Doctor of Veterinary Medicine- Infectious Disease

Infectious disease research includes molecular and cellular aspects of bacteriology, parasitology, and virology, as well as investigations of the host immune response to these agents. We study the infectious organism, disease development, diagnostic tests, vaccines and antimicrobial therapies. At the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, world leading faculty lead extraordinary programs in learning and discovery. We instruct students in a range of scientific disciplines related to health and disease control in animals. In addition to teaching foundational classes in medical topics, students are trained in clinical skills needed to diagnose and treat illness in animals. The clinical program at NC State Veterinary Medicine provides a heavy emphasis for actual hands-on clinical practice and is demanding both physically and mentally. Students select focus areas to increase their depth of training in their intended area of post-graduate activity, while still retaining a broad based veterinary education. Faculty also encourage and challenge students to develop the personal and professional knowledge and skills needed to serve a global community. Our goal is to prepare graduates who step into the profession with the most up-to-date veterinary medical knowledge possible, skills that prepare them to practice veterinary medicine at the top of their fields, an awareness of the veterinary issues at a local, national, and international level, and a dedication to the continued pursuit of knowledge throughout their professional lives.

Applicants must complete the required courses at an accredited college or university.



The Faculty Committee on Admissions reviews the following subjective criteria in accordance with the holistic review process employed by the College. Candidates are considered academically qualified for review if they meet the following minimum academic standards at time of application: Cumulative GPA - 3.4




1. Veterinary Experience A minimum of 200 hours of clinical, medical, agribusiness, health science or medical related scientific research experience is required by the time of application. Experience can be obtained in any area of the veterinary medical profession (small animal, large animal, research, food animal production, exotic, aquatic, wildlife, zoological medicine, etc.). The work can be either paid or voluntary and must be completed under the supervision of a veterinarian (or PhD scientist if scientific research). Applicants will be evaluated on the ability to demonstrate how the experience helped shaped his or her understanding of the profession by description of experience and level of duties.



2. Animal Experience All other animal related experiences will also be evaluated, such as working with livestock, breeding/ showing dogs or similar, working at a zoo, aquarium or pet shop, equestrian activities, volunteer time at an animal shelter/rescue, etc., and these should be included in the Animal Experience section of the VMCAS application.



Unlike veterinary experience, there is no minimum contact time required for animal experience. However, please note that this category doesnt include companion pet ownership.



While applicants are expected to obtain veterinary and animal experience on their own, NC State University's Pre-College Programs offer opportunities in a variety of disciplines each aimed at helping students prepare for college while experiencing NC State life. Disciplines include agriculture, cultural education, design, engineering, leadership, math, science, technology, and writing. Some current programs are excellent experience opportunities in veterinary medicine.



3. Educational Experience Consideration will be given to academic excellence, the course load per term, employment concurrent with school attendance, and participation in intercollegiate athletics. This will also include evaluation of accomplishments such as honors, awards and advanced degrees.



4. Evaluation Forms/Recommendations Three (3) recommendations are required using the VMCAS Electronic Evaluation system (eLOR). Each evaluator should include a written narrative that supports his or her overall evaluation of the applicant. Applicants must submit letters through the eLOR system. Although VMCAS allows a maximum of 6 submissions, NC State only requires 3 letters of recommendation and prefers to only receive 3 letters per applicant.



It is highly recommended that two recommendations (2) are submitted by veterinarians or PhD scientists with whom the applicant has worked in a veterinary or research setting. The letters must describe the nature of the work relationship. The third letter can be from an academic advisor, employment supervisor or other evaluator of the applicant's choosing who has some working knowledge of the applicant. Applicants should not ask relatives to submit letters on their behalf. IELTS Academic-6.5 or higher (minimum of 6.5 in each sub score), Provide Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a total score of at least 80 on the Internet-based Test (iBT), and with minimum test scores for each section of: Listening 18 points, Reading 18 points, Writing 18 points, Speaking 18 points for admission , Computer-based TOEFL scores must be 213 or higher (with at least 17 on three sections and no section score below 13). The paper-based test requires a score of 550 or higher (with scores of 50 on at least two of the three sections and no section score below 45).