Pre-Veterinary
As a pre-veterinary student at Dominican, you’ll master the skills to make a lasting impact in health care. From state-of-the-art labs and expert advising to top internships and caring mentors, you’ll find the resources necessary to succeed in the health sciences and earn admission to graduate school.
A powerful approach to professional preparation
You’ll work side-by-side with a faculty advisor who will help you identify, refine and pursue your professional goals. You’ll refine your plan regularly in ongoing conversations with your advisor and with additional expert, caring faculty who understand what it takes to enroll in graduate school and succeed in the health professions. Your advisor will help you design a personal academic plan, will guide you through the graduate school application process, and will connect you with all the people, resources and experiences you need to make your dreams a reality. These productive relationships are at the heart of Dominican’s pre-professional programs.
Veterinary school entrance requirements vary, so careful planning is important. Your faculty advisor will help you design a curriculum that includes upper-level courses in anatomy, physiology, zoology, microbiology and nutrition. Most pre-veterinary students select a major in biology, neuroscience, chemistry, or biology-chemistry, though other fields are possible. The academic advisor guides the student’s course choices to ensure that they best suit the student’s career goals. The science curriculum includes the prerequisite courses for admission to veterinary school including general biology, general and organic chemistry, genetics, microbiology, comparative animal physiology, etc. Most students complete an internship or shadowing experience in animal care. The academic advisor also assists in the professional school admissions process. Arrangements for the internship are made by the university. The pre-medical advisor also assists in the professional school admissions process.
Most veterinary schools require applicants to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); some also require the Biology GRE.
A first-rate environment for learning
Our cutting-edge curriculum includes all the courses you’ll need for success in professional or graduate school. You’ll find a new home in Parmer Hall, the campus’s newest building, with 16 labs and state-of-the-art research equipment. Our internship program draws on Chicago’s world-class research and clinical resources. We make our connections your connections, so you can test-drive your dream job in the real world. You also can combine academic study with compassionate service to people in need, in the Chicago area and beyond. You’ll start your career knowing from experience how to serve as an effective member of today’s health-care teams.
Michele Carvajal
Biology Graduate
“The faculty at Dominican were amazing. I really valued my relationships with them. They believed in me, were passionate about their subjects and shared their deep knowledge with their students.”
Prepare for a life of service and achievement
Dominican has a remarkable record of placing students in outstanding professional and graduate schools. You will find Dominican graduates at work across the full spectrum of the health professions: as physicians, dentists, pharmacists, veterinarians, occupational therapists, optometrists, physician assistants and more. Some alumni apply their scientific knowledge to careers as clinical psychologists or social workers. Others pursue industrial or academic research. Our graduates are highly trained, open to new ideas, skilled in the lab and ready to thrive through long and meaningful careers. They have earned their way into leadership positions in the health profession of their choice.