The primary focus of the professional curriculum of the Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is the four-year (8 Semesters), full-time academic and clinical degree program leading to the degree Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM).
Academics
Curriculum Overview
The veterinary curriculum has been designed with the end in mind - to prepare the ideal graduates of tomorrow. As such, the curriculum is designed to be both horizontally and vertically integrated, i.e., as often as possible material taught in a given semester is aligned and considered across courses, while at the same time, conceptual bridges are built toward the material to be presented in future semesters.
The curriculum is built on the philosophy of "clinical immersion" - a practical approach to professional education that recognizes that medical knowledge must be developed side-by-side with clinical skills. These clinical skills include three vital areas: 1) problem-solving skills - clinical judgment, 2) people skills or communication skills, and 3) technical skills. The overall aim of the clinical immersion curriculum is to maximize clinical competency from Day One of the professional career.
The entire curriculum is taught with the One Health philosophy in mind. One Health recognizes the interaction between the health of animals, humans, and our shared environment, at both the individual and population levels.
The DVM curriculum is divided into two phases:
Pre-clinical Sciences (Semesters 1 through 6)
Clinical Experiences (Semesters 7 through 8)