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 The professional curriculum is a rigorous four-year program which provides a broad based education to all students. This prepares them to enter a variety of career opportunities within veterinary medicine. Students take 20-22 credit hours per term.
The curriculum is designed as a modified "systems approach". The first year deals mainly with structure and function of the normal animal. This includes gross and microscopic anatomy, imaging and physiology, and other courses. During the first semester of the second year, several principles courses are taught, such as immunology, infectious diseases and pathology. Then students begin courses based on a body system (for example, the gastrointestinal or cardiovascular systems). Each system includes appropriate pathology, imaging, diagnostic techniques and therapeutic measures for both large and small animal diseases. Each semester also includes a small group (problem solving) course related to topics currently being taught.
All students are required to take at least four hours of electives. Most take one elective course per semester beginning with the second semester. Examples include disaster medicine, wildlife diseases, advanced reproductive techniques, diseases of pocket pets, diagnostic ultrasound, practice management, aquarium fish medicine, sports medicine and rehabilitation, equine lameness, applied anatomy, and population medicine.
| FALL SEMESTER |
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SPRING SEMESTER |
| First Year |
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First Year |
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| Course # |
Description: |
Hrs. |
Course # |
Description: |
Hrs. |
| VMED 5111 |
Vet Anatomy |
4 |
VMED 5121 |
Vet. Anatomy II |
3 |
| VMED 5131 |
Basic Microanatomy |
3 |
VMED 5141 |
Organology |
2 |
| VMED 5110 |
Physiology I |
5 |
VMED 5120 |
Physiology II |
4 |
| VMED 5130 |
Cell Physiology / Molecular Gene |
2 |
VMED 5151 |
Veterinary Neurosciences |
5 |
| VMED 5200 |
Veterinary Parasitology I |
3 |
VMED 5210 |
Veterinary Parasitology II |
2 |
| VMED 5180 |
Veterinary Ethology |
1 |
VMED 5301 |
Physical Diagnosis |
2 |
| VMED 5010 |
Veterinary Ethics |
1 |
VMED 5150 |
Diagnostic Imaging |
2 |
| VMED 5012 |
Problem Solving I |
1 |
VMED 5022 |
Problem Solving II |
1 |
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Elective |
1 |
| Second Year |
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Second Year |
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| VMED 5220 |
Prin. Vet. Pathology |
3 |
VMED 5520 |
Cardiovascular System |
2 |
| VMED 5230 |
Vet. Clin. Pathology |
3 |
VMED 5530 |
Respiratory System |
3 |
| VMED 5240 |
Prin. Vet. Immunology |
3 |
VMED 5910 |
Intro to Anesthesia |
3 |
| VMED 5250 |
Prin. Infectious Diseases |
4 |
VMED 5540 |
Alimentary System |
5 |
| VMED 5260 |
Veterinary Pharmacology |
3 |
VMED 5030 |
Public Health |
4 |
| VMED 5510 |
Hemolymphatic / Integument System |
4 |
VMED 5310 |
Intro To Surgery |
1 |
| VMED 5032 |
Problem Solving III |
1 |
VMED 5020 |
Veterinary Medicine & The Law |
1 |
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Elective |
1 |
VMED 5042 |
Problem Solving IV |
1 |
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Elective |
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1 |
| Third Year |
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Third Year |
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| VMED 5550 |
Urinary System |
2 |
VMED 5350 |
Veterinary Toxicology |
3 |
| VMED 5560 |
Endocrine System |
2 |
VMED 5360 |
Production Medicine |
3 |
| VMED 5570 |
Reproductive System |
5 |
VMED 5320 |
Clinical Vet Nutrition |
2 |
| VMED 5580 |
Nervous System |
2 |
VMED 5370 |
Oncology |
1 |
| VMED 5590 |
Musculosketal System |
3 |
VMED 5900 |
Special senses |
1 |
| VMED 5330 |
Multispecies Medicine |
3 |
VMED 5340 |
Emergency & Critical Care |
3 |
| VMED 5311 |
Surgery Practicum |
2 |
VMED 5601 |
Clinical Rotations (see below) |
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| VMED 5052 |
Problem Solving V |
1 |
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Elective |
1 |
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Fourth Year
During the last 14 months of the curriculum, students participate in a series of required clinical rotations where they interact with patients and clients in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The eighteen clinical rotations include:
Small animal internal medicine
Small animal oncology
Small animal general surgery
Small animal orthopedic surgery
Small animal dermatology
Small animal neurology
Community practice
Critical care service/emergency medicine
Diagostic imaging |
Equine medicine
Equine surgery I
Equine surgery II
Dairy medicine and surgery
Beef medicine and surgery
Food animal theriogenology
Large animal field services
Large animal anesthesiology
Diagnostic pathobiology |
Students participate in five elective rotations, one of which may be an externship. Externships are available at a variety of locations. Some students go to practices specializing in specific species such as swine, cats, birds or exotic animals. Others use the opportunity to learn more about certain disciplines such as dentistry or ophthalmology. Still others learn about non-traditional veterinary careers at locations such as the Center for Disease Control or the San Diego Zoo.
The final portion of the veterinary curriculum is a required preceptorship. Most students spend this period with a veterinarian in clinical practice, but some go to zoos, research facilities or other less traditional practices. During this time, students gain supervised, hands on experience with day-to-day veterinary medical activities. |
