2002-2003 Edition
Texas A&M University Undergraduate CatalogTexas A&M University Undergraduate Catalog
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Professional Curriculum in Veterinary Medicine

The professional curriculum seeks to deliver to the veterinary medical profession a student fully equipped to begin a medical career in the arts and sciences of animal health and disease. Emphasis on professional specialization is reserved for graduate programs.

Veterinary medicine encompasses the full scope of the technology of animal health and disease, including the sciences and arts of disease prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. The professional curriculum begins at the basic level and systematically moves to the clinically applied.

Graduates are qualified to formulate and implement programs for disease control and prevention in domestic farm animals, poultry, pet animals, zoo animals, fur-bearing animals, laboratory animals and wildlife. They are equipped to administer and advise in the public health problems arising from intertransmission of diseases between humans and lower animals. They are prepared for inspection work in milk and meat hygiene and in food processing plants. They are capable of performing animal disease regulatory duties for governmental agencies. They are oriented for professional careers in the armed forces.

The degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine is awarded to the student upon successful completion of the professional curriculum in veterinary medicine.

The graduate has a wide choice of fields within the veterinary professional framework in which to begin a specialization with full confidence that he or she has received the training necessary for success.

Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Science

Many students in the professional veterinary medical curriculum hold a bachelor's degree or other advanced degree. Others have accumulated considerable credit toward a bachelor's degree and are encouraged to seek completion of these degrees at their undergraduate institution or major department. In some instances, the undergraduate institution may recognize some course work in the professional curriculum as partial fulfillment of requirements for the bachelor's degree.

For those students not receiving or possessing a baccalaureate degree in another major, the Bachelor of Science in veterinary science may be sought upon satisfactory completion of the preprofessional requirements, the University Core Curriculum requirements and the first two regular semesters of required courses in the professional curriculum in veterinary medicine provided the student files application for the degree to be conferred at the University commencement in December following the close of the second semester of the professional curriculum, and provided he or she meets all other University requirements for the degree.

Academic Regulations

Each professional student, upon registering, will receive a copy of the College of Veterinary Medicine Professional Student Handbook which contains the college's policies on grading, promotion, dismissal, probation, grievance procedures, withdrawal, personal conduct and the honor code. Because matriculation in veterinary medicine is a privilege and not a right, the faculty retains the prerogative to request withdrawal of any student who does not attain adequate academic performance or who does not exhibit the personal qualifications prerequisite to the practice of veterinary medicine. These criteria shall apply at all times during the curriculum. Academic performance will not be the only factor in determining admission, promotion, graduation or request for withdrawal.

Scholastic Deficiency

An average grade of C and passing grades in all courses in the professional curriculum are the minimal scholastic achievements considered to be satisfactory. When a student's scholastic performance falls below the minimal satisfactory level in any term, scholastic probation may be imposed or the student may be dropped from the professional curriculum or placed on scholastic suspension from the University.

Scholastic probation is conditional permission for a student to continue in the professional curriculum under the conditions of the probation while working to remove any deficiencies. A student's failure to meet the conditions of scholastic probation may result in dismissal from the professional curriculum or suspension from the University at the end of any term for which scholastic probation is imposed. The terms of the probation are determined by the Academic Progress Committee for the year of the curriculum in which scholastic deficiency occurs. A student who fails any course prescribed in the professional curriculum or who otherwise fails to achieve satisfactory scholastic progress may be dropped from the curriculum for cause.

Readmission

A student in the professional curriculum who voluntarily withdraws, or who is dropped from the rolls of the University or from the professional veterinary curriculum for cause, forfeits his or her standing and must apply for readmission and be approved before being re-enrolled by policies and procedures of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

NOTE: While every effort is made to assure accuracy and timeliness of this publication, the College of Veterinary Medicine is not responsible for any misrepresentation which might arise through error in the preparation of this catalog, or through failure to give notice of changes in its requirements, policies, tuition and fees, course offerings and other matters affecting students or applicants. The provisions of this catalog do not constitute an irrevocable contract between any student or applicant for admission into the professional curriculum of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Professional Curriculum in Veterinary Medicine

The professional curriculum in veterinary medicine is a four-year program. During the first three years, classes are scheduled on a semester basis. The fourth-year curriculum consists of 30 weeks of Basic Core Rotations, 12 weeks of elective clinical rotations or career alternative electives, 4 weeks of externship and 2 weeks of vacation. The fourth-year curriculum allows students to choose a species directed career, i.e., large animal or small animal, mixed animal or a career alternative elective.

First Year
Semester 1

(Th-Pr)

Cr

 

Semester 2

(Th-Pr)

Cr
VAPH 910 Gross Anatomy I

(2-6)

4

 

VAPH 912 Gross Anatomy II

(1-8)

4
VAPH 911 Microscopic Anatomy I

(2-6)

4

 

VAPH 913 Microscopic Anatomy II

(2-6)

4
VMID 912 Clinical Correlates I

(0-2)

1

 

VMID 913 Clinical Correlates II

(0-2)

1
VMID 981 Professional Development

(1-0)

1

 

VTPB 911 Microbiology II

(3-2)

4
VTPB 910 Microbiology I

(3-2)

4

 

VTPP 912 Physiology II

(5-2)

6
VTPP 910 Physiology I

(5-2)

6

 

 

(11-20)

19
 

(12-18)

20

 

 

 

 

 
Second Year
Semester 3

(Th-Pr)

Cr

 

Semester 4

(Th-Pr)

Cr
VMID 921 Clinical Correlates III

(1-2)

2

 

VMID 922 Clinical Correlates IV

(1-2)

2
VMID 950 Nutrition

(2-0)

2

 

VMID 923 Surgery/Anesthesiology

(3-2)

4
VTPB 920 Parasitology

(3-4)

5

 

VMID 924 Radiology

(2-2)

3
VTPB 922 Pathology I

(5-2)

6

 

VTPB 923 Pathology II

(5-2)

6
VTPP 924 Pharm./Toxicology I

(4-2)

5

 

VTPP 925 Pharm./Toxicology II

(2-2)

3
 

(15-10)

20

 

VTPP 926 Pharm./Toxicology III

(2-1)

2
 

 

 

 

 

(15-11)

20
 
Third Year
Semester 5

(Th-Pr)

Cr

 

Semester 6

(Th-Pr)

Cr
VAPH 930 Public Health

(4-0)

4

 

VAPH 950 Public Health Clerkship

(0-2)

1
VLAM 954 Large Animal Medicine

(5-4 2 )

6

 

VLAM 930 Adv. Equine Med. and Surgery

(3-0)

3
VMID 935 Surgery I

(2-4)

3

 

VLAM 931 Adv. Food Animal Med. and Surgery

(3-0)

3
VMID 952 Clinics I 3

(0-4)

1

 

VMID 936 Surgery II 6

(1-2)

2
VSAM 954 Small Animal Medicine I

(5-0)

6

 

VMID 943 Practice Management

(2-0)

2
VSAM/VLAM 953 Clinical Skills 4

(0-4)

1

 

VMID 952 Clinics I 3

(0-4)

1
(Dept) 948 Elective

(1-0)

1

 

VSAM 955 Small Animal Medicine II

(6-4)

6
 

Variable 5

 

 

VSAM/VLAM 953 Clinical Skills

(0-4)

1
 

 

 

 

(Dept.) 948 Elective

(1-0)

1
 

 

 

 

 
Variable 7

 

minimum of 17 credit hours

NOTES:
1. Students are required to take at least 5 hours of advanced medicine chosen from VSAM 930, VLAM 930 and/or VLAM 931. Each student must also take 10 hours of electives chosen from 948 courses offered by any of the departments.

2. There will be one 4 hour lab per week. This lab will be shared equally between the VLAM 954 and VSAM 954 courses.

3. Students will spend one month per semester in required clinical rotations. During that month they will spend 4 hours multiplied by two days per week for a total of 32 contact hours for the month. Additional elective clinic rotations (maximum of 2 additional) may be completed in the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital or with local practitioners on a space available basis.

4. Students will spend one month per semester in required skills modules (one each SA and LA). During that month they will spend 4 hours multiplied by one day per week for a total of 16 contact hours.

5. 16 hours lecture-4 hours lab for a minimum of 20 core credit hours. Additional hours may be taken in the form of electives (1 credit hour each) or elective clinic rotations (1 credit hour each). A minimum of 15 hours of electives must be taken by the end of the third year.

6. Surgery II will run for half the semester with remaining time used for electives or clinic rotations.

7. 9 hours lecture-5 hours lab for a minimum of 14 core credit hours. Students are required to take VSAM 955. VLAM 930/931 are optional; if taken, these hours count towards the required minimum of 15 hours of electives.

FOURTH YEAR

The fourth-year curriculum consists of 30 weeks of Basic Core Rotations, 12 weeks of elective clinical rotations or career alternative electives, 4 weeks of externship and 2 weeks of vacation for 46 credit hours. The fourth-year curriculum allows students to choose a species directed career, i.e., large animal or small animal, mixed animal or an alternative career elective.

BASIC CORE ROTATIONS*

AVAILABLE ROTATIONS*

 

 

Small Animal Clinic (10 weeks)

Small Animal Medicine

     Medicine 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 7

     Dermatology

     Medicine 5 (Comm. Prac.)

     Internal Medicine/Cardiology

     Surgery 1 (General)

     Internal Medicine/Oncology

     Surgery 2, 3 or 4

     Internal Medicine/Canine

     Small Animal Emergency/Critical      Care

     Internal Medicine/Feline

 

     Community Practice

Large Animal Clinic (10 weeks)

     Neurology/Neurosurgery

     Food Animal Medicine and Surgery

     Zoological Medicine and Surgery

     Equine Medicine and Surgery I and      II

 

     Field Services

Small Animal Surgery

     Large Animal Emergency/Critical      Care

     General

 

     Orthopedic

Anesthesiology (4 weeks)

     Soft Tissue

     Large Animal

     Ophthalmology

     Small Animal

 

 

Large Animal Clinic

Radiology (2 weeks)

     Food Animal Medicine and Surgery

     Large Animal

     Equine Medicine

     Small Animal

     Equine Surgery

 

     Food Animal Therio

Laboratory Services (4 weeks)

     Equine Therio

     Clinical Pathology/Necropsy

     Food Animal Field Service

     Clinical Microbiology and      Parasitology

     Equine Field Service

 

     TDCJ (Prison Rotation)

 

     Zoological Medicine and Surgery

 

 

 

Anesthesiology

 

 

 

Radiology

 

 

 

Laboratory Services

 

 

 

Alternative Career Electives on or off
Texas A&M campus

 

 

 

Externship

 

 

 

Vacation
* All rotations are two weeks.