VMD Curriculum
The VMD Curriculum at Penn Vet is thoughtfully constructed to equip students for diverse career opportunities in both emerging fields and traditional clinical practice.
COLLABORATION
The curriculum emphasizes collaboration among peers in various disciplines, fostering a holistic approach that considers the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. This emphasis fosters inclusion and connections with the vibrant, multifaceted biomedical establishment in and around both the University of Pennsylvania and the larger Philadelphia region.
A New Way of Learning
The educational approach in veterinary medicine has changed, and students now require new tools and a fresh perspective on how to pursue a career in this field. Our students now learn using an outcome-based and learner-centered approach how to:
- find, assess, analyze, and synthesize information
- integrate information from multidisciplinary sources
- problem-solve
- decide on a best course of action, whether that involves patient care, the trajectory of their research, or running a business
While knowledge remains crucial, our VMD curriculum emphasizes the practical application of knowledge, the practice of veterinary medicine, and the ability to continuously learn and excel by acquiring competencies that build on each other.
a Different kind of
VMD
Emphasizing collaboration among various disciplines, we foster a holistic approach.
The Integrated Core: Years One and Two
Our curriculum begins with a mirror-structured, two-year core. Year One, “Animal in Health,” focuses on the form and function of healthy animals. Year Two, “Animal in Disease,” delves into prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases.
- Semesters open with a Foundational Toolkit, providing fundamentals for upcoming material. Semesters end with a Capstone, allowing students a creative opportunity to assimilate and integrate the material.
- Each semester has three-to five-week blocks based on biological processes.
- Running in parallel are two ribbon courses. Hippiatrika focuses on professional development and clinical skills. Clouds & Clocks emphasizes the principles of scientific inquiry and critical-thinking skills.
The Clinical Curriculum: Years Three and Four
The clinical curriculum offers flexibility to tailor the last two years of school into preparation for careers spanning from clinical medicine to pure research.
In three-week blocks, you will work directly with many of the world’s leading veterinarians as you see and treat patients together. Blocks of elective classroom and lab courses interspersed throughout allow students to build on their knowledge in a range of diverse topics.
By integrating clinical rotations and didactic elective courses throughout the final two years of our curriculum, Penn Vet students will be able to tailor their educational experiences to prepare them for the wide breadth of career options offered by the veterinary profession.
Wellness
Our profession recognizes that the ability to attend to one’s well-being and that of others is a core competency in veterinary medicine. Our curriculum explicitly addresses aspects of well-being to ensure that our graduates can recognize sources of workplace stress and signs of stress in themselves and colleagues.
Student Voice
“Learning animal science is so important. But it’s just as important to know how to communicate with clients and to understand biases, among other ‘soft subjects.’ This is all part of being a veterinarian.”
Kiera Zimmerman, V’26
Associate Dean For Education
“A group of dedicated and talented staff and faculty from across disciplines came together and said: ‘Let’s do this right.”
Amy C. Durham, MS, VMD, MSEd, DACVP
Professor of Anotomic Pathology
Important Deadlines
Application Timeline
Dates
| Term | Application deadline | Decisions | Final Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | September 15, 2025 | Status Update Jan 15, 2026 | Late February, 2026 |
| Fall 2026 | Mid-September, 2026 | Mid-January, 2027 | Late February, 2027 |
Budget
Paying for your Education
All students, whether recently admitted or currently enrolled, should create a workable budget for tuition and educational fees, as well as living expenses and other costs incurred during their time as students.