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The VMD curriculum

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. 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.

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Hear from Penn Vet Students!

Please contact our team if you are interested in Penn Vet.

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.

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.

About 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.

Our students must learn about tools for engaging in self-care, recognizing when professional support is appropriate for themselves or others, and remedying adverse situations.

About Diversity

Diversity is essential to our mission as educators. Besides providing our students with a first-class veterinary education, we are also obligated and committed to educating future veterinary professionals about issues pertaining to a diverse society.

Our approach is to lead by example, providing students with tools to overcome diversity issues in the veterinary profession.

Dual Degree Programs

Students may choose to pursue a dual degree program, such as the VMD/PhD, VMD/MBA, or VMD/MPH. In addition to an increased course load and a greater time commitment, these programs have a number of requirements above and beyond the VMD degree.

Independent Studies and Externships

Our extensive, elective Independent Study program allows you to earn academic credit for activities beyond the regularly structured core and elective courses.

You may also earn academic credit for externship experiences during the clinical year at certain approved sites, including other vet schools, zoos, shelters, government agencies, and private practices.