Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Faculty Regulations
Admissions
Enrolment in the DVM program in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is currently limited to 30 students who are Alberta residents. The Admissions Committee selects students for the program on the basis of academic and non-academic factors. Students are assessed academically on performance in their best 2 full undergraduate years, their final undergraduate year, and in the required courses. Selected applicants are invited for an interview day where non-academic factors are assessed. At interview day, applicants are required to complete an on-site essay and participate in a series of interviews and other activities. Applicants must attend interview day at their own expense. There is no entrance exam or requirement to complete the MCAT or GRE exams.
The Admissions process identifies applicants who will flourish in a DVM program that prepares students for all aspects of veterinary medicine. Consistent with our mandate, preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate an interest in pursuing careers in general veterinary practice that support rural development and sustainability, and careers in our areas of emphasis. There is no specific animal or veterinary-related experience required; however, demonstration and understanding of the veterinary profession and animal industries relevant to the applicant's career interests is expected.
Applicants will be notified of the Admissions Committee's decision in June.
Eligibility
At present, applicants must be Alberta residents, as defined by the following rules.
(a) The Residence of an applicant remains that of his/her parent(s) unless a new Residence has been established in accordance with clause (b);
(b) The Residence of an applicant shall be considered to be Alberta, if the applicant has last resided in Alberta for a period of twelve consecutive months (without including any period during which the applicant was attending a college or university) prior to enrolment on the first day of classes;
(c) A Canadian citizen who is resident outside Canada and intends to re-establish residence in Canada shall be considered a resident of the province or territory of Canada where he/she last resided for a period of twelve consecutive months before leaving Canada; and,
(d) A person who is a permanent resident as defined in the Immigration Act (Canada) shall be considered to be a resident of the province or territory where he or she first landed unless the person is considered to be a resident of another province or territory of Canada pursuant to clause (b).
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine will not normally accept applications from students who have withdrawn, who have been required to withdraw, or who have been expelled from any school or college of veterinary medicine.
In selecting veterinary medicine students, no consideration shall be given to factors irrelevant to performance such as gender, race, or religion. Nor will the vocation of an applicant's parent, guardian, or spouse be a consideration in the selection process.
Minimum Academic Requirements
Normally, the minimum academic requirements for an applicant to receive consideration for an admissions interview are:
(a) Completion of at least two years of full time post-secondary instruction at a recognized university or at a college providing university-equivalency in coursework. A full academic year is defined as a minimum of 4 courses per semester and 2 complete semesters, September - May (16 half-course equivalents).
(b) A minimum average of 3.00 (B, or its equivalent) over the best two full years.
(c) A minimum average of 3.00 (B, or its equivalent) within the most recent full year of undergraduate study.
(d) A minimum average of 3.00 (B, or its equivalent) or above on the following required courses:
Biology: Two introductory Biology courses
Genetics: One introductory Genetics course
Ecology: One introductory Ecology course
Chemistry: Two introductory Chemistry courses
Organic Chemistry: One introductory Organic Chemistry course
Biochemistry: One introductory Biochemistry course
Mathematics: One introductory Statistics course
English: One introductory English course
(e) Applicants who present required courses that have been taken greater than 10 years prior to the application date will not normally be considered for admission. Exceptions may be made for applicants who have continued to work or study in a health-sciences related field following completion of an undergraduate degree.
Applicants are advised to monitor the UCVM Website for any exceptions or changes to these requirements.
English Language Proficiency
English language proficiency must be demonstrated for all applicants for whom English is not their first language. English language proficiency can be demonstrated in one of the following ways:
(a) Completion of at least two full years within a degree program offered by an accredited university in a country which the University of Calgary recognizes as English language proficiency exempt.
(b) A minimum score of 92 on the internet based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and a minimum score of 50 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE); or a minimum score of 237 on the computer based TOEFL and a minimum score of 50 on the TSE; or a minimum score of 580 on the paper based TOEFL and a minimum score of 50 on the TSE.
Applications
Application forms for the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine are available on the website (http://www.vet.ucalgary.ca/vet/students). Applications will be considered from those students meeting the residency, English and academic admission requirements. Applications are to be submitted to the Office of Admissions by January 10th. Two sets of official transcripts will be required, one sent at the time of application (students should delay submission of the first transcript until final marks from their first semester are available) and the second should be sent as soon as final marks are available in the spring.
Completed application forms include the following: complete personal information; a signed statement verifying Alberta residency status and verifying completion of the academic requirements; the names and contact information of three referees; post-secondary transcripts submitted by the appropriate academic institution; a statement of work experience; and a statement of major extra-curricular activities.
Registration
All successful applicants are required to forward $100.00 deposit within 15 working days of notification of admission. Failure to do so may result in the position being assigned to another applicant. Such deposits will be applied to the first year's fees. An applicant who accepts a position but later rescinds his or her acceptance will forfeit the entire $100.00 deposit.
All successful applicants are required to commence a program of immunization for tetanus and rabies shortly after registration day. Vaccinations are mandatory and must be up-to-date.
Accuracy of Registration
The DVM program will register successful applicants and ongoing students into all required yearly courses. Payment of fees is the student's responsibility through the Online Student Centre via My UofC web portal. For more information refer to the "Payment of Fees or Notification of Financial Assistance" in the Registration section of this Calendar.
Deferrals
Students wishing to apply for deferral should make this request in a letter to the UCVM office of admissions within 15 days of the date at the top of their acceptance letter. Deferrals will be considered for academic and/or non-academic reasons. Deferral requests for attending other veterinary schools will not be accepted. It is at the sole discretion of the Associate Dean (Academic) to grant or deny a deferral.
Interruption of Program Leading to a Degree
Students who have voluntarily withdrawn from the DVM program and who wish to return must re-apply to the program through the Admissions Office if they withdrew from 1st year, or for advanced standing through the Associate Dean (Academic) Office if they withdrew from 2nd-4th year. Students contemplating a withdrawal from the program are cautioned that there is an enrolment limitation for the program and that re-entry will be conditional on the availability of space.
Course Work
Students in the DVM program must take the full complement of required courses in each of four years of the program. There is no provision for students entering the program to take courses on a part-time basis. The Academic Review Committee may allow incumbent students registered in the program to repeat specific courses (and not the entire year) under certain circumstances, and therefore to enroll in a subset of the program while they repeat those courses.
Policies Relative to Practicum Experiences
Students will be required to complete practicum experiences at sites outside of the city of Calgary in locations throughout the province. Student's practicum experiences may also be scheduled at various hours, including evenings, nights, and weekends.
Students must demonstrate satisfactory practicum performance as outlined in the objectives of the course. Participation in all activities that are related to practicum courses is mandatory.
An instructor may prohibit a student from attending or completing a practicum experience if there is evidence that the student has acted in a manner that is detrimental to participant safety, patient care or client relations. The Associate Dean (Clinical Programs) will be consulted or informed about any such situation or action. A student who wishes to appeal such a decision will follow the appeals process as outlined under Appeals Process.
Student Standing
For continuation of study in the DVM program in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, a student must satisfy the conditions as presented below. The Academic Review Committee will assess all cases where a student's academic progress does not meet the Continuation of Study requirements and will interpret the academic regulations.
The regular University grading system will normally apply to all courses in the DVM program.
The academic standing of each student registered in the DVM program will be reviewed annually by the Academic Review Committee following the Winter Session. At the annual review all courses taken by the student since the previous review (or since admission in the case of the first review) will be included in the evaluation of academic performance. To calculate the grade point average (GPA) for the year under review, grades will be weighted on the basis of course credits. Courses that are given a grade of CR/F will not be included in the calculation of the GPA.
General Requirements
- To be promoted to the next year of the DVM program, a student must achieve a satisfactory academic standing and clear any failed or incomplete courses. Satisfactory academic standing means having achieved a GPA of 2.00 or higher in the year since admission or the previous review.
- At the discretion of the Academic Review Committee, supplemental privileges may be granted to a student who has received a "D+", "D", or "F" grade in a course. The student must make application to write the supplemental examination to the Academic Review Committee within 7 days of the release of grades for the semester within which the "D+", "D", or "F" grade was received. The Academic Review Committee, upon receiving application from a student, and after consulting with the instructor and reviewing the student's course performance, will determine whether a supplemental privilege should be granted.
- Any student granted a supplemental privilege must meet with the Office of Student Affairs who will inform the student of resources available that might help the student with his or her academic difficulties.
- A student will be deemed to have failed a course if they attain an "F" grade in the course and they are not eligible for a supplemental privilege, or if they attain an "F" grade in the course and they subsequently attain a grade of "D+", "D", or "F" on a supplemental exam.
- Successful completion of a supplemental exam will result in a "C-" being awarded for the course. If a student who originally received a "D+" or "D" on a course attains a lower mark on their supplemental examination, the original mark will stand.
- A student attaining an "F" grade in a course may be granted supplemental privileges only once for that course. Any student who fails a course once, then attains an "F" grade after repeating the same course, will be required to withdraw from the DVM program.
- No more than two supplemental privileges may be granted to a student in one year of the program, and no more than four supplemental privileges will be granted to a student over the whole program. Any student who attains an "F" grade in a fifth course will be required to withdraw from the DVM program.
- A student who fails one course may be required by the Academic Review Committee to repeat all courses in the year, depending upon the nature and size of the course, and a review of the academic performance of the student. A student who fails two courses will be required to repeat the year.
- Students must normally repeat a failed course, or year, in the academic year immediately following that in which the failure occurred.
- Normally, students may carry a maximum of one course with a grade of "D" or "D+" in their program. Students who receive a grade of "D" or "D+" in a second course must raise the mark to "C-" through a supplemental exam before being considered for promotion to the next year of the program.
- Students required to withdraw from the DVM program will not normally be considered for re-admission.
Students Previously in Satisfactory Standing
- With a GPA of 2.00 or higher for the year under review will retain the standing of satisfactory academic performance.
- With a GPA of less than 2.00, but not less than 1.70, will be placed on probationary status.
- With a GPA of less than 1.70 in any year under review will be required to withdraw from the DVM program.
Students on Probation
- Upon completion of 1st or 2nd year will have their probation cleared if they attain a GPA of at least 2.00 by the end of 2nd or 3rd year respectively.
- Upon completion of the 3rd year of the program will not be permitted to proceed to 4th year until they have cleared probation. The Academic Review Committee will establish appropriate remediation requirements that must be fulfilled in order for the students to clear probation and obtain the standing of satisfactory performance. These remediation requirements may include repeating a component of a course, one or more entire courses, or an entire year.
- Will be required to withdraw from the DVM program if their GPA at the end of the following year is less than 2.00. This is consistent with University regulations, which state that students will be required to withdraw rather than be placed on probation for a second time.
Students placed on probation or required to withdraw from the DVM program will be advised in writing.
Notwithstanding the specific regulations above, students' academic standing may be reviewed by the Academic Review Committee at any time and those with generally poor academic records may be placed on academic probation or required to withdraw.
Graduation
Requirements
Students will not be allowed to graduate while on probation or with any failed 4th year courses. The Academic Review Committee will establish appropriate remediation requirements that must be fulfilled in order for students to clear probation and obtain the standing of satisfactory performance. These remediation requirements may include repeating one or more practicum rotations, one or more entire courses, or the entire 4th year.
Degrees with Distinction
The notation "With Distinction" will be inscribed on the permanent record and graduation parchment of all DVM students with no failures whose grade point average is 3.60 or better across all courses taken during the DVM program.
Appeals Process
Students may appeal any decision. Students should be familiar with the section on Reappraisal of Grades and Academic Appeals in the Academic Regulations section of this Calendar. Appeals at the Faculty level must be submitted in writing to the Associate Dean (Academic) within 15 days of the event or ruling giving rise to the appeal. Any appeal must specify (a) exactly what is being appealed, (b) the grounds for the appeal, and (c) the remedy sought.
Fees and Expenses
Tuition fees are being established at press time and will be available on the Faculty website at http://www.vet.ucalgary.ca.