Admission to equine veterinary schools is extremely competitive; only one-third of all applicants are accepted each year. Students can maximize their chances of acceptance by majoring in pre-veterinary studies at their undergraduate university, volunteering with equine-related opportunities such as equine-assisted therapy programs, and gaining paid or volunteer experience with veterinary hospitals that include large-animal facilities.
A doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) degree from an accredited veterinary college is a prerequisite to licensure or certification for professional veterinary practice in the majority of the U.S. Colleges are accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (COE). Schools that have earned COE accreditation have demonstrated that their program adequately prepares students with the skills, knowledge, and competency necessary for entry into professional equine veterinary practice.
Students at equine veterinary schools earn a DVM degree, which typically takes four years to complete. Colleges of veterinary medicine vary somewhat in their specific curricula. For example, some DVM programs require completion of a thesis, while others don't. Students in veterinary programs spend their first three years completing core courses to expand their knowledge base. The final year of education before attaining the DVM degree is spent in clinical rotations, typically in areas such as emergency and critical care, surgery, and anesthesiology.
Students often choose veterinary schools by location. For example, students who know in high school that they wish to pursue a veterinary degree often apply for undergraduate studies at one of the 28 universities that offer graduate programs in veterinary medicine. Other students choose schools to apply to based on their relative quality. U.S. News and World Report produced a list of top-ranked veterinary colleges in 2007 that was topped by Cornell University, followed by Colorado State University and University of California-Davis.