Experience Categories

Reviewing veterinary experience provides the committee with an opportunity to evaluate an applicant’s exposure to and understanding of the field of veterinary medicine. Veterinary experiences should relate to any veterinary clinical, agribusiness, or health science experiences that took place under the supervision of a veterinarian. Applicants will be assessed on the quality, depth, and breadth of their experience. The admissions committee also considers your involvement in seminars, practicums, and other veterinary professional activities. All experiences can be paid or volunteer, or part of a classroom/internship program.

The committee values diverse experience indicating the applicant has exposure to multiple facets of veterinary medicine. This experience can be gained by working in multiple clinics, under multiple veterinarians, and with multiple species. It is recommended that experience hours generally align with your identified area of interest.

Do not list veterinary research experiences in this section. All research opportunities should be listed in the research section. The experiences you report in this section should also be different from those entered for animal and employment experience. 

Animal experiences should include animal-related activities not under the supervision of a veterinarian. The experiences you report in this section should be different from those entered for veterinary and employment experience. Animal experiences may include farm and ranch experiences; 4-H and FFA membership; animal training; classroom experiences; pet sitting; experience at rehabilitation facilities or humane societies and shelters; and breeding, rearing, feeding, and showing various companion animals, livestock, laboratory animals, zoo animals, or wildlife. Pet ownership is addressed in other areas of the application and should not be included in your animal experiences.

List and describe all paid work done outside of the animal or veterinary field, for example, a retail or restaurant job. Do not include any experience listed in veterinary, animal, or research experience. Both full-time and part-time work experience should be included in this section of the application, as it helps the committee with a composite evaluation of an applicant.

This information will help the admissions committee better understand the time commitments an applicant has beyond the classroom, as well as give some insight into the applicant’s work ethic.

Extracurricular activities should include those that have had a significant impact on your personal or professional development. Extracurricular activities may include (but are not limited to) participation in sports, clubs, music, arts, and hobbies. This information provides the admissions committee with an idea of how well-rounded an applicant you are and how outside activities may influence your academic record. High school activities may be listed here if directly relevant.

Research should include experiences in a research environment, regardless of whether they were related to animals or under the supervision of a veterinarian. Be specific about your work or involvement in the research experiences entered in this section – for example, data collection and analysis, animal husbandry, manuscript development, presentation, or publication of data. The admissions committee values an applicant’s experience in any field of research, and it does not have to be directly affiliated with veterinary medicine. Research is not required for admission to the DVM program.

Participation in community service activities is viewed as an indication of an applicant’s desire to contribute to society. This category includes volunteer work done outside of the animal care field, and examples include working for Habitat for Humanity, tutoring students, church activities, participating in or working for a fundraiser walk, donating blood, and donating time to political campaigns. Clearly and succinctly describe your level of participation in these activities. Volunteer activities affiliated with animals or veterinary medicine should be included in other experience categories.

List and describe honors, awards, or scholarships you have received, including those in high school. For achievements received in multiple years or semesters, you may either enter them as multiple entries with the same name or as one entry spanning multiple years. If you are unsure of a date, please estimate. Honors and awards may include Dean’s List, President’s List, National Honor Society membership, and leadership positions in clubs, organizations, religious groups, and athletics. These activities don’t have to be directly affiliated with animals or veterinary medicine. The applicant should clearly and succinctly describe their level of participation in these activities.