Dan Grooms, Dean of Veterinary Medicine
Jessica Ward, Associate Dean for Academic Programs
Departments of the College
- Biomedical Sciences
- Veterinary Clinical Sciences
- Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine
- Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine
- Veterinary Pathology
Other units of the college include the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Veterinary Medical Research Institute, CVM Information Technology and The Office of Curricular Assessment and Teaching Support. The college participates in interdisciplinary graduate programs in genetics; molecular, cellular and developmental biology; toxicology; immunobiology; and neuroscience.
Objectives of the Curriculum
The instructional objective of the College of Veterinary Medicine is to prepare graduates to assume vital roles in society as competent, ethical, and productive veterinary professionals and biomedical scientists. The curriculum is designed to meet the educational requirements and competencies established by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE) and is aligned with the Competency-Based Veterinary Education (CBVE) framework developed by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). Through this program, students develop the medical and scientific knowledge; communication and problem-solving abilities; professional and ethical values; and clinical and research skills necessary to serve as leaders in animal, human, and environmental health.
The professional curriculum is a four-year course of study leading to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree. Students are admitted after completing a minimum of 64 semester credits of required undergraduate coursework. The first two years (two semesters each) emphasize didactic and laboratory instruction in foundational biomedical sciences, providing a strong base in anatomy, physiology, pathology, microbiology, and related disciplines. The third year (two semesters) transitions students into clinical medicine and surgery, integrating case-based and systems-based learning to bridge foundational science with clinical decision-making. The fourth year is composed of a 52-week sequence of clinical rotations (three semesters) providing immersive, hands-on training across a wide spectrum of species and disciplines.
Clinical education in the fourth year occurs primarily within the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center (LVMC), a comprehensive, multispecialty veterinary teaching hospital that serves as Iowa’s only tertiary referral and emergency facility for companion, equine, and food animal species. The LVMC’s environment ensures direct supervision and mentorship by expert faculty, allowing students to participate actively in patient care and case management. Additional hands-on learning experiences are provided through the Veterinary Field Services unit, which delivers ambulatory care to surrounding communities and farms. This integrated model ensures consistency and depth of clinical education and prepares students for diverse practice settings. Beyond the core rotations, students enhance their clinical training through external preceptorships in approved private practices, production animal facilities, government agencies, research laboratories, or other academic institutions. These experiences allow for individualized exploration of career interests in areas such as small, large, and mixed animal practice; food supply veterinary medicine; zoological and wildlife medicine; public health; research; and industry.
Outstanding research programs in infectious disease, food safety, neuroscience, translational medicine, and clinical trials provide additional opportunities for qualified students to engage in scholarly activity. For those seeking advanced academic preparation, concurrent degree options (DVM/MS, DVM/PhD, DVM/MPH, and DVM/MBA) are available with approval from the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Graduate College.
The College serves as an important recruiting center for employers across private practice, academia, industry, government, and the military. Graduates of Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine are highly sought after for their strong clinical competence, professional integrity, and readiness to contribute immediately to the veterinary profession. Career services and an online job board support students in securing post-graduate employment, with the majority of graduates receiving multiple job offers prior to graduation.
Pre-Veterinary Medicine Preparation
The College of Veterinary Medicine seeks students with a variety of backgrounds and encourages students to enroll in baccalaureate programs in the accredited college or university of their choice. Students must have completed 64 semester credits prior to the end of the spring term of the year in which they seek to be admitted to the College of Veterinary Medicine. Any undergraduate major can be considered, and a Bachelor's degree is not required for admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine. However, students must have a strong science foundation found in the required pre-veterinary coursework.
Applicants must apply using the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). The VMCAS application may be found online at the VMCAS website. Applicants also need to complete the ISU Supplemental Application found at the College of Veterinary Medicine website. The deadline for filing the VMCAS and Supplemental Application is typically mid-September.
For the most current information regarding application and admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine, please refer to the College admissions website (https://vetmed.iastate.edu/future-dvm-students).
PRECLINICAL Curriculum in Veterinary Medicine
To be awarded the degree Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, candidates must have passed all required courses in the curriculum in veterinary medicine, earned a minimum 2.0 grade-point average in the veterinary medicine curriculum, earned at least 4 elective credits during the VM1-3 years, and earned at least 44 credits from clinical rotations in the VM4 year. Below are the list of preclinical courses that are required for the VM1-3 years. See "Fourth Year" page for additional information on clinical rotation requirements. Additional information, including which courses occur during which semester of the preclinical program, can be found on the ISU CVM Curriculum website.
Required Courses in the Preclinical Professional Program (VM1-3 years)
| BMS 7330 | Biomedical Sciences I | 6 |
| BMS 7331 | Principles of Morphology II | 4 |
| BMS 7333 | Biomedical Sciences I | 6 |
| BMS 7334 | Biomedical Sciences II | 6 |
| BMS 7335 | Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease | 1 |
| BMS 7336 | Veterinary Nutrition | 2 |
| BMS 7337 | Neuroanatomy | 3 |
| BMS 7339 | Clinical Foundations I | 1 |
| BMS 7345 | Case Study I | 1 |
| BMS 7346 | Case Study II | 1 |
| BMS 7354 | General Pharmacology | 3 |
| BMS 7443 | Pharmacology and Therapeutics | 3 |
| VCS 7311 | Careers in Veterinary Medicine | 1 |
| VCS 7313 | Veterinary Medical Ethics | 1 |
| VCS 7314 | Communication and Leadership in Veterinary Medicine | 1 |
| VCS 7315 | Veterinary Law | 1 |
| VCS 7339 | Clinical Foundations I | 1 |
| VCS 7391 | Clinical Imaging | 1 |
| VCS 7393 | Principles of Surgery I | 3 |
| VCS 7394 | Principles of Surgery II | 1 |
| VCS 7395 | Small Animal Surgery | 2 |
| VCS 7398 | Anesthesiology | 2 |
| VCS 7399 | Ophthalmology | 2 |
| VCS 7436 | Small Animal Internal Medicine | 3 |
| VCS 7440 | Introduction to Clinics | 1 |
| VCS 7444 | Small Animal Medicine | 4 |
| VCS 7445 | Equine Medicine | 2 |
| VCS 7448 | Diagnostic Imaging and Radiobiology | 3 |
| VCS 7449 | Surgery, Anesthesia, and Community Outreach | 3 |
| VDPAM 7312 | Introduction to Animal Welfare | 1 |
| VDPAM 7339 | Large Animal Clinical Foundations | 1 |
| VDPAM 7426 | Veterinary Toxicology | 3 |
| VDPAM 7445 | Production Animal Clinical Medicine | 3 |
| VDPAM 7450 | Disturbances of Reproduction | 4 |
| VMPM 7378 | Case Study IV | 2 |
| VMPM 7380 | Veterinary Immunology | 2 |
| VMPM 7386 | Veterinary Microbiology | 5 |
| VMPM 7387 | Veterinary Virology | 3 |
| VMPM 7388 | Public Health and the Role of the Veterinary Profession | 3 |
| VMPM 7437 | Infectious Diseases and Preventive Medicine | 3 |
| VPTH 7342 | Anatomic Pathology I | 3 |
| VPTH 7372 | Anatomic Pathology II | 4 |
| VPTH 7376 | Veterinary Parasitology | 4 |
| VPTH 7377 | Case Study III | 2 |
| VPTH 7425 | Clinical Pathology | 4 |
Clinical curriculum in veterinary medicine
The fourth year of the veterinary medical curriculum is designed to be flexible yet provide a broad-based clinical education involving all domestic species of animals. All students participate in rotations that are considered fundamental to any species orientation that the student might choose. In addition, students choose one of four options for additional study, including the Small Animal, Equine, Mixed Animal, or Food Animal Options. Students may obtain clinical elective credits by repeating on-campus rotations or participating in approved off-campus preceptorships at government, private or public agencies; other universities; or private veterinary practices. In addition to a total of at least 44 credits of clinical rotations, students must deliver a seminar in the Grand Rounds Presentation course (VCS 7495). Competency-based evaluations and a clinical skills checklist in the VM4 year are tracked by an overseeing Clinical Competency Committee, must also pass the Clinical Competency Course (VPTH 7495) confirming these skills and competencies.
The following rotations are required of all VM4 students in addition to the requirements of the track they choose. A complete listing of track-specific requirements can be found at the ISU CVM Curriculum website.
| VCS 7453 | Small Animal Medicine I | 2 |
| VCS 7455 | Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery | 2 |
| or VCS 7456 | Small Animal Orthopedic Surgery | |
| Must have one equine course as assigned by the schedule optimizer: | 2 | |
| Equine Medicine | ||
or VCS 7464 | Equine Field Services | |
or VCS 7458 | Equine Surgery | |
| VCS 7460 | Radiology | 2 |
| VCS 7463 | Primary Care | 2 |
| VCS 7466 | Anesthesiology | 2 |
| VCS 7468 | Intensive Care | 4 |
| VCS 7495 | Grand Rounds Presentations | arr † |
| VDPAM 7477 | Food Animal and Camelid Medicine and Surgery | 2 |
| VPTH 7456 & VPTH 7457 | Necropsy Laboratory Practicum and Clinical Pathology Laboratory Practicum (Taken together as one 2-week block) | 2 |
| VPTH 7495 | Clinical Competency Skills Checklist/Remediation | R |
| † Arranged with instructor. | ||