The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) is financially supported by the four provinces of western Canada and each supporting province has a quota that is determined by the WCVM Advisory Council. The current quotas are Manitoba 15, Alberta 20, British Columbia 19, and Saskatchewan 20. Applicants compete against other applicants from the same province. There is no inter-province competition. Two (2) seats have been designated to the Educational Equity Program for individuals of aboriginal ancestry.
Unfortunately seats are not available for applicants from eastern Canada or for international students. Because of the funding agreement and the limited class size, we do not have seats available for international students or for students from eastern Canada.
The rules for determining residence as determined by the WCVM Advisory Council are as follows:
No other criteria are used or apply.
At least two years of university comprised of:
Total: 60 units
No. The first priority regarding electives is that they be consistent with the university degree program in which the applicant is enrolled. This assures that the applicant does not lose ground in that program should they not be successful in being admitted to the WCVM.
Technically, no, but in some cases in the past, up to six credits have been waived after evaluating the entire transcript. Each case is judged on its individual merit. However, there are some instances in which waivers are not granted. Waivers are not considered for applicants with only two years (60 credits) of university. The requirement to successfully complete certain courses (for example, biochemistry and microbiology) is not waived under any circumstances.
No. The program in which the applicant enrols to take the pre-veterinary course is not a factor in evaluating the applicant.
Usually, yes, as long as the courses are a part of a university-transfer program and transfer to the "mainline" university (e.g., UBC in British Columbia, University of Calgary or University of Alberta, etc.) of the province as equivalent courses that meet the requirements at that university.
No. Courses in AHT programs (or any other vocational or technical program) may not be used to meet pre-veterinary course requirements.
The number of applicants varies slightly from year to year as does the number from each province. For the last few years, the total number of applicants has been between 300-350.
The deadline for submitting applications is usually the beginning of January for the fall session. If you are applying after only two years of university, the pre-veterinary course requirements must be completed during the regular academic session (i.e., by April) of the year in which the applicant wishes to enter the college. Therefore, students may apply before actually completing the requirements if they will complete them before the end of the regular academic session. If you have completed more than two years of university education, you may be able to make up deficiencies in the prerequisites during summer session or intersession.
This is not a particularly relevant question because the level of competition varies from province to province and from year to year. The grade point average is only one of several parameters considered in the selection process. However, it is true that the initial screening of applicants is based on academic performance. Academic performance is evaluated by a formula using overall grade point average and giving highest weight to the average of the best full year (usually 30 credits).
A full course load is considered to be 30 credits taken during the regular academic session. Because of the various means of calculating credits at different schools, a full load for computational purposes is 24 credits. The printouts used in evaluating marks flag all years in which the course load has been less than 30 credits. A good academic performance achieved over several years with a light course load may result in the Admissions Committee questioning the applicant’s ability to succeed when faced with the heavy academic schedule of the DVM program.
Yes. Each applicant is required to nominate three referees.
At least one of the referees must be a veterinarian. Employers also often make good referees. Referees are asked to evaluate those personal traits of an applicant that are necessary to be a successful professional person in general and a successful veterinarian specifically. You should select referees who will be able to provide an objective evaluation.
The other major evaluation tool is an interview, but referees' evaluations are also taken into consideration.
No. About twice as many applicants as will be accepted are interviewed. For example, in Alberta where the quota is 20, about 40 applicants will usually be interviewed. The basis for selecting interviewees is academic performance. Experience and personal traits cannot be substituted for academic performance.
There is no specific requirement for animal and/or veterinary experience. However, any application will be strengthened by the applicant being closely associated with veterinarians and animals and by having a sound perspective of the veterinary profession. In the past, few applicants have been successful without such experience.
The quality of your animal and veterinary related experience is evaluated primarily by the interview.
Applicants must complete at least 2 full years of required courses (at least 60 credit units in two successive years) and have a minimum cumulative average of 70%. Selection will be based on scholastic records, references, interviews, and general qualifications.
The following is a list of high school subjects required for admission. Please select the province/territory where you completed high school.
| Year | Quota | Total Applicants | Accepted & Averages | Years of University |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009/10 |
77 20 (SK) 20 (AB) 15 (MB) 19 (BC) 1 (NWT/YU/NU) 2 (Equity*) |
285 |
77 (78– 88%) 20 (SK) 20 (AB) 15 (MB) 19 (BC) 1 (NWT/YU/NU) 2 (Equity*) |
Two years – 1 Three years – 21 Four years – 30 Five or more years – 25 |
| 2008/09 |
76 20 (SK) 20 (AB) 15 (MB) 18 (BC) 1 (NWT/YU/NU) 2 (Equity*) |
48 |
76 (78– 88%) 20 (SK) 20 (AB) 15 (MB) 18 (BC) 1 (NWT/YU/NU) 2 (Equity*) |
Two years – 5 Three years – 21 Four years – 21 Five or more years – 29 |
| 2007/08 |
71 20 (SK) 20 (AB) 13 (MB) 15 (BC) 1 (NWT/YU/NU) 2 (Equity*) |
312 59 (SK) 134 (AB) 35 (MB) 75 (BC) 1 (NWT/YU/NU) 7 (Equity*) 1 (Other) |
73 (78– 88%) 20 (SK) 20 (AB) 13 (MB) 17 (BC) 1 (NWT/YU/NU) 2 (Equity*) |
Two years – 6 Three years – 15 Four years – 24 Five or more years – 28 |
| 2006/07 |
71 20 (SK) 20 (AB) 13 (MB) 15 (BC) 1 (NWT/YU/NU) 2 (Equity*) |
291 61 (SK) 117 (AB) 26 (MB) 83 (BC) 0 (NWT/YU/NU) 4 (Equity*) |
71 (73 – 90%) 20 (SK) 21 (AB) 13 (MB) 15 (BC) 0 (NWT/YU/NU) 2 (Equity*) |
Two years – 5 Three years – 16 Four years – 30 Five years – 11 Six or more years – 9 |
| 2005/06 |
71 20 (SK) 20 (AB) 13 (MB) 15 (BC) 1 (NWT/YU/NU) 2 (Equity) |
288 65 (SK) 104 (AB) 31 (MB) 79 (BC) 1 (NWT/YU/NU) 7 (Equity) 1 (Other) |
71 21 (SK) 20 (AB) 13 (MB) 15 (BC) 0 (NWT/YU/NU) 2 (Equity) |
Two years – 9 Three years – 16 Four years – 23 Five or more years – 23 Undergrad degree – 32 Graduate degree - 3 |
| 2004/05 |
70 20 (SK) 20 (AB) 12 (MB) 15 (BC) 1 (NWT/YU/NU) 2 (Equity) |
262 46 (SK) 105 (AB) 40 (MB) 61 (BC) 1 (YU) 8 (Equity) 1 (Other) |
70 20 (SK) 20 (AB) 12 (MB) 15 (BC) 1 (YU) 2 (Equity) |
Two years – 9 Three years – 17 Four years – 23 Five/more years – 21 Undergrad degree – 42 |
* Students of aboriginal ancestry.
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