The veterinary curriculum is very diverse. You will learn about how the healthy body works, how it is disrupted and how to diagnose and treat various ailments. You will also learn about how animals are managed and how to keep them healthy.

You will gain hands-on experience with animals through formal laboratory exercises, elective courses and fourth-year rotations. You will also receive instruction in leadership, communication and practice management to prepare you for your future professional careers.

First two years
You will focus on basic and applied science core courses. You will learn about the functions of a healthy body and how they can be disrupted. Our new curriculum has an increased focus on clinical skills and ensuring that students have met vital competencies required to be a practising veterinarian.

Third year 
You will gain more in‑depth, focused learning including hands-on experience in particular areas of interest through a range of core/elective courses.

Fourth year 
You will gain clinical experience during the program's final year, completing a series of two- or four-week clinical rotations. Students can also arrange for externships at specialty practices, zoos and aquariums in other provinces or countries.

The Course and Program Catalogue has the complete and official listing of required classes and their descriptions for this program.

• Course and Program Catalogue

Private practice
Mixed animal practitioners treat large and small animals while large animal practitioners focus on agricultural livestock. Small animal veterinarians provide health care for dogs, cats and exotic pets. Some private practitioners specialize in treating individual species such as dairy and beef cattle, swine, horses or companion animals.

Specialized disciplines
Clinicians with advanced training provide specialized services in many clinical disciplines including surgery, internal medicine, medical imaging, anesthesiology, ophthalmology, veterinary pathology, dentistry, wildlife medicine and oncology.

Public service
Provincial and federal veterinarians help to develop public policy and legislation related to animal and animal human health. They regulate the import and export of livestock and food products. They are responsible for the control of infectious diseases among livestock and wildlife from a local to global level. They provide diagnostic services and ensure the health and safety of commercial meat products.

Academia and research
Veterinarians are involved in teaching and studying animal health at veterinary colleges, universities and research institutions. Veterinarians also contribute to advances in human medicine and collaborate with researchers around the world.

Industry
Veterinarians take part in the research and commercial development of new feed products, drugs and technologies with animal health companies.

International accreditation

The WCVM holds the status of full accreditation with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education, allowing the WCVM to operate as a qualified centre for veterinary education and research. 

WCVM graduates are eligible to practise in all provinces of Canada, in all American states and in most other countries around the world. 

WCVM students write the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) in the final year of the DVM program. The NAVLE is a comprehensive test that allows veterinarians to practise throughout North America. It is also accepted as a veterinary qualification in most other countries. 

• The WCVM student pass rate for the NAVLE exam in the past three years has been 86 per cent (2023-24), 97 per cent (2022-23) and 100 per cent (2021-22) — well above the 80 per cent rate required by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. All veterinary graduates must pass the NAVLE before they can be licensed to practise in North America and in other parts of the world. 

The WCVM's Veterinary Medical Centre is also an accredited members of the American Animal Hospitals Association (AAHA). 

The college is recognized by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). This means WCVM graduates are eligible for membership in the RCVS, allowing them to practise in the United Kingdom and any country recognizing RCVS membership.


For further information about the WCVM’s accreditation, visit the WCVM website.

General counselling may be received by contacting the WCVM Admissions Office. Prospective applicants may contact the pre-veterinary advisor at their respective university for advising within their local context. 

British Columbia

• University of British Columbia
  Email: Student Services | Tel: 604-822-2620
  
  
• University of Victoria
  Email: Advising Centre | Tel: 250-721-7567
  
  
• Simon Fraser University
  Email: Emelia Kirkwood | Tel: 778-782-3539 or 778-782-3551
  
  
• University of Northern British Columbia
  Email (current UNBC students): Advising Office | Tel: 250-960-6306
  Email (prospective UNBC students): Student Recruitment Office

Saskatchewan

• University of Saskatchewan
  Email: Admissions Office | Tel: 306-966-7459

• University of Regina
  Email: Science Advisor | Tel: 306-585-4199

Manitoba

• University of Manitoba
  Email: Dr. George Gozho | Tel: 204-474-9443
  
  
• Brandon University
  Email: Dr. Christopher LeMoine | Student Services Advising Staff
  
  
• University of Winnipeg
  Email: Robert Anderson | Tel: 204-786-9296
  Email: Laura-Anne Warszycki | Tel: 204-258-2971

Students have organized pre-veterinary clubs at a number of universities across Western Canada. If you're interested in learning more about the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program and enjoy meeting other students who have similar interests, these student-run organizations offer a range of opportunities including tours, wet labs, guest speakers and resource materials.

British Columbia

• University of British Columbia
  UBC (Vancouver) Pre-Vet and Animal Welfare Club
  Email: ubcpawclub@gmail.com
  
  UBC Okanagan (Kelowna) Pre-Vet Club Facebook page 
  Email: prevetclub.okanagan@outlook.com
  
  
• University of Victoria
  UVic Pre-Vet Club Facebook page
  Email: uvicprevet@gmail.com
  
  
• Simon Fraser University
  Simon Fraser University Pre-Vet Club website/Facebook page
  Email: sfuprevetclub@gmail.com
  
  
• University of Northern British Columbia
  University of Northern British Columbia Pre-Vet Club
  Email: prevetclub@unbc.ca

Saskatchewan

• University of Saskatchewan
  Instagram: @u_of_s_prevet
  Email: u_of_s_prevet@hotmail.com

Manitoba

• University of Manitoba
  University of Manitoba Pre-Vet Club
  University of Manitoba Facebook page
  Email: uofmprevet@gmail.com
  
  
• Brandon University
  Western Manitoba Pre-Veterinary Medical Association (WMPVMA)
  Email: wmpvma@gmail.com
  
  
• University of Winnipeg
  The Pre-Veterinary Club (PVC)
  Pre-Veterinary Club Instagram: @uwprevetclub
  Email: uwprevet@outlook.com

The WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre offers volunteer opportunities to students interested in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree program at the WCVM. 

• Learn more about volunteering

An interprovincial agreement between the WCVM and its partner provinces (British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) specifies definite rules to determine an applicant's province of residence. Proof of residency is required for all applicants.

Please review the WCVM Applicant Manual for full residency rules.

Note: residency guidelines for fall 2026 entrants may change as the WCVM is currently negotiating a new Interprovincial Agreement (IPA) with its partner provinces. 

The WCVM has five first-year seats designated for Indigenous applicants — one in each provincial pool (B.C., Saskatchewan and Manitoba) as well as two seats in an open pool (B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northern territories). Indigenous applicants who choose to apply and be considered for admission through the WCVM’s designated Indigenous seats must be First Nations, Inuit or Métis persons of Canada.

Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship at USask is led and determined by the deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapewin: Indigenous Truth policy and Standing Committee in accordance with the processes developed to enact the policy.

Applicants with verified Indigenous Membership/Citizenship will be considered for admission in their provincial pool as well as the designated Indigenous seats. 

Casper is an online situational judgement test that measures aspects of your social intelligence and professionalism like ethics, empathy, problem-solving and collaboration. Note: the Duet assessment offered through Acuity Insights is not required.

Casper is an open-response situational judgment test that takes around 90 to 110 minutes to complete online.

The last Casper test date that will be considered for this application cycle is January 21, 2025. Applicants must select the University of Saskatchewan, Western College of Veterinary Medicine for distribution before the February 15, 2025, deadline.

You will need to create an account and sign up for Casper 2 (CSP-10211). To account for identity verification and payment processing timelines, ensure that you register for your test at least three days before your preferred test date and time. Last-minute bookings are not recommended. Applicants requiring testing accommodations must submit a request at least four weeks before their scheduled Casper test date.

Please direct any inquiries on Acuity Insights Assessments to support@acuityinsights.app. Alternatively, you may use the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your screen on the acuityinsights.app website.

Casper test results are only valid for the admissions cycle in which the test is taken. Applicants who have already taken Casper in previous years are required to retake it to be eligible for subsequent admission cycle(s).

The importance of animal and veterinary experience is to ensure applicants “know what they are getting into” and are making an informed career choice.

Veterinary experience
Experiences should be obtained under the supervision of a veterinarian in placements such as clinical practice, research laboratories, animal shelters, animal rehabilitation facilities, public health settings or another related industry where a veterinarian is employed. Veterinary experience provides applicants insight into the day-to-day life as a veterinarian and an understanding of the veterinary profession. The purpose of the experience is not to learn a basic core of veterinary or animal handling skills. For many, obtaining veterinary experience means spending quality time with a veterinarian — either as a volunteer or as a paid employee.

Animal experience
Significant animal experience is required because it's assumed that most veterinarians will be working with animals during their career. Experiences working with animals allows applicants to determine how well they enjoy working with animals. These experiences also help to give an indication of their aptitude and compassion. "Significant animal experience" goes beyond pet ownership. For example, it could include responsibility for the care and husbandry of livestock or a food animal unit, breeding/showing animals, experience at rehabilitation facilities or humane societies/shelters, working in a pet store, participating in equestrian activities, or any other animal-related hobby or experience where a veterinarian is not always present.

Applicants' experiences are often consistent with their career goals. However, it's important to understand the diversity of the veterinary profession since both the DVM curriculum and the veterinary licensing examination require proficiency in a broad range of areas for successful completion. For this reason, it is strongly advised that applicants gain experience working with a variety of species such as cows, horses, pigs, chickens, fish, exotics, wildlife, dogs and cats.

The WCVM admissions committee recognizes that applicants' career goals in the veterinary profession may change over the course of their education. During the admissions process, there are no "preferred" career choices. Applicants with an interest in one type of practice are not given preferential treatment over those with interests in other areas.  

The amount of animal and veterinary experience will vary from one applicant to another because some individuals are more perceptive than others and some experiences might be more useful than others.

Some applicants will be able to obtain these insights after minimal exposure while other applicants may need more time and exposure.

• Graduates are expected to diagnose and manage health conditions in a wide variety of animal species.
• Graduates must provide compassionate care to animals and be able to communicate clearly with owners, regulatory agencies and others.
• Graduates must also meet licensing requirements and pass licensing examinations.

While a disability should not preclude a student from consideration for admission, disabilities must not prevent the student from:

• communicating with owners of animals and colleagues
• observing patients
• collecting and analyzing clinical data
• performing medical and surgical treatments
• maintaining animal and human safety
• demonstrating appropriate judgment during the veterinary training process

Applicants who are admitted to the DVM program will be required to attest that they are able to meet essential skills/technical standards with or without reasonable accommodation.

Essential skills/technical standards

The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan is committed to collaborating with students to ensure accessibility and to ensure a respectful culture of accommodation. We encourage students to proactively seek accommodations.

After review of the essential skills for veterinary medical education, applicants and students who require reasonable accommodation to fully engage in the program should contact Access and Equity Services to privately discuss their accommodation needs. Timely requests are essential and encouraged, as, given the clinical nature of the program, time may be needed to create and implement the accommodation. Accommodations are never retroactive.

Essential skills for veterinary medical education

Applicants and students must demonstrate a number of essential skills and abilities. These are also called “technical standards” and refer to all non-academic criteria that are essential to participation in the program.

Observation
Students should be able to directly obtain information from demonstrations and procedures in pre-clinical and clinical coursework. Students should be able to assess a patient and evaluate findings accurately, detect changes in patient behaviour, physical and mental status to provide appropriate veterinary care. These skills require the use of vision, hearing and touch, or the functional equivalent.

Communication
Students should be able to communicate with clients and all members of the health care team, to establish effective professional relationships in order to elicit and provide information. Students should be able to communicate effectively and sensitively, both in person and in writing.

Motor
Students should, after a reasonable period of time, possess the capacity to directly perform physical examinations and preventive, diagnostic, medical, surgical and emergency procedures. Such actions require some co-ordination of both. gross and fine muscular movements, balance and equilibrium.

Intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities
Students should be able to comprehend, retain and apply detailed and complex information and engage in problem solving in pre-clinical and clinical coursework.

Students are expected to possess the ability to accurately measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize and communicate information. In addition, after a reasonable amount of instruction, students should be able to comprehend spatial and three-dimensional relationships of structures, such as the anatomical structure of an animal. And students should also be able to adapt to different learning environments and modalities.

Behavioural and social abilities
Students should possess the emotional health required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with clients, fellow students, faculty, staff, and the entire health care team. They should be able to fully attend the curriculum, which requires active engagement in educational and clinical activities. They should display flexibility and adaptability and function in a fast-paced, changing environment with the uncertainties and stressors inherent in the clinical problems of many of their patients.

Students must also be able to receive, comprehend and act on informal and formal constructive feedback. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, professionalism, interest, motivation, punctuality and consistent attendance are all personal qualities that are expected during the education process.

Ethics and professionalism
Students should maintain and display ethical and professional behaviours commensurate with the role of a veterinarian in all their interactions with clients, patients, faculty, staff, fellow students, the entire health care team and the public. After a reasonable period of time, students should also be able to demonstrate realistic self-assessment of knowledge and skills and engage in personal reflective practice to achieve the competencies of the program and of the profession. The student is expected to understand the legal and ethical aspects of the practice of veterinary medicine and function within the law and ethical standards of the profession.

The essential skills delineated above must be met with or without reasonable accommodation. This policy exists to ensure students who are entering the DVM program are aware of the requirements necessary for the study of veterinary medicine, and they have a reasonable opportunity to complete the program and earn a DVM degree.

After reviewing the essential skills, students who determine that they require reasonable accommodation to fully engage in the program should contact Access and Equity Services to discuss their accommodation needs privately.

Accommodation information, not diagnoses, is shared with appropriate administrative and teaching staff and faculty on a need-to-know basis related to the timely implementation of accommodation. Given the clinical nature of the program, time may be needed to create and implement the accommodation. Accommodations are never retroactive; therefore, timely requests are essential and encouraged.

The University of Saskatchewan (USask) collects and creates information about students (“personal information”) under the authority of the University of Saskatchewan Act and in accordance with the Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

This information may be used for purposes of admission, registration, monitoring academic progress and other decisions on students’ academic status, the administration of USask and its programs and services, including services for students of Indigenous ancestry. This may include contacting students to offer programs and services that may be of benefit to them.

USask will also use this information for statistical reporting purposes and some of this information may be used or disclosed in accordance with the Act. USask will also, where necessary, share this information with federal or provincial governments for reporting, immigration or other required purposes.