phase 3
| Program Average (PA) and Phase Average (PHA) | Status of Student |
|---|---|
| PHA < 50% | Required to Withdraw |
| PA or PHA ≥ 50% but < 60% | Required to Repeat Phase1 |
| PA and PHA ≥ 60% | Eligible to Continue |
- 1
Students required to repeat Phase 3 will not be permitted to proceed to the Externship course prior to Phase 4.
If Repeating Phase 1, 2, or 3
Continuation of Study Assessment for DVM Students Repeating Phase 1, 2 or 3
| Program Average (PA) | Status of Student |
|---|---|
| PA < 60% | Required to Withdraw |
| PA ≥ 60% | Eligible to Continue |
For Course Attempts in Phase 4
Continuation of Study Assessment for DVM Students in Phase 4
| Program Average (PA) and Phase Average (PHA) | Status of Student |
|---|---|
| PHA < 50% | Required to Withdraw |
| PA or PHA ≥ 50% but < 60% | Required to Remediate2 |
| PA and PHA ≥ 60% | Eligible to Continue3 |
- 2
Students finishing Phase 4 with a PA or PHA > 50% but < 60%, will not be permitted to graduate. The Academic Review Sub-Committee will establish the appropriate remediation requirements that must be fulfilled in order for the student to obtain the standing of Eligible to Graduate. These may include repeating a component of a course, one or more entire courses, or one or more clinical rotations.
- 3
Students finishing Phase 4 with a PA and PHA ≥ 60% and having satisfied all course requirements for the program are Eligible to Graduate.
Schedule of Studies
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | ||
| VETM*3070 | Veterinary Anatomy | 2.00 |
| VETM*3080 | Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry | 2.00 |
| VETM*3120 | Veterinary Histology and General Pathology | 0.75 |
| VETM*3210 | Art of Veterinary Medicine I | 0.50 |
| VETM*3390 | Developmental Biology | 0.50 |
| VETM*3400 | Health Management I | 0.75 |
| VETM*3430 | Clinical Medicine I | 0.25 |
| Phase 2 | ||
| VETM*3220 | Art of Veterinary Medicine II | 0.50 |
| VETM*3410 | Health Management II | 0.75 |
| VETM*3440 | Clinical Medicine II | 0.50 |
| VETM*3450 | Principles of Disease in Veterinary Medicine | 2.75 |
| VETM*3460 | Theriogenology | 0.75 |
| VETM*3470 | Anaesthesiology and Pharmacology | 0.75 |
| VETM*3510 | Principles of Surgery | 0.25 |
| Phase 3 | ||
| VETM*4220 | Art of Veterinary Medicine III | 0.50 |
| VETM*4420 | Clinical Pharmacology | 0.25 |
| VETM*4450 | Equine Medicine and Surgery | 0.50 |
| VETM*4460 | Food Animal Medicine and Surgery | 1.00 |
| VETM*4470 | Medicine and Surgery of Dog and Cat | 1.00 |
| VETM*4480 | Comparative Medicine | 0.75 |
| VETM*4490 | Systems Pathology | 1.00 |
| VETM*4530 | Health Management III | 0.50 |
| VETM*4540 | Surgical Exercises | 1.75 |
| VETM*4870 | Clinical Medicine III | 0.25 |
| Phase 4 | ||
| Students entering into the Phase 4 of the DVM Program will select an area of emphasis from the following: | ||
| Small Animal Stream | ||
| VETM*4610 | Small Animal Stream | 7.50 |
| VETM*4900 | Veterinary Externship | 2.50 |
| Rural Community Practice Stream | ||
| VETM*4660 | Rural Community Practice Stream | 7.50 |
| VETM*4900 | Veterinary Externship | 2.50 |
| Equine Stream | ||
| VETM*4920 | Equine Stream | 7.50 |
| VETM*4900 | Veterinary Externship | 2.50 |
| Food Animal Stream | ||
| VETM*4710 | Food Animal Stream | 7.50 |
| VETM*4900 | Veterinary Externship | 2.50 |