Physical Abilities Statement
Important Information for Applicants to Cornell's D.V.M. Program
The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree attests to
the acquisition of skills and knowledge required for the practice
of veterinary medicine. The D.V.M. curriculum is necessarily broad
in the variety of its educational experiences. All of these experiences
contribute to the goal of educating students to be veterinarians.
For that reason, a criterion for selection is that candidates
for admission be capable of completing all aspects of the curriculum.
Veterinary Medicine is an exciting and rewarding profession.
The opportunities in clinical practice, in research, and in public
health are almost unlimited. At Cornell, the curriculum is designed
to impart the learning and cognitive skills that will enable graduates
to cope with the steady increase in knowledge and sophistication
occurring in all areas of the profession. However, those aspiring
to be veterinarians should realize that the life of a veterinary
student is arduous and requires mental and physical stamina. Long
days are particularly common during the clinical years. It is
not unusual for each third and fourth year student on clinical
duty to start the day with responsibility for the care of three
to five different animal patients. Typically, students on clinical
duty arrive at the hospital between 6:00 and 7:00 AM. Physical
examinations are performed on each patient; blood, urine or fecal
specimens are obtained for diagnostic testing; and medications
are administered. Detailed reports that document changes in each
patient's condition, explain diagnostic test results, describe
surgical approaches and outcomes, and outline the direction of
future therapies are written in the medical record. Students may
then participate in ward rounds with other veterinary students
and the chief of service. Interspersed between additional diagnostic
evaluations (for example, obtaining biopsies or performing ultrasonographic,
radiographic or CAT scans), students examine and admit new cases
to the hospital, assist in surgery, communicate with owners of
animal patients, and write instructions for the care of patients
being discharged. At the end of the day, most clinical services
hold rounds to discuss the day's events and use these experiences
for to integrate and assimilate learning. For students participating
in the large animal ambulatory services, days may begin early
to accommodate visits to several different farms or stables and
may end late depending upon the season and the size of the herds
visited. Emergency cases and after hour treatments are also a
routine part of veterinary medicine whether large or small animals
are involved. Thus, the life of the veterinary student is stimulating
and varied but can be demanding. However, it is during the clinical
years of veterinary school that the student has the opportunity
to integrate and apply the knowledge acquired in the pre-clinical
years and to do so under the guidance of faculty and staff veterinarians
who are experienced in the many aspects of the profession.
Certain students may find some of the routine duties expected
of veterinary students to be difficult or impossible. For example,
when the sense of hearing is impaired, the inability to hear heart,
gastrointestinal, or respiratory sounds may preclude accurate
evaluation of patients. The lack of sufficient motor skills and
the coordination necessary to restrain patients and to obtain
information by palpation, manipulation, and percussion may also
compromise diagnosis. Reduced physical agility may impair the
student's ability to avoid injury caused by animal patients. Lack
of stamina may prevent the student from functioning at the necessary
level of proficiency, even when the student has worked long hours.
The inability to assimilate and analyze diagnostic data for several
patients simultaneously may seriously compromise effective patient
care. Individuals considering a career in veterinary medicine
are strongly encouraged to work with a practicing veterinarian
and to be aware of the mental and physical demands of the profession.
