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Cornell's Supplemental is Available Now On Paper and On-line Are you applying to Cornell's DVM Program this year? If so, you should call for our supplemental application today. Or better yet, complete our supplemental on-line. Our supplemental application will be on-line on September 1 and should be easier to complete than the paper version. Visit our web site for more information at: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/admissions/howtoapply.htm To request a paper application booklet, click here: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/admissions/application/inquiry.htm Military Scholarships for the Medical Professions If you are concerned about paying for a medical education, you may want to consider military scholarships. The U.S. Army offers scholarship packages for veterinary students that are very generous. At the time of this printing, these scholarships pay full tuition, other educational expenses and a stipend of about $10,000 for each of the four years of school. After graduation, the veterinarian enters the military at the level of captain with salary from $36,000 to $51,000 with a four-year commitment. Military veterinarians work in all branches (scholarships are centralized through the Army) in many different programs including: canine units, food safety programs, research programs and clinical services offered to on-base personnel and their pets. For more information, visit these web sites: http://www.goarmy.com/med/amedd.htm or http://vetpath1.afip.mil/vet_services/vs.html The Importance of Standardized Tests for Medical Schools. We often hear the question: "Why is so much emphasis placed on the admissions test?" In the medical professions, the answer is easy -- if you are not a good test taker, you may have difficulty gaining liscensure. Since one of the measures of a good medical school is the pass rate of its students on licensing boards, medical schools are reluctant to admit students who do not test well. There are other reasons, too. Medical programs measure the progress of their students through many in-house tests. If students do not have strong test-taking skills, the faculty may question the reliability of their standard in-house exams. Also, most of us would agree that tests raise our level of stress. Most medical students would tell you that medical school is a very stressful experience. If one cannot perform well in a stressful situation such as a test, is medical school the right place for that person? Last, standardized tests help equalize the differences in Grade Point Averages, another important admissions measure, when comparing different applicants with similar GPA's from different schools. Our advice is to prepare far in advance for the admissions test. Practice the test months beforehand. There are many software packages and printed materials to help you practice and prepare. If you are not a strong test-taker, take a preparation course. The courses available in the commercial world can be pricy, so be prepared for sticker shock. Some companies offer a money-back guarantee if they do not significantly improve your score (perhaps 100 points on the GRE). If you do a lot of your own preparation and practicing before the course, it is less likely commercial courses would increase your score -- so practice, practice, practice. To learn more about the GRE (the exam most veterinary schools use) call 1-800-GRE-Call or visit their web site at: http://www.gre.org An important note on the GRE: there are only two paper & pencil administrations remaining (November 7, 1998 and April 10, 1999). After April 1999, the test will be offered only in a computer-based format. The Advantages of Applying On-Line Do you prefer to do business on paper rather than on-line? You may want to consider the many advantages of applying on-line. First, if you enter your own data on-line, you will be careful and diligent to enter the data accurately. Second, you do not have to wait to receive the application via the mail because the forms are instantly available with an on-line application. Third, on-line applications are received by the admissions office much faster than via the mail. If a transmission error occurs, an electronic message should reach you within a day. If your paper application were not delivered by the post office, it may take weeks to learn of the problem. Last, entering data yourself not only ensures higher accuracy, but enables you to present information exactly as you want the admissions committee to see it. Applying on-line gives the applicant much more control over his/her application. We encourage you to apply to VMCAS on-line at: www.aavmc.org/vmcas or http://www.snapweb.com/vmcas/ We also encourage you to complete our supplemental on-line at: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/admissions/howtoapply.htm See Us At The Great NYS Fair in Syracuse Each year at the NYS Fair, veterinarians from around the State perform live animal surgical demonstrations (spays and neuters) to raise public awareness of pet population control. Cornell's DVM Admissions is represented at these surgeries to answer questions of those interested in entering the profession. The Fair begins Friday, August 28 and ends Labor Day, September 7. DVM students will be at the 3pm and 5pm surgeries on the weekends, and the Director of Admissions will attend the (3 & 5pm) surgeries on the weekdays. The surgeries are performed every day at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm in the DVM Building (Building #14). If you miss our representatives, visit our table in the Horticulture Building (#3). For more information on The Great NYS Fair visit: http://www.syracuse.com/statefair/ We'll see you at the Fair!!! Resources List for Specialties in Veterinary Medicine After our April newsletter was distributed we received many inquiries about further information on the article "Specialties in Veterinary Medicine." Below is a resource list of most of our profession's specialty organizations. American Board of Veterinary Toxicology American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine American College of Poultry Veterinarians American College of Theriogenologists American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists American College of Veterinary Behaviorists American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology American College of Veterinary Dermatology American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine American College of Veterinary Microbiologists American College of Veterinary Nutrition American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists American College of Veterinary Pathologists American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine American College of Veterinary Radiology American College of Veterinary Surgeons American College of Zoological Medicine American Veterinary Dental College Frequently Asked Questions About Prerequisites. All of the medical professions have virtually the same prerequisite admissions requirements at their medical schools. Most medical schools require or strongly prefer a year of English, General Biology, General (Inorganic) Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics. Most veterinary colleges also require Biochemistry and a math, usually statistics or calculus. Other common veterinary pre-requisites are microbiology and genetics. Cornell's DVM prerequisites are listed below. Pre-vets often ask questions about Cornell's policies concerning prerequisites such as... Why do you not accept AP credit? We want to see a college grade for each requirement. If one has placed out of biology, for example, we want to see a grade in a higher level biological science. (We do allow AP credit for physics as there is no appropriate higher level physics course one could take. Although introductory physics is important for any medical education, higher level physics is not crucial.) May courses other than English composition satisfy this requirement? Yes. Public speaking, writing intensives, and English literature course are acceptable. See below for more detailed information. Also, a GRE verbal score of 650 or higher will waive the composition requirement. May molecular biology or cell biology satisfy biochemistry or microbiology? Probably not, although if the course content is similar to the expected course contents we describe below for these courses, we are glad to make exceptions. Documentation -- usually a letter from a professor -- verifying the similarity in course content is always required before an exception is granted. May my science credits be more than 10 years old? We prefer to see applicants educated with the most current scientific knowledge but we often admit students who have kept current with scientific advancements through their employment or refresher courses and more current higher-level science courses. If I am doing poorly in a prerequisite, should I withdraw and start over? We require at least a "C-" in every prerequisite. If a "W" appears on your transcript for any course, we often conclude that the student is a quitter when the going gets tough. Since medical school is always tough, we would look down on withdrawing. If you earn less than a "C-" you would need to retake the course anyway, so don't withdraw. One possibility, ask if you could have an incomplete grade and do extra work to boost the final grade. Why do you not accept narrative grades? Narrative grades are difficult to compare with each other. We are in the business of objectively comparing students and their grades. Narrative grades take objectivity out of the admissions process. So we require letter grades for our prerequisites. Do all prerequisites need to be completed before I apply? No. You may have as many as four prerequisites courses (or 12 prereq. credits) in progress during the fall or planned for the spring term. Since organic chemistry is a prerequisite to biochemistry, organic chemistry should be completed at the time of application. If I cannot complete all prerequisites in a timely manner at my home college, which prerequisites are appropriate to take during the summer at a two year or other college near my summertime residence? We prefer seeing all courses taken at a challenging four year college, but if you need to take a course or two at a different school, physics is acceptable to take elsewhere. Below are our course requirements and some alternative ways to complete the requirements. The list of required courses represents minimum requirements; many applicants will have taken more course work in these topics than is minimally required. English Composition Though six semester credits are required in English composition, the Committee has stated that three of those credits may be fulfilled by a course in public speaking (that is, a course in which the student must write and present a number of speeches). A course in Communications (that is, a course in the theory of interpersonal communications) will not ordinarily meet this requirement, because such a course does not focus on the organization of verbal content in good English style. If your college does not teach English composition, you may fulfill this requirement by any course in which a majority of your grade depended on your ability to write in good style, as documented by a letter sent to the Admissions Office from the instructor. Many colleges offer writing intensive courses in lieu of English composition. A writing-intensive course will be accepted for English composition if documentation, for example, a photocopy of a catalog description, indicates that it is writing intensive. Some college transcripts note if a course is writing intensive, and that note on the transcript is acceptable as documentation. Biology Most applicants enroll in a full year of general biology with laboratory to fulfill this requirement. If you have received Advanced Placement (AP) credit for general biology, you should enroll in two higher-level biology courses with laboratory. We will note in judging the quality of your academic program that you have fulfilled the biology requirement at a level higher than the minimum requirement. General (Inorganic) Chemistry The expected course is the general chemistry course with laboratory required usually for a biological-sciences major. Students with AP credit for this course should enroll in additional higher-level chemistry (excluding other chemistry prerequisites) for the same number of credits received by advanced placement. If higher-level chemistry is taken due to AP credit, it will be noted on quality of academic program. Organic Chemistry In general, we expect you to complete a full year course in organic chemistry with laboratory. Some colleges offer a laboratory with each term of lecture; others offer a more extensive laboratory experience for only one of the two semesters (if on the semester system). Both systems are acceptable. Although the minimum credit requirement for organic chemistry is stated as six semester credits, most colleges teach this course for 8-10 semester credits. Two quarters of a three-quarter course will not satisfy this requirement. Microbiology This course, usually offered with laboratory for four semester credits, provides a general review of microbial cell types as well as the groups, cell structure and reproduction of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Courses in cell or molecular biology do not usually cover the same topics as a course in general microbiology. Biochemistry This course (which can also be offered under the title of physiological chemistry or biological chemistry) should be taken at the upper-division level with the prerequisite of organic chemistry. Major topics usually covered in a course in biochemistry are: proteins (amino acids and protein analysis), enzymes (kinetics, mechanism of action, and coenzymes), nucleic acids (nucleosides, nucleotides, and polynucleotides), carbohydrates, lipids, and metabolism (glycolysis, citric acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, urea cycle, etc.), and biosynthesis. A laboratory is not required with this lecture course. Most colleges teach a complete course in biochemistry in one semester. If you attend a college where biochemistry is offered as a full-year course, you should take the complete course, and your extra credits will be noted for the bonus for quality of academic program. Physics This should be a full-year course in college physics with laboratory, not necessarily requiring calculus as a prerequisite. We will accept Advanced Placement credits in lieu of this requirement. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CORNELL'S DVM APPLICANTS Due to the rigors of a veterinary education, and due to the Americans with Disabilities Act, our faculty have adopted a policy statement for our DVM applicants. This statement is printed in our supplemental application booklet and posted at our web site at: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/admissions/ability.htm GRADUATE EDUCATION AT CORNELL'S VETERINARY COLLEGE With each newsletter we provide information on our graduate programs. This month we focus on the Field of Immunology. The Field of Immunology offers advanced training in cellular immunology, immunochemistry, immunogenetics, immunopathology, and infection and immunity. Applicants to the field are expected to have completed basic training in the biological sciences. Students enrolled in the field are encouraged to complete eight credit hours of course work in immunology including two comprehensive lecture courses. A thesis is required. To enhance the quality and objectivity of the Ph.D. defense, an examiner from an institution other than Cornell takes part in the thesis review. Immunology graduates have found employment in research, teaching and administration. Two or more years of postdoctoral training are recommended for individuals who aspire to an academic career. Students interested in our immunology program are encouraged to contact our Office of the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education at 607-253-3755 or <dmc18@cornell.edu> Cornell's DVM Admissions Web Site Home Page http://www.vet.cornell.edu/admissions/ Past Newsletters & Selected Articles All Newsletters http://www.vet.cornell.edu/admissions/newsletters.htm August 1998 April 1998 February 1998 December 1997
Your Home State Veterinary College Is Always Your Best Bet September 1997
Is Veterinary Medicine More Difficult to Enter Than Human Medicine? June 1997
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