Information and Resources for Prospective Students

Pre-Vet Advising

The Program Coordinator for the UAF Department of Veterinary Medicine works closely with the CSU Veterinary Medicine Department of Admissions to provide pre-vet advising. Contact us at uaf-vet-med@alaska.edu to schedule an advising appointment either in-person on UAF Troth Yeddha' campus or virtually via Zoom.

You can also receive advising through CSU by emailing dvmadmissions@colostate.edu

DVM Application Procedure

Because UAF veterinary medicine students ultimately earn their DVM degree from Colorado State University (CSU), the admissions process is done through CSU with members of the UAF faculty sitting on the committee and assisting in the selection of students for the UAF cohort. All applications will be submitted via the CSU application process and evaluated by their standards and practices. To learn more about the application review process, please visit the CSU Application Review Process page.

How do I know when I'm ready to apply?

Before applying, you must meet the CSU admission requirements, which includes completing several upper-division courses and obtaining three letters of recommendation.

Prerequisite Courses:

All DVM prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C- or above, by July 15 before matriculation, and at an institution accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). A list of prerequisite courses can be viewed HERE. UAF offers courses that meet all of the prerequisite course requirements. Examples can be viewed HERE.

Letters of Recommendation:

Candidates must submit three letters of recommendation with their VMCAS application. We highly recommend at least one be written by a veterinarian and suggest selecting an academic and an employment source for the remaining two. Tips for Applicants and Letter Writers

Select your references carefully and contact them early. If you haven't already, start building a working relationship with them now. Ensure the people you choose to write your letters of recommendation really know who you are and share your educational and career goals with them. Ask them well in advance so they have time to prepare a genuine recommendation. Ultimately, select recommenders with whom you are most comfortable, with at least one being a veterinarian. Recommendations that can speak to both academic and non-academic experiences will provide valuable insights - these can be from faculty, advisors, or supervisors, for example.

Additional Recommendation:

Keep a log of all animal related work and activities you participate in (personal pet ownership does not count). This log will be very useful when you go through the application process. It will be easier to have a list of experiences you can draw from in front of you when writing essays and responses than if you're trying to go from memory. It will also help you calculate a more exact number of hours you've spent gaining animal experience.

Application Timeline

The application period opens approximately 19-20 months and closes approximately 11-12 months before your desired start date. This means if you are applying to start in the Fall of 2026, the application period opens at the end of January 2025 and closes in September 2025. You can view a more detailed breakdown of the application timeline HERE.

Applying

There are two applications that need to be completed to successfully apply for the UAF/CSU veterinary medicine program.

The Veterinary Medical College Application Service, or VMCAS for short, is typically open from late January - September. VMCAS is a centralized application service for 31 US, 2 Canadian, and 12 international colleges of veterinary medicine. Through VMCAS you complete one application and send in all your required materials. That application is then processed, verified for accuracy, and sent out to multiple veterinary schools of your choosing. When designating which schools your application will be sent to, make sure to include Colorado State University.
1. For more information on how to prepare for and submit the VMCAS, visit their website HERE.
2. Sample VMCAS
3. The VMCAS must be completed before submitting your CSA
The Colorado Supplemental Application, or CSA, typically opens up during the summer in June or July and closes in September. The CSA is a supplemental application with additional questions and required essays to help determine if an applicant is a good fit specifically for the CSU program.
1. Within the CSA, there is a section for the Combined UAF/CSU Program. Filling out this section indicates that you are applying to be part of the UAF cohort.
2. Acknowledging the need for veterinarians in Alaska and demonstrating genuine interest in returning to work in Alaska after completing your DVM can give you an advantage against other candidates with similar qualifications and skills who do not demonstrate interest in returning to AK.
3. To see additional information or to complete the CSA, go HERE then click the link near the bottom in the "Complete the CSA" section
4. Sample CSA

High School Students

Thinking about your future? Becoming a veterinarian (DVM) involves a program of academic preparation that takes approximately eight years to complete. Most applicants to a veterinary medical professional school have already completed three to four years of undergraduate courses (to meet prerequisites for the DVM program) and the majority have earned a bachelor's degree. Once admitted, the UAF/CSU DVM program is an additional four years of education in upper-division biomedical sciences and clinical procedures courses.

If you are seriously considering a future career as a veterinarian, you should prepare now for admission to college. Although it is important to take as many math and science classes in high school that you can, courses which will provide the best foundation for the DVM prerequisite courses are:

4 years of English
3 or 4 years of mathematics
2 or 3 years of laboratory science (chemistry, physics, and biology)

These courses usually form the basic requirements of many life science baccalaureate programs such as animal sciences, zoology, biology, environmental health, and microbiology.

There are several undergraduate degree tracks at the University of Alaska that cover many of the DVM prerequisite courses. At UAF, the two undergraduate degrees that cover the most DVM prerequisites in their core requirements are: BS Wildlife Biology & Conservation, and BS Biological Sciences. However, DVM prerequisite courses can be completed as elective courses while simultaneously pursuing most undergraduate degree programs. It is strongly recommended that you choose an undergraduate degree you have genuine interest in. This is to ensure you have a good backup plan if you change your mind or do not get accepted into a DVM program.

More people apply for admission to veterinary medicine schools than can be admitted. In choosing the most qualified applicants, the admissions committee looks at candidates academic history, life experiences, and their potential as a successful veterinarian.

Quality of Academic History: Academic history is one of the critical factors considered in the evaluation process. The evaluation of academic success is a broad assessment that does not consider GPAs. The assessment includes: number, quality, and recent performance in upper-level biomedical science courses, quality of the academic program, ability to carry a full schedule of rigorous coursework, employment during academic terms relative to credit load, course and degree variety, and special circumstances.

Life Experiences: Some examples of the types of experience they look for are: Animal related 4-H projects and activities, Medical Explorer Scouts, hobbies, and paid or volunteer work on farms or ranches, in pet stores, kennels, animal shelters, research laboratories, and veterinary clinics. It is also important to gain life and leadership experience through opportunities outside of veterinary medicine in other types of jobs, community service, church, extracurricular school organizations, etc. to be considered well-rounded.

Keep a log of all animal related work and activities you participate in (personal pet ownership does not count). This log will be very useful when you go through the application process. It will be easier to have a list of experiences you can draw from in front of you when writing essays and responses than if you're trying to go from memory. It will also help you calculate a more exact number of hours you've spent gaining animal experience.

Potential as a Successful DVM: The successful veterinarian of the future will need a host of additional skills and strengths to lead the profession. These include: Clarity and vision with respect to the evolving role of the veterinarian and the role of veterinary medicine in our global future (One Health); Demonstrated leadership skills and active involvement in socially relevant community service; Strong interpersonal and communication skills demonstrated through a history of relating professionally, empathetically, tactfully, and collegially with groups and individuals in a variety of demanding situations; demonstration of the ability to communicate intentions and information, orally and in writing, in a manner that is well-received and understood at all levels; High integrity, problem solving, strong work ethic, excellent judgment, and a commitment to excellence.

Potential as a successful DVM can be expressed through your life experiences and through letters of recommendation (required part of the application process). Select your references carefully. If you haven't already, start building a working relationship with them now! Ensure the people you choose to write your letters of recommendation really know who you are, and share your educational and career goals with them. We suggest the following for references: one from a veterinarian, one from an academic source, and one from an employment or personal source. Ultimately, select recommenders with whom you are most comfortable, with at least one being a veterinarian. Recommendations that can speak to both academic and non-academic experiences will provide valuable insights - these can be from faculty, advisors, or supervisors, for example.

If you would like to schedule a personal pre-vet advising appointment, contact us at uaf-vet-med@alaska.edu. You will need to provide an unofficial transcript, a couple of paragraphs explaining your career goals, and a resume (or similar) prior to the appointment. And, of course bring your parents so that they will know what a commitment you are working toward and the costs involved.