Veterinary Program Syllabus

The program is designed to educate students to the best international standards in veterinary medicine and to prepare them for ENTRY to any branch of the veterinary profession. Veterinary medicine is concerned with the promotion of the health and welfare of animals of special importance to society. This involves the care of healthy and sick animals, the prevention, recognition, control and treatment of their diseases and the welfare and productivity of livestock. Veterinarians also safeguard human health through prevention and control of diseases transmitted from animals to man, through ensuring the safety of foods of animal origin, and through advancing the science and art of comparative medicine.

Veterinary graduates may work in private practice (companion animals, food animals, horses, exotics, or a mixture of these), in government service (animal health, food safety, public health), in research or in industry.   The veterinary program is accredited by the Veterinary Council of Ireland, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the European Association of Establishments in Veterinary Education. 

North American applicants are eligible to apply to enter this program provided they have the prerequisites as outlined in the accompanying documentation.  Further curricular details will be published on the UCD website, as they become available.

Length of Program

The Graduate Entry Four Year Degree Program is organized in four stages.

During Stage 1 students will study pre-clinical animal sciences including normal physical structure and function, animal production, behavior and welfare. Extra Mural Study modules cover basic animal handling and husbandry on the school’s Lyons Estate farm and further afield. In Semesters 1 and 2 of the program students will build on their knowledge of the basic biological sciences by taking modules designed to demonstrate how this knowledge is applied in the practice of veterinary medicine, and gain a firm grounding in animal welfare, behavior and handling. A key objective will be to ensure that students have the required knowledge, skills and competences to progress to Stage 2.

At Stage 2 students will take combined modules with students on the Veterinary Medicine program aimed at school-leavers. As the program progresses students will learn clinical skills and study each of the clinical sciences using a “body systems” approach.  Students are introduced to veterinary parasitology, microbiology and pathology as well as clinical pharmacology and therapeutics. They also study the main clinical cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal systems and are introduced to clinical medicine and surgery. Farm and companion animal handling and husbandry is continued throughout Stage 2.

In Stage 3 students continue to study clinical and paraclinical veterinary sciences, covering public health, reproduction, neurology, anesthesia and urology, as well as herd health and population medicine and clinical musculoskeletal systems. Special topics in clinical veterinary medicine are pursued throughout the year.

The Final Stage of the program consists of clinical rotations in UCD’s veterinary hospital where students have the opportunity to work alongside experienced and specialist staff clinicians, and participate in patient care and client communication.  Each student has a personalized timetable ensuring that they participate in rotations in Large and Small Animal Surgeries, Diagnostic Imaging, Anesthesiology, Small and Large Animal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Clinical Reproduction, Herd Health, Population Medicine, Diagnostic Pathology and Clinical Pathology.    Assessments at the end of this clinical year are through Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) and Clinical Proficiency Examinations (CPEs).

Throughout the program students are required to participate in extra-mural studies.   In the early years, this consists of gaining experience in the handling and management of farm and companion animals, and in the later years, of working with veterinarians in practice (clinical extra-mural experience).   Some of this experience can be undertaken in the US or elsewhere, according to student preference.
For additional information on curriculum click here.

Admissions Process

Completed applications are reviewed by the UCD Veterinary School admissions team.  No interviews will take place.  Successful applicants will receive their offers in March/April. Classes begin in early September with compulsory orientation taking place prior to the start of classes.

Entrance Requirements

Up to 30 places will be available in 2012 for overseas students.

Applicants for the Graduate Entry – Four Year Degree program must hold a Bachelor degree (preferably science) with an overall GPA of 3.2 or above and must include the following courses;

• General Chemistry or Inorganic Chemistry – at least one semester with lab.
• Biochemistry – at least one semester with lab.
• Physics – at least one semester with lab.
• General Biology or Zoology – at least one semester covering general animal/mammalian biology.
• Cellular Biology – encompassing principles of Molecular Biology.
• Microbiology – including Immunology, general Bacteriology and Virology.

Applicants should have a minimum, but preferably more, of two weeks Animal/Veterinary work experience.  

Fees

The annual tuition fee for 2011/12 is €33,500.  Fees are subject to an annual review and you should visit the UCD Fees Office website at the time of application for the most up to date information.

Research Opportunities

During the summer months, students may carry out research in several areas.

Degrees Awarded

Successful completion of the four-year veterinary degree course leads to the MVB degree at University College Dublin. Once applicable licensing procedures have been successfully completed, holders of this degree are eligible to practice veterinary medicine in the United States, Canada, Australaisa, and all of the European Union nations. University College Dublin has many veterinary graduates currently practicing and/or teaching veterinary medicine in North America.