DVM Program Application

• Canadian citizens (including dual citizens) and those with permanent residency or protected person status must be residents of Ontario in order to apply to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). A resident is an individual who has lived in Ontario for 12 consecutive months prior to January 1, not including time spent enrolled in post-secondary institutions. This may include living in Ontario as a child or working in the province for 12 consecutive months. Time spent enrolled in a post-secondary institution does not count towards residency.  

• Canadian citizens (including dual citizens) and those with permanent residency or protected person status must be residents of Northern Ontario in order to apply to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). A resident is an individual who has lived in *Northern Ontario for 12 consecutive months prior to January 1, not including time spent enrolled in post-secondary institutions. This may include living in Northern Ontario as a child or working in *Northern Ontario for 12 consecutive months outside of any post-secondary program.
• Successful applicants to this cohort are required to enroll in the Rural Community Practice Stream. 

*Northern Ontario is defined as the Districts of Thunder Bay, Kenora, Rainy River, Algoma, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Greater Sudbury, Sudbury, Manitoulin, Parry Sound, and Nipissing.

• Canadian citizens (including dual citizens) and those with permanent residency or protected person status must be residents of Ontario in order to apply to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). A resident is an individual who has lived in Ontario for 12 consecutive months prior to January 1, not including time spent enrolled in post-secondary institutions. This may include living in Ontario as a child or working in the province for 12 consecutive months outside of any post-secondary program.
• Applicants must have completed a graduate degree or be currently enrolled in a graduate program.
• Applicants currently enrolled in a graduate program must successfully complete all degree requirements by August 1st of the year of entry to the DVM program, including submission of a thesis draft to the advisory committee for thesis-based graduate degrees.
• Applicants who qualify to apply through the Domestic Graduate Cohort must indicate their desire to be considered in the Graduate Cohort. Their application will then be removed from the undergraduate applicant pool and considered with the graduate applicant pool.

• International students, including US students, should apply through the International Cohort. Note that applicants with dual Canadian citizenship must apply through the Domestic Cohort. Applicants who receive an offer of admission should be aware that they must meet federal immigration requirements for entry into Canada as a student.

Applicants must have completed at least two years (minimum of 4 semesters) of full-time studies in a Bachelor's degree program.  This may be done at any accredited College or University and in any major of interest; courses do not need to be completed in a specialized college or faculty, or in a designated Pre-Veterinary program. Courses from College certificate and diploma programs are not acceptable. If accepted into the DVM program, applicants do not need to finish a four-year degree program and can simply transfer to the DVM program. 

A full-time semester is a semester that contains a minimum of five, one-semester courses, for example: 

• An undergraduate full-time semester (full course load) is defined as a minimum 2.50 credits. This is typically five courses at 0.50 credits each per semester, but may be 4 courses where one course has a double credit weight. While 2.00 credits may be considered full-time status at some academic institutions, 2.50 credits are required for OVC-DVM program application purposes.   
• For universities that use the 3.00/6.00 credit system, students must have a minimum total of 15.00 credits per semester in order to be considered full-time.  
• A course that runs the full year will have the credit weight divided equally and half applied to each of the two semesters in which the course is taken.  
• Field courses or any courses that are pursued over one semester and credited in another semester do not count towards the latter semester's courses for this purpose. 

Applicants must submit all their post-secondary academic transcripts. From this, an Academic Average will be calculated, with 50% derived from the average from all courses taken in the applicant’s most recent two, full-time undergraduate semesters, and 50% derived from the eight DVM program prerequisites. Applicants must declare which course grades they wish to use for the 8 prerequisites, which must be from their eligible courses taken in full-time semesters.

• Eight (8) prerequisite courses are required.   
• Required courses must be completed by the following dates in the year prior to anticipated entry  
  • Domestic Undergraduate, Northern Ontario Undergraduate and Graduate Cohorts: December 31st 
  • International Cohort Applicants: August 31st  

Required Prerequisite Courses:  

• Download the list of University of Guelph courses acceptable as prerequisites. Admission Services provides a Course Evaluation Request service for students studying at institutions other than the University of Guelph. Applicants who would like to have potential prerequisite courses evaluated are encouraged to submit a course evaluation request prior to registering in courses.
• Applicants must indicate which courses they choose to put forward as prerequisites when completing their Background Information Form (BIF) or VMCAS Application. 

• Applicants must complete prerequisite courses within full-time, acceptable semesters as defined for DVM admissions. 
• Prerequisite courses can be presented from any full-time, acceptable semester of a bachelor’s or graduate degree program in any area of study, including summer semesters.
• A limit of one undergraduate course per semester is allowed during full-time graduate studies.
• Courses may not fulfill multiple prerequisites. Each course can only be presented once.  
• Courses taken during professional programs and technical/certificate programs are not acceptable. 
• Prerequisites that require 1.0 credit (e.g. Biological Science, Humanities), can be fulfilled by presenting two 0.5 credit courses, or one 1.0 credit course. Please note that, in order for a 1.0 credit course to be presented, both semesters in which the course is completed must be acceptable and full-time.  
• Courses (prerequisites or other courses within a semester) will not be acceptable if they are repeats of previously passed courses or if they are taken out of sequence. Students should consult their institution’s course calendar to review course sequencing and exclusions/restrictions. It is each student’s responsibility to pay close attention to prerequisites and course restrictions that are outlined within the Undergraduate Calendar. Repeating a previously passed course, or taking courses out of sequence will result in the entire semester being deemed inadmissible.
• All prerequisite courses must have a numerical or letter grade. The University of Guelph Admissions Services cannot evaluate Honours, Pass-Fail, and Satisfactory-Unsatisfactory grading systems. Applicants must obtain and submit a numerical or letter grade for all required courses, and the grades must be certified by the Registrar of the university attended. *Please see below for information specific to the Winter 2020 semester and COVID-19 pandemic impact on numerical grading for DVM admissions.
• Any number of degree-level distance education/online courses may be included in a semester, as long as the semester is a full-time course load as defined for DVM admissions. These courses may be taken at an accredited university other than the student's primary education institution.
• For students that have obtained more than 10 credits in their program, 60% of credits in each full-time semester must be taken at a 3000 level (third year level) or above once they have completed 10 credits.  However, the remaining 40% of the credits in a full-time semester may be taken at a level of the applicant's choice.
• A person's semester/year level is determined by the number of credits that have been completed successfully in his or her degree program plus those that are in progress. Once a person has reached twenty half-year courses (10.00 credits at the University of Guelph), they are considered a third-year student.
• Applicants who hold a non-science bachelor's degree, in which they did not take some of the DVM program prerequisite courses because these were not part of their program, may return to university as part of non-degree semester(s) in order to gain the prerequisites for applying to the DVM program. These courses must be first assessed and approved by the University of Guelph Admissions Office, to ensure they are being taken at the maximum appropriate year level.
• Applicants with a degree requesting the option of completing their DVM admissions academic requirements on a part-time basis due to a documented commitment that is not a matter of choice, such as work or family responsibility, can present their case to the Admission Committee for consideration. This should be done before starting the return to classes.  
• Applicants who wish to present pre-requisite courses taken in a non-full-time semester must submit an Admission Requirement Accommodation Request to Admissions Services in advance of their application to the DVM program.  See below for the academic consideration request process.    

Failure to comply with the above course rules will result in the exclusion of all coursework from the ineligible semester(s) toward a DVM application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure appropriateness of courses taken and presented. Please refer to the Course Evaluation Request procedure below.

*Courses taken during the Winter 2020 semester were uniquely impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.  

• Winter 2020 will be considered a full-time semester for application to the DVM program, so long as it contains a minimum of 2.5 credits or 15 credits hours and has numerical or alpha grades in a minimum of 1.5 credits or 9 credit hours (e.g. 'pass' grades in a maximum of 1.0 credits or 6 credit hours will be acceptable).
• Winter 2020 will be considered one of the last 2 full-time semesters so long as it is a full-time (minimum 2.5 credits or 15 credit hours) acceptable semester and has numerical or alpha grades in a minimum of 1.5 credits or 9 credit hours (e.g. 'pass' grades in a maximum of 1.0 credit or 6 credit hours will be acceptable).  Any course(s) presented as a 'pass' grade will be excluded from the calculation of the cumulative admission average. Similarly, any 'pass' course credits completed as part of a graduate program from the Winter 2020 semester will be excluded from the cumulative graduate program admission average.
• Winter 2020 will be considered one of the last 2 full-time semesters so long as it is a full-time (minimum 2.5 credits or 15 credit hours) acceptable semester and has numerical or alpha grades in a minimum of 1.5 credits or 9 credit hours (e.g. 'pass' grades in a maximum of 1.0 credit or 6 credit hours will be acceptable).  Any course(s) presented as a 'pass' grade will be excluded from the calculation of the cumulative admission average. Similarly, any 'pass' course credits completed as part of a graduate program from the Winter 2020 semester will be excluded from the cumulative graduate program admission average.

Full-time Study Requirement

Applicants must have completed at least two years (minimum of 4 semesters) of full-time studies in an undergraduate degree program at an accredited institution.  Courses from College certificate and diploma programs are not acceptable. 

For DVM admission purposes, a full-time semester includes a minimum of 2.0 credits (e.g. four one-semester courses).  

• An undergraduate full-time semester (full course load) is defined as a minimum 2.00 credits. This is typically four courses at 0.50 credits each per semester
• For universities that use the 3.00/6.00 credit system, students must have a minimum total of 12.00 credits per semester in order to be considered full-time.  
• A course that runs the full year will have the credit weight divided equally and half applied to each of the two semesters in which the course is taken.  
• Field courses or any courses that are pursued over one semester and credited in another semester do not count towards the latter semester's courses for this purpose. 
• For students that have obtained more than 10 credits in their program, 50% of credits in each full-time semester must be taken at a 3000 level (third year level) or above once they have completed 10 credits.  The remaining credits in a full-time semester may be taken at a level of the applicant's choice. 
• A person's semester/year level is determined by the number of credits that have been completed successfully in his or her degree program plus those that are in progress. Once a person has reached twenty half-year courses (10.00 credits at the University of Guelph), they are considered a third-year student. 
• Repeating a passed course (prerequisite or other courses within a semester) or taking courses out of sequence will result in the entire semester being deemed inadmissible. 

Applicants must submit all their post-secondary academic transcripts. From this, an Academic Average will be calculated, with 50% derived from the average from all courses taken in the applicant’s most recent four, full-time undergraduate semesters, and 50% derived from the eight DVM program prerequisites. Applicants must declare the courses they intend to use to fulfill the 8 prerequisites. 

Academic Prerequisite Courses

• Eight (8) prerequisite courses are required.   
• Required courses must be completed by the following dates in the year prior to anticipated entry  
  • Domestic Undergraduate, Northern Ontario Undergraduate, and Graduate Cohorts: December 31st 
  • International Cohort Applicants: August 31st  

Required Prerequisite Courses:  

• Download the list of University of Guelph courses acceptable as prerequisites. Admission Services provides a Course Evaluation Request service for students studying at institutions other than the University of Guelph. Applicants who would like to have potential prerequisite courses evaluated are encouraged to submit a course evaluation request prior to registering in courses.
• Applicants must indicate which courses they choose to put forward as prerequisites when completing their Background Information Form (BIF) or VMCAS Application. 

Important Regulations Regarding Acceptable Courses

• Applicants may complete prerequisite courses within any semester of a bachelor’s or graduate degree program in any area of study.
• Courses may not fulfill multiple prerequisites. Each course can only be presented once.  
  Courses taken during professional programs and technical/certificate programs are not acceptable. 
• Prerequisites that require 1.0 credit (e.g. Biological Science, Humanities), can be fulfilled by presenting two 0.5 credit courses, or one 1.0 credit course. 
• Courses (prerequisites or other courses within a semester) will not be acceptable if they are repeats of previously passed courses or if courses are taken out of sequence. Students should consult their institution’s course calendar to review course sequencing and exclusions/restrictions. It is each student’s responsibility to pay close attention to prerequisites and course restrictions that are listed within the Undergraduate Calendar. 
• All prerequisite courses must have a numerical or letter grade. The University of Guelph Admissions Services cannot evaluate Honours, Pass-Fail, and Satisfactory-Unsatisfactory grading systems. Applicants must obtain and submit a numerical or letter grade for all required courses, and the grades must be certified by the Registrar of the university attended. 
• Any number of degree-level distance education/online courses from accredited institutions may be included.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure appropriateness of courses taken and presented. Please refer to the Course Evaluation Request.

Course Evaluation Requests are a complimentary service that allow prospective applicants to confirm whether or not they are taking the required acceptable prerequisites for DVM admission. 

This service is not for University of Guelph courses. 

Course Evaluation Requests will take place 3 times per calendar year in January, June and September, with the due dates for requests being December 15th, May 15th or August 15th respectively 

• Email Course Evaluation Requests to admdvm@uoguelph.ca 
• All Course Evaluation Request emails must include the following: 
  • Subject line: Course Evaluation Request – Applicant’s Name  
  • Proposed course(s) - a maximum of 3 courses per prerequisite may be submitted. Please include institution, course codes, course titles, course descriptions, pre/anti-requisites, and clearly identify which course is presented as which prerequisite (e.g. BIOL 123 as Biological Science prerequisite). Please see the suggested template for guidance.  
  • Save the following documents as PDFs and submit as a single zip file attachment to the email: 
    • The official course outline from each course that is being submitted for eligibility evaluation should also be included.  
    • Unofficial transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended - a photocopy is fine during course eligibility review. Note: Schools such as Trent, York, Brock, Nipissing and Laurentian report courses by year only on their transcripts. For these situations, please also include a breakdown of which courses were taken in each semester. 
    • Please use the following naming system for files: LASTNAME_COURSECODE_courseoutline or LASTNAME_INSTITUTION_transcript 

Requests containing all completed information will be reviewed and a reply will be returned no later than the end of the course evaluation month requested (e.g. end of January, June or September). 

Missing documentation will delay a reply/decision. 

Course Evaluation Requests or missing documentation received after the due date will be reviewed at the next Course Evaluation period. 

Any additional questions pertaining to admission requirements should be sent in a separate email to admdvm@uoguelph.ca 

NOTE: We cannot accommodate specific deadlines (e.g. application deadlines, course registration, etc), therefore applicants should plan to submit a Course Evaluation Request well in advance. For example, to have courses evaluated for a Winter semester, the Course Evaluation Request should be submitted by email for either the June or September course evaluation period. 

The OVC-DVM Admission Committee will consider requests from individuals who have experienced extenuating circumstances and factors beyond their control, that have impacted eligibility of one or more semesters.

If you wish to seek approval to present coursework from an unacceptable semester (e.g. previously completed or planned semesters), you may submit a request for an admission requirement accommodation.

Important information and instructions – please read carefully

Requests for admission requirement accommodation(s) for your DVM Program application must be based on documented medical, psychological, or compassionate circumstances.

Requests are submitted to Admission Services (admdvm@uoguelph.ca) and are then reviewed by the OVC-DVM Program Admissions Sub-Committee.

Admission requirement accommodation requests are reviewed two times each year:

• November (deadline for submission is October 1)
• March (deadline for submission is February 1)

All requests are considered for upcoming application cycles and are not applicable to current (open) application cycles.

Please note that it is possible for a request to be denied even if supporting documentation is submitted, so plan and prepare for any outcome. Examples of circumstances that are not acceptable grounds for academic consideration include (but are not limited to) employment* or financial responsibilities, taking a course out of sequence, or taking a course for a second time. 

*Applicants that are transitioning from a prior career may be excepted; see below under “Career Change” supporting documentation.

All requests must include the following:

1. Complete the form titled:  Admission Requirement Accommodation Request for OVC-DVM Program
   • Make sure that you have filled in your name, degree program, University, UofG ID number, email, and have typed your name in the bottom name field of the form.
   • Requests must be course specific.  Applicants must provide course numbers, sequence, and dates of enrollment. 
   • It is the applicants’ responsibility to ensure that the course(s) presented for consideration meets all other pre-requisite requirements.  Refer to OVC admissions website for pre-requisite requirements.
   • If an applicant is unsure if a non-University of Guelph course meets all other pre-requisite requirements, a course evaluation may be requested by contacting Admissions Services (admdvm@uoguelph.ca).   Please refer to the OVC admissions website for course evaluation request dates and deadlines. 
   • Transcripts that detail course sequence and semester must be provided.
   • All requests for reduced course load consideration related to any medical reason must include supporting documentation (see below) from your academic institution’s Student Accessibility Services (SAS) department (or equivalent).  All SAS documentation for course load reduction must include the specific academic accommodation, including applicable date or date range of the recommendation, semester(s), and course(s) affected.
   • Do not submit personal medical documentation to University of Guelph Admissions Services. 
2.  Personal letter explaining the situation: 
   • Limit your letter to no more than 2 pages, double spaced, 12-font, 2.5 cm (standard) margins.  This is approximately 1000 words. 
   • Personal letters should be addressed to: Chair, OVC-DVM Admissions Sub-Committee.
   • In your letter, outline the reason(s) why one or more courses were affected and clearly outline the specific date(s) of the problem that prevented you from meeting your academic responsibilities.  Provide an explanation of how those circumstances impacted your academics. 
   • Do not disclose any medical diagnosis(es). 
   • Your letter must be thorough enough to provide the OVC-DVM Admissions Sub-Committee with sufficient information to be able to meaningfully review your request.
   • For non-medical related circumstances, address why the reduced course load during the semester was a result of your extenuating circumstance.
   • If applicable, explain what supports you have put in place to prevent this situation from happening in the future.
   • For continued extenuating circumstances (if applicable), outline how you anticipate mitigating ongoing barriers should you successfully gain entry into the DVM Program.
3.  Supporting documentation: 
   • Applicants must clearly define which semester(s) and course(s) were impacted in their accommodation request and provide supporting documentation. All supporting documentation must specifically include a date range that must also align with the dates of the semesters in which the reduced course load accommodation is requested.
     • Medical or psychological grounds:  Do not submit medical documentation nor disclose a diagnosis(es) to University of Guelph Admissions Services.  Requests based on any medical or psychological grounds require documentation from the Student Accessibility Services (SAS) department (or equivalent) of your academic institution. Any medical and/or psychological documentation is to be evaluated by the SAS (or equivalent) department of your university through their appropriate policies, guidelines, and procedures.  Any requests for course load reduction for any medical or psychological grounds must be supported by the SAS department (or equivalent) of your university and must be documented.  Documentation, in the form of an official letter from your university SAS department detailing the accommodation, but not disclosing any diagnosis(es), is to be submitted by the applicant and must specifically include: 
       • the specific academic accommodation recommendation
       • the specific date or date range applied to the recommendation
       • current contact information for the SAS advisor must be provided for verification purposes.
     • Compassionate grounds:  Requests based on compassionate grounds also require documentation where possible. This may take the form of a police report, funeral notice, etc, depending on the circumstance. Do not disclose or include any personal financial information such as tax receipts, housing costs, childcare support costs, etc.
     •  Career change:
       • Applicants who are considering a career change must provide documentation of previous and current degree programs and provide details in the personal letter outlining their decision-making process to change careers.
       • Applicants who are returning to university as a non-degree (or equivalent) student must provide details in the personal letter outlining their extenuating circumstance as to why reduced course load is appropriate and provide appropriate supporting documentation.
       • Do not disclose or include any personal financial information such as tax receipts, housing costs, childcare support costs, etc.
       • Applicants are required to provide documentation of full-time employment (defined as ³ 30 hrs/week) from their employer during the period(s) of study where accommodation for reduced course load is requested.  Current contact information of employer(s) must be provided for verification purposes.
4.  How to submit your request:
   • Save all documents as PDFs and submit as a single zip file attached to the email.
   • Please use the following naming system for files:
     • LASTNAME_FORM
     • LASTNAME_LETTER
     • LASTNAME_INSTITUTION_transcript
     • LASTNAME_DOCUMENTATION 
   • All requests must be submitted to Admission Services at admdvm@uoguelph.ca by the submission deadlines (see above).
   • E-mail subject line: DVM admissions requirement accommodation request - Applicant's name.

Applicants will be notified via email of the decision pertaining to their request once the OVC-DVM Admissions Sub-Committee has reviewed the request.  Please note that submitting a request in no way guarantees that the request will be approved. 

All applicants (Domestic Undergraduate, Northern Ontario Undergraduate, Domestic Graduate, and International cohorts) applying to the OVC-DVM program are required to complete the Casper 2 (CSP-10211) - English test during the current Acuity Insights test cycle.   
The Casper test is administered by Acuity Insights and measures non-cognitive traits of applicants.  Casper is a 100-120 minute online, open-response situational judgement test. 
Casper test results are valid for one admissions cycle. Scores can take up to three weeks. Applicants must take the test with enough of a buffer between receiving the results and providing them in time for the application deadline. Check the Acuity Insights website to see what dates are available for the application cycle you are in. Applicants who have already taken the test in a previous cycle will therefore be expected to re-take it. 
International applicants who have previously completed an alternate version of Casper must complete the Casper 2 (CSP-10211) – English test, in order to be considered for admission to the DVM program at the Ontario Veterinary College. 
Studying is not required for Casper, although applicants are encouraged to visit the About Casper - Take Casper (acuityinsights.app) site to become familiar with the test structure. procedure, and fees.

There is no minimum requirement for the number of veterinary experience hours to apply to the DVM program.  However, the decision to apply to veterinary school should be an informed one and hence, it is important for applicants to explore the profession holistically prior to application.   

As part of the application process, candidates must demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the profession, its dimensions and the industries it serves to permit the candidate to make and defend their career choice. This requires the candidate to spend adequate time under the supervision of veterinarians. Pet ownership and brief introductions to certain veterinary sectors can certainly spark an interest in becoming a veterinarian.  However, the decision to apply and pursue a career in the profession should be informed by experiences beyond pet ownership and introductory opportunities.   

Veterinary experience may be voluntary or paid, but must be done working directly with a supervising 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. The aim of this category of experience is for the candidate to develop an understanding of the veterinary profession as a whole, not necessarily just one sector. It is expected that this category of experience will involve working directly with the veterinarian in activities such as job shadowing/assisting the veterinarian(s) and not just reception or other administrative duties.  Applicants are not expected to have mastered veterinary technical skills at this stage of training, but should pursue opportunities that encourage the practice of manual dexterity and problem solving suitable to the context of the specific veterinary experience. 

As applicants gain experience in preparation for their application, it is helpful to capture and track locations, supervisor(s) names, total number of hours of experience, and what activities were involved at each site such as role and responsibilities of the applicant there, as well as any key reflections about the experience. Experience within the North American veterinary context is recommended. 

There is no minimum requirement for the number of animal experience hours to apply to the OVC-DVM program.  It is expected that this category of experience will enable the applicant to develop an appreciation for the wide role that animals play in our society, become familiar with different species, as well as to better understand animal industry sectors. 

Animals are defined as vertebrates for this purpose. Animal experience could include volunteering or working with livestock, breeding or showing various species, working in a pet store, equestrian activities and any other animal-related hobby or experience where a veterinarian is not always present or does not supervise the applicant. Animal experience submitted in this category does not include experience solely gained from pet ownership or enrolment in college/university courses that involve animals.  

There is no minimum requirement for the number of extracurricular experience hours to apply to the OVC-DVM program.  Success in the DVM program and as a future professional requires a balanced attitude, mature outlook, strong interpersonal, team and organizational skills, and commitment to serving society and local communities.   

Veterinary medicine is just as much about working with human colleagues as it is with animals. Engagement in activities outside of the profession also helps veterinarians to manage life balance. It is similarly important that student veterinarians have developed and evolved well-being strategies and balance to prepare for the rigor of the veterinary curriculum. 

Applicants should consider participating in extracurricular experiences or other work experience outside of animal and veterinary-related activities in which the applicant is actively involved and plays a role (organizing, volunteering in, etc.), unlike conferences or activities that are simply attended. Consider activities or jobs that develop coping, time-management, and stress-management skills, as well as opportunities outside of animal and veterinary experiences for leadership, teamwork, or that build connections and contribute to society and local communities.  Examples of extracurricular experience could include but are not limited to: volunteering for a non-animal charity, with a local school, or at a long-term care facility; learning a new skill or developing a new hobby; or participation in a team sport

Applicants are required to provide the name and contact information for three referees qualified to give unbiased, informed, critical assessments of the applicant (Note: four referees are required for applicants in the Domestic Graduate Cohort). It is important to obtain strongly supportive, informed, unbiased, professional references that do not have a conflict of interest.  

One of the referees must be a veterinarian with whom the applicant has obtained veterinary experience under direct supervision by the referee. This experience does not have to be in a clinical setting, for example, veterinary experiences can include research and working in government or industry sectors. The purpose of requiring one veterinary reference is to allow those already in the profession to assess whether the applicant is a suitable candidate to become a member of the profession.  The remaining (2) referees do not need to be from veterinarians. 

Domestic applicants applying in the Graduate Cohort are required to submit a total of four referee assessments, two must be veterinarians with whom the applicant obtained veterinary experience under direct supervision by the referee, and the other two referees must be from persons who have worked directly with the applicant in a supervisory or professional context and can speak to the applicant’s performance as a graduate student and researcher.

It is important that each referee has sufficient first-hand knowledge to provide a meaningful reference letter on an applicant’s integrity, reliability, maturity and determination, communication and leadership skills, and ability to work effectively with others, based on observations made during direct supervision. Hence, in order to ensure supportive reference letters, it is important to spend time building a professional relationship with both veterinary and non-veterinary referees. It is impossible for a referee (veterinarian or non-veterinarian referee) to fill out all aspects of the referee assessment form without having had ample time to get to know the applicant and to be able to speak to the applicant’s characteristics and suitability for the profession based on first-hand knowledge from working with the applicant. 

Applicants will provide their referees' contact information when they submit their Background Information Form/VMCAS Application. The referees will then be contacted directly by University of Guelph Admissions Services and asked to complete the confidential online referee assessment by the posted cohort referee deadline.  Each referee assessment is to include a letter and completion of an evaluative grid. It is important that all referees understand what is required of veterinarians in a Canadian/US context. The deadline for referee assessments is firm, and it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that their referees can meet the deadline. Late referee submissions will not be accepted. 

All referees (veterinarian and non-veterinarian) for all cohort applicants must be qualified to give an unbiased, informed and critical assessment of the applicant and not have a conflict of interest. Referees cannot be family members, or long standing friends of the applicant or applicant’s family, or be employed by the applicant or applicant’s family, even if they are veterinarians.  

For example:   

• A veterinarian who owns a clinic but did not work with the candidate directly is not an appropriate referee 
• Any instructors or professors must have also worked with the candidate in a supervisory capacity beyond teaching a class or as an academic requirement, to be considered an appropriate referee 
• Referees from an experience that the applicant paid to receive are considered to have a conflict of interest and are not an appropriate referee 

IMPORTANT:  The opinions and observations provided to the DVM program Admissions Committee by referees are highly valued and impact consideration of applicants by the Committee. Applications with referee assessments which the Admissions Committee does not consider to be appropriate, or those with referees that are considered as having a conflict of interest, will not be further considered in the application process.  

It is expected that applicants will use this section of their application package to clearly and concisely reflect on their journey towards pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, share how they have prepared for the profession, as well as express and demonstrate their personal motivation and interests.  

The essay is a personal and individualized marketing tool. Statements made in the essay should align with information presented in other areas of the application. Grammar, spelling, and syntax are also very important. There is a limited number of permitted characters for the essay, so being concise is important. All words must be the original work of the applicant. 

The application process for Canadian applicants to the DVM program, including those with dual citizenship, depends on which school the candidate attended for undergraduate studies. 

• Current or former University of Guelph students: Apply to the DVM program by applying for transfer or readmission using the University of Guelph Internal Transfer/Reapplication Form. You will be required to pay the internal transfer application fee as well as the supplemental admissions evaluation fee at this time. You do not need to fill in the activities section of the form or provide any personal support letters - these will be captured as part of the Background Information Form (BIF) that you subsequently complete, due in February. 
• Canadians from other institutions with Ontario residency: If you attend a post-secondary institution other than the University of Guelph OR are living abroad, you may apply to the DVM program using the OUAC 105 application. You will be required to pay the base fee to OUAC at this time, as well as the supplemental admissions evaluation fee to the University of Guelph. You do not need to fill in the activities section of the OUAC form, as this information will be collected in the Background Information Form (BIF) that you subsequently complete, due in February. However you may choose to submit post-secondary transcripts at this time 

Upon receipt of these application materials and fees, applicants from outside the University of Guelph will receive a University of Guelph email account and access to our WebAdvisor notification system. They will also be provided with a link to the Background Information Form (BIF) in the documents section of their WebAdvisor account. Note: The BIF is typically available in November.

• Background Information Form: The Background Information Form (BIF) can be found in the documents section of your WebAdvisor account once you have applied, and must be completed by this date. The BIF is where you enter the information about all your veterinary experience, animal experience, extracurricular activities and employment. Personal essay responses must be the applicant’s own original work and should reflect their own views and values. The names and contact information for your referees will also be required in the BIF. We will then email them with instructions on how to complete the Referee Assessments on-line. After your BIF is submitted, each referee will show individually on your Documents list on WebAdvisor, and as each Assessment is received, you will see the status update reflected there. Note: The BIF is typically available in November.

• Referee Assessments (submitted online directly by the referee): Applicants should monitor completion by each referee by viewing the status as posted in the Documents list on WebAdvisor. As each Assessment is received from a referee, you will see the status update reflected there. You will not be able to view their actual assessment. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all referees complete their Assessments by this deadline. Exceptions will not be made for late/incomplete referee submissions. 
• Official Academic Transcripts from ALL post-secondary institutions attended (those from the University of Guelph will be transferred automatically). 
• Graduate Cohort Additional Information Form (for Domestic Graduate Cohort applicants from master's or doctoral degree programs). Only applicants applying through the Domestic Graduate Cohort should complete this form, which highlights achievements as a graduate student, including publications, presentations, and productivity in research. It is highly recommended that individuals considering applying into the graduate cohort assess if they have content with which to populate the form, in order to be a competitive applicant for this pool. In particular, the number of publications is highly regarded, specifically papers already submitted for publication and those published in refereed journals. 

Applicant Casper Score: The applicant’s score from their Casper 2 (CSP-10211) – English test, completed during the current admissions cycle, must be received from Acuity Insights directly (which requires the applicant to request release of their score to the Ontario Veterinary College by Acuity Insights prior to this deadline date).

• Non-Canadian applicants from institutions other than the University of Guelph should apply using the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). This requires payment of an application fee to VMCAS. Please visit the VMCAS website for more information:  Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) Toll Free: 1-877-862-2740 

The VMCAS application form includes places to record your non-academic admissions requirements (veterinary, non-veterinary animal, and extracurricular experiences, as well as your personal essay responses and your referee contact information). Therefore, applicants to the International Cohort through VMCAS are not required to additionally complete a BIF. 

Your VMCAS application must be postmarked no later than September 15 @ 12 Midnight, Eastern Time or the closest Monday if this falls on a weekend.  

International students already attending the University of Guelph should not use VMCAS to apply to the DVM program at the Ontario Veterinary College

• International students already attending the University of Guelph should not use VMCAS, but should instead apply to the DVM program at the Ontario Veterinary College through the International Cohort by using the Application for Internal Transfer/Readmission process. You will be required to pay the internal transfer application fee as well as the supplemental admissions evaluation fee at this time. 

• For International cohort applicants already attending the University of Guelph who applied using the Application for Internal Transfer/Readmission process, completion of your BIF is due by this deadline. 
• For International Cohort applicants from institutions other than the University of Guelph who applied using VMCAS, a supplemental application form and the supplemental admissions evaluation fee payable to the University of Guelph is required by this deadline. On the form, you will be required to list your prerequisite courses. This must be accompanied by the calendar description of the course as well as the course syllabus/outline from the specific course offering completed by the applicant.  
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended must also be received for International Cohort applicants by this deadline. The University of Guelph's registrar's office ensures that all complete applications meet the minimum academic requirements, and only those applicants who have completed all the prerequisites for the DVM program will be processed. If prerequisite courses are completed in the fall or winter semesters of the current admissions cycle, this application package review process for International Cohort applicants will only be done once an official transcript with the final course mark(s) has been received, provided that space remains available in the program.  
• On receipt of these requirements, International Cohort applicants from institutions other than the University of Guelph will be assigned a University of Guelph email account with which you can access your WebAdvisor account for updates on your application status.  
• International applicants currently attending the University of Guelph must contact Admission Services (admdvm@uoguelph.ca) to request the required forms (Background Information Form and Reference Assessment Form). These forms are due November 1st.

• Applicant Casper Score: International Cohort applicants must submit their Casper 2 (CSP- 10211)- English test score, completed during the current admissions cycle. This score must be received from Acuity Insights directly (which requires the applicant to request release of their score to the Ontario Veterinary College by Acuity Insights prior to this deadline date).

Academic Average: 

The applicants Academic Average is worth 75% towards their Admissions Average in the first round of applicant ranking. The Academic Average is calculated using a 50:50 ratio as follows: 

• 50% is based on the average of the courses completed in the applicant’s most recent two acceptable full-time undergraduate semesters, based on the DVM admissions definition of full-time study.  A minimum of 75% cumulative average is required to be considered further.
• 50% is based on the average of the applicant’s eight prerequisite courses (taken during acceptable full-time semesters, and a minimum 75% requirement to be considered further). Applicants choose which prerequisite courses are presented, as long as they are deemed acceptable based on the DVM admissions course requirements and policies. Prerequisite courses can be from any acceptable full-time semester including those obtained in first year. 

Admissions Average: 

An Admissions Average is calculated for each applicant in the cohort based on a combination of academic performance (Academic Average, weighted as 75% of their Admissions Average) and non-academic attributes as assessed by their current Casper score (weighted at 25% of their Admissions Average). All applicants in the cohort are ranked based on their Admissions Average, and only top-ranked applicants based on this score will then progress to the second stage of consideration.  

The top applicants in each cohort, as ranked based on Admissions Average, are selected for the next stage of consideration, where non-academic characteristics are further assessed. At this stage, the DVM program Admissions Committee reviews all information provided in the BIFs/VMCAS Application Form, including experience, personal statements, and referee assessments. Any packages that the DVM program Admission committee feels do not meet admissions expectations as described here are removed from further consideration.  Following file review, top-ranked applicants from this stage are invited by email to the interview stage of the admissions process for each cohort.  

Applicants in this stage of admissions consideration undergo a virtual interview to further explore and understand information from their BIF/VMCAS application package. The purpose of the interview will be to explore a candidate’s ability to think on their feet, communicate opinions and ideas, critically appraise information and demonstrate advanced thought/knowledge of the issues facing the profession. The interview is intended to reflect the educational goals and objectives of OVC as well as the skills identified by the veterinary profession in Ontario as being necessary for a successful career.   

The interview allows applicants to respond to interview questions in a manner that showcases their non-academic attributes such as verbal communication skills and maturity level, as well as to articulate why they want to be a veterinarian.  During the interview, applicants should be able to elaborate on the information provided in their Background Information Form (BIF) or VMCAS form.  Reflecting on past experiences in advance of the interview enables applicants to speak freely about themselves and their experiences during the interview.   

Applicants that are invited to the interview stage will be contacted via their University of Guelph email. 

• International applicants: Interview invitations sent in mid-December for interviews in January
• Domestic applicants: Interview invitations sent in early May for interviews in May

For the Fall 2025 entry point, the interview format for all cohorts will be a virtual asynchronous video recorded multi mini-interview (MMI) format using the Kira Talent platform.  

Invited applicants must start and complete the asynchronous MMI within the date and time window for their cohort. 

• International cohort interview date:  Wed Jan 8, 2025; 9:00am ET- 9:00pm ET 
• Domestic cohort interview date: Wed May 14, 2025; 9:00am ET-9:00pm ET

The interview provides invited applicants an opportunity to speak about personal experiences.  The applicant’s video responses to the interview questions will be recorded and then assessed asynchronously (later date) by trained assessors.  This means that there will be no assessors present during the asynchronous interview. 

Upon being invited to an interview, applicants are reminded to respond to their interview invitation before the response deadline. Failure to accept the invitation by the deadline will forfeit the applicant's interview seat, and their application will no longer be considered for the current admission cycle for the DVM program.

Interviews are assessed using a standardized scoring rubric, and an overall applicant Interview Score is generated. The Interview Score (35%) is combined with the Admissions Average (65%) in order to calculate each applicant’s final Combined Admissions Score. Applicants are re-ranked by their Combined Admissions score within each cohort, and offers for admission to the DVM program are made to the top-ranked applicants of each cohort once reviewed and approved by the DVM program Admissions Committee. 

Stage 1: Cohort applicants assessed in-standing (all applicants)

Academic Average: 

The Academic Average is calculated using a 50:50 ratio as follows: 

• 50% is based on the average of the courses completed in the applicant’s most recent four acceptable full-time undergraduate semesters, based on the OVC-DVM admissions definition of full-time study.  A minimum of 75% (3.2 on a 4.0 GPA scale) cumulative average is required to receive further consideration. 
• 50% is based on the average of the applicant’s eight eligible prerequisite courses                    

Admissions Average: 

An admission Average is calculated for each applicant based on a combination of academic performance (Academic Average, weighted as 75% of their Admission Average) and non-academic attributes as assessed by their current Casper score (weighted at 25% of their Admission Average). All applicants in the cohort are ranked based on their Admission Average, and the top-ranked applicants based on this score will then progress to the second stage of consideration. 

Stage 2: File review (top-ranked applicants from stage 1)

The top applicants in each cohort, as ranked based on Admissions Average, are selected for the next stage of consideration, where non-academic characteristics are further assessed. At this stage, the DVM program Admissions Committee reviews all information provided in the BIFs/VMCAS Application Form, including experience, personal statements, and referee assessments. Any applications that the DVM program Admission Committee feels do not meet expectations are removed from further consideration. Following file review, the top-ranked applicants from this stage are invited for an interview.

Stage 3: Virtual Personal Interviews (top-ranked applicants from stage 2)

Applicants in this stage of admission consideration participate in a virtual personal interview which allows representatives of the Admission Committee to further explore and understand information from their BIF/VMCAS application package. 

The interview allows applicants to respond to interview questions in a manner that showcases their non-academic attributes such as verbal communication skills and maturity level, as well as to articulate why they want to be a veterinarian.  During the interview, applicants should be able to elaborate on the information provided in their Background Information Form (BIF) or VMCAS form.  Reflecting on past experiences in advance of the interview enables applicants to speak freely about themselves and their experiences during the interview. 

Applicants that are invited to the interview stage will be contacted via their University of Guelph email to advise them of their interview date and time according to the following timeline: 

• International applicants: Interview invitations sent in mid-December for interviews in late January to early February
• Domestic applicants: Interview invitations sent in early May for interviews in May

Upon being invited to an interview, applicants are reminded to respond to their interview invitation before the response deadline. Failure to accept the invitation by the deadline will forfeit the applicant's interview seat, and their application will no longer be considered for the current admission cycle for the DVM program.

Interviews are assessed using a standardized scoring rubric, and an overall applicant Interview Score is generated. The Interview Score (35%) is combined with the Admissions Average (65%) in order to calculate each applicant’s final Combined Admissions Score. Applicants are re-ranked by their Combined Admissions score within each cohort, and offers for admission to the DVM program are made to the top-ranked applicants of each cohort once reviewed and approved by the DVM program Admissions Committee.