Veterinary Medical College Application Service
Encyclopedia
The Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) is a centralized application service for students applying to veterinary school
. Created by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) in 1995, VMCAS handles applications for most of the veterinary schools in the United States
, as well as several in Canada
, the United Kingdom
, New Zealand
and Australia
.
, Texas A&M University
, and Tuskegee University
do not use VMCAS at all. Additionally, the University of Missouri
partially participate in that they only require non-residents to use VMCAS, The list of veterinary schools using VMCAS changes over time, as does the degree to which a school may utilize VMCAS.
VMCAS is the primary source of information on the veterinary medical school applicant pool in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The application cycle typically opens in June of each year. Students and advisors can go to the http://www.aavmc.org/ American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges Web site] to find out more about the process and how it works. This Web site will also has information about the schools using VMCAS, and information about schools that do not participate in the VMCAS application.
The Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements (VMSAR) book also contains admission requirements and contact information for all 32 U.S. and Canadian and International veterinary schools. A new edition is published every year.
At least one group of scholars conclude that VMCAS should begin assessing non-technical competencies and including this assessment in the application process.
Veterinary school
A veterinary school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, which is involved in the education of veterinarians. To become a veterinarian one must first complete a veterinary degree A veterinary school should not be confused with a department of animal science...
. Created by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) in 1995, VMCAS handles applications for most of the veterinary schools in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as well as several in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Participation in VMCAS
As of March 2010, Tufts UniversityTufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
, Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, and Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University is a private, historically black university located in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
do not use VMCAS at all. Additionally, the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
partially participate in that they only require non-residents to use VMCAS, The list of veterinary schools using VMCAS changes over time, as does the degree to which a school may utilize VMCAS.
VMCAS is the primary source of information on the veterinary medical school applicant pool in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The VMCAS process
Applicants fill out an online application, which is submitted to VMCAS. The application and accompanying materials pass through a quality inspection cycle and are forwarded to the colleges of veterinary medicine selected by the students. The centralized process considerably lightens student workloads since they may only have to submit one application rather than several. However, many of the schools using VMCAS may require applicants to submit supplemental applications in addition to the VMCAS application. Colleges also may require that some documents, like transcripts (for example) be sent to them directly.The application cycle typically opens in June of each year. Students and advisors can go to the http://www.aavmc.org/ American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges Web site] to find out more about the process and how it works. This Web site will also has information about the schools using VMCAS, and information about schools that do not participate in the VMCAS application.
The Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements (VMSAR) book also contains admission requirements and contact information for all 32 U.S. and Canadian and International veterinary schools. A new edition is published every year.
Current applications
VMCAS and its host organization, AAVMC, have undertaken several initiatives to increase the number of applicants to veterinary school. Applications to veterinary colleges using VMCAS remained flat over the 2002-03 to 2003-04 application cycles while other medical professions experienced 5 to 8 percent growth in applications. Colleges participating in VMCAS generally receive only two applications for every available student slot.At least one group of scholars conclude that VMCAS should begin assessing non-technical competencies and including this assessment in the application process.