For degree, see Choice of Majors, below.
Overview
The pre-veterinary concentration is designed for students who
have demonstrated an interest in the field of veterinary medicine.
Students declaring an interest in this concentration will be
designated as pre-professional and will be tracked for progress
throughout their academic career at MSMC. At the college we prepare
students for several pre-professional programs which include
medical, dental, veterinary, chiropractic, and podiatry.
Academic Preparation
Choice of Major. No veterinary school
requires a specific major of its applicants, however they recognize
the importance of a strong foundation in the natural sciences which
includes biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. The current
"pre-vet / pre-professional" curriculum offered at the college
follows the course requirements recommended by the American
Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) and is similar to that
offered by virtually all schools in the US.
It includes:
- A year of Freshman Chemistry with laboratory
- A year of Organic Chemistry with laboratory
- A year of Biology with laboratory
- A year of Physics with laboratory
- A year of English
- A year of Calculus or other advanced math classes, including
Statistics
Although these course requirements can be met while pursuing any
area of study at the college, they are embedded in the biology
major. The Division of Natural Science is of the opinion that
completion of requirements for a BA in Biology best prepares the
students for further studies in areas of their choosing. This is
supported by a recent report "Scientific Foundations for Future
Physicians" from the AAMC (Association of American Medical
Colleges) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), which
recommended that medical and premedical education evolve from a
static listing of courses to a dynamic set of competencies.
The competencies defined as the knowledge, skill, or attitude
that enables an individual to learn and perform in medical practice
include the ability to:
- Apply quantitative reasoning and appropriate mathematics to
describe or explain phenomena in the natural world.
- Demonstrate understanding of the process of scientific inquiry,
and explain how scientific knowledge is discovered and
validated.
- Demonstrate knowledge of basic physical principles and their
applications to the understanding of living systems.
- Demonstrate knowledge of basic principles of chemistry and some
of their applications to the understanding of living systems.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how biomolecules contribute to
structure and function.
- Apply an understanding of the principles of how molecular and
cell assemblies, organs, and organisms develop structure and carry
out function.
- Explain how organisms sense and control their internal
environment and how they respond to external change.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how the organizing principle of
evolution by natural selection explains the diversity of life on
earth.
All the competencies defined above are addressed in the Biology
curriculum.
Development of personal attributes
Academic and scientific accomplishments, while important, are
not sufficient for entry into professional programs. A critical
aspect is the development of physician–patient relationship. It is
expected that the incoming students be altruistic and dutiful.
Students are expected to be aware of community and public health
issues and understand that there are several complex,
non–biological causes that can result in poor health. While a
commitment to making evidence-based decisions is required, it is
also expected that the future professionals will make ethical
decisions, based on compassion, respect and integrity.
Pre-Veterinary program at the Mount
As a pre-veterinary student, you'll enjoy the following student
support:
Opportunities outside of the classroom. You
could be a student rep at Division meetings, an officer in the
biology and chemistry honor societies, or participate with the
American Chemical Society student affiliate chapter on campus.
Students organize speakers, museum tours, hiking trips, campus
activities like faculty vs. student quiz bowl, and science night
for elementary school students. You’ll get involved in things you
enjoy, meet new people, interact with the faculty, and develop your
leadership skills.
A strong peer group. Biology majors
quickly become a part of the science community at the Mount MSMC.
Students who have majors within the Division of Natural Science
take their math and science classes together and quickly form study
groups, supporting one another in their courses and making new
friends with goals and attitudes similar to your own.
Peer tutoring. Science majors work together
toward a successful college career as upper-classmen serve as peer
tutors, and all students have the opportunity to get help to
support their learning efforts. Tutoring can provide you with
income, but it will also help you to build your resume and
strengthen your knowledge base.
Research. All full time faculty members have
PhD degrees in a variety of different fields and can offer you the
opportunity to develop a research project which will help you to
apply your coursework to real problems. A research project will
enhance your knowledge and ability to integrate your learning and
will impress graduate schools and future employers, giving you an
edge when you move on from your studies at MSMC.
Learning science as a process. Many of our
laboratory courses use inquiry-based collaborative learning to
introduce students to the process of science and give you an idea
of what scientific research is all about.
Mentoring. All science students are assigned a
full-time faculty advisor to help you explore career options, plan
your course schedule and follow your academic progress. New
freshmen are assigned a “science sibling” before coming to campus
so that they have the opportunity to ask questions of an
upperclassman student to student.
Related programs
Biology, Chemistry, Interdisciplinary
- General Science, Education certification
(Adolescent/Childhood), 5-year Biology BA/MS in Education
{Adolescent), 5-year Chemistry BA/MS in Education
(Adolescent)
Program requirements (pre-requisites, minimum GPAs)
Students declaring an interest in this concentration will be
designated as pre-vet / pre-professional and will be tracked for
progress throughout their academic career. The advisory committee
will write a joint recommendation letter in support of a student’s
candidacy only if the student has met the criteria listed
below.
- Maintain an overall GPA of 3.4 the first year and then an
average of 3.4 or better in science classes taken at the college,
with a minimum grade of B- in each of the required science
courses.
- Be an active participant in the “Pre-Professional Club”. This
would require an active participation in activities that
demonstrate a commitment to leadership, altruism and dutifulness in
the community. Students would be required to:
- Develop, organize and implement community activities such as
volunteering, talks and presentations
- Volunteer in both clinical and non clinical settings
- Be a mentor
- Attend a minimum of four club meetings per year
- Maintain a portfolio that documents both academic and non
academic activities. Students will be responsible for updating it
annually.
- Set up an advisory committee in their junior year.
- Meet with their academic advisor every semester to have a
continued dialog about meeting goals and expectations.
- Attend an orientation seminar during their first year at the
college.
- Undertake an independent project / research here at the college
or at other institutions (optional but highly recommended).
- Take the appropriate graduate entrance exam, MCAT, DAT, GRE, in
the spring of their junior year.
- Complete the appropriate application to the graduate school of
choice in the summer of their junior year.
- Initiate an interview with the Pre-professional Advisory
Committee to discuss the application progress in the fall of their
senior year.
- Inform the Pre-professional Advisory Committee of the
application outcome.
Where Mount students have interned
- Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom
- West Point Forestry Technician
- Wadsworth Center, state health laboratory at Albany
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, Science Undergraduate
Laboratory Internships
- The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Minority Student
Summer Research Opportunity
- University of Tennessee, Memphis Immunology Laboratory
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Microbiology
Laboratory
Career Options
The veterinary profession encompasses those practitioners of
animal health care who have a doctor’s degree in veterinary
medicine and a license to practice veterinary medicine.
Specifically, the doctor of veterinary medicine (D.V.M.) diagnoses,
administers drugs and appliances, and provides a variety of
treatments to cure or prevent any injury or disease of an animal.
Surgical procedures include cosmetic surgery. Diagnosis and
treatment of sterility problems is an important aspect of
veterinary medicine including embryo transplants.
Career Outlook
The projected 2004-2014 national employment outlook predicts a
25.8% increase in jobs for healthcare practitioners and those in
technical occupations.