New Jersey does not have a college of veterinary medicine. New Jersey residents who wish to become doctors of veterinary medicine obtain their professional education at out-of-state universities after completing the prerequisite courses with a GPA of at least 3.000 and being accepted into the program.
To prepare for admission to a veterinary college, the student must have acquired a strong scientific and liberal arts background. Most veterinary colleges require at least one, usually two, semesters of the following undergraduate subjects: biochemistry, biology, English, general chemistry, genetics, microbiology, and physics. In addition, some will also require courses in statistics, physiology, and even public speaking. The undergraduate program should provide not only the technical information and skills necessary to complete the study of veterinary medicine, but also a broad background of experience and interest enabling the student to achieve his or her full potential as an individual and a member of society. All of the colleges do require that the applicants have experience working with veterinarians and some require documentation of the amount of time spent in veterinary practice and/or research settings. Graduate Record Examinations are required by most colleges of veterinary medicine, usually taken in the spring or summer before the student applies for admission. Veterinary Aptitude Tests are required by a few schools. Since the prerequisites do differ, applicants must check with the individual schools regarding specific course and test requirements.
Most colleges of veterinary medicine require a minimum of three years of university-level study prior to admission. Most successful candidates for admission have completed a B.S. degree in biological, animal, or agricultural science programs. However, colleges of veterinary medicine do not dictate where or in what degree program applicants should be enrolled for preprofessional study. Most veterinary colleges recommend, however, that applicants pursue a baccalaureate degree in the area of their second choice of vocation. That way if the candidate is not admitted to a college of veterinary medicine, the time spent in preparatory studies may be applied to careers in related sciences, such as human medicine, animal science, biology, biotechnology, laboratory animal science, medical technology, or wildlife biology.
The Veterinary Medical Education Act of 1971
The Veterinary Medical Education Act of 1971 provided for contractual agreements between the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) and out-of-state colleges of veterinary medicine for the acceptance of New Jersey residents who are and have been residents of the state of New Jersey for 12 consecutive months. Under the terms of the act, the colleges receive a substantial subsidy toward educational costs in return for a number of guaranteed reserved seats for New Jersey residents. However, the level of funding for the program is determined annually in the state budget and the number of seats available has fluctuated over the years.
In fall 2009, the State of New Jersey had contractual agreements with the following colleges: Tufts University (Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine), Oklahoma State University, and Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, for a total of 8 contract seats. However, further cuts in the budget for the program were made and the program has been discontinued. Students are encouraged to apply to all of these institutions but they should check with HESAA (http://www.hesaa.org/Pages/GraduateProfessionalsDetails.aspx) to determine the status of the contract seats. Most colleges of veterinary medicine also admit out-of-state residents without specific contracts, but they charge very high out-of-state tuition. Noncontract veterinary schools such as those at Cornell University, Colorado State University, University of Florida, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, University of Missouri, The Ohio State University, University of Pennsylvania, Purdue University, University of Tennessee, Western University of Health Sciences (California) and foreign AVMA accredited programs at Prince Edward Island (Canada), University of Edinburgh (Royal [Dick] School of Veterinary Studies, Scotland), and University of London (Royal Veterinary College, England), and Ross University in the West Indies have admitted students from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.
Further information on application procedures and the Veterinary Medical Education Contract Program are available in the Department of Animal Sciences, Bartlett Hall.
