Mission, Purpose and Goals of the College of Veterinary Medicine
Mission
The mission of the College of Veterinary Medicine is to provide teaching, research and public engagement programs that benefit the animals, people and environment of the State of Illinois, nation and world, through the promotion of animal health, alleviation of animal suffering, efficient and responsible animal production, conservation of animal and broader ecological resources, and protection of public health. The college is dedicated to educating veterinary and graduate students, post-graduate veterinarians, and the public; discovering, applying, and disseminating comparative biomedical knowledge and technology; and providing outreach to the veterinary medical profession and public.
Vision
The College of Veterinary Medicine aspires to be a leader in veterinary and comparative biomedical education, scholarship, and public engagement in the University of Illinois system, in the state, in the nation, and around the world.
D.V.M. Education and Training
The profession of veterinary medicine is dedicated to the development of knowledge, skills, and techniques for maintaining optimal levels of health and quality of life for animals and people.
Upon successful completion of the professional curriculum at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree is conferred. This professional designation opens the doors to a wide array of careers in veterinary medicine, research, and public health. The four-year curriculum provides students with a theoretical and practical foundation in basic biological sciences and medicine and a broad range of clinical training and experience.
Veterinary students at Illinois work with outstanding clinical and research faculty who are leaders in their fields. The core-elective curriculum allows for areas of emphasis within the educational experience of the DVM student. The clinical rotations in the fourth year allow for some specialization in a particular species.
During the first two years, students develop a sound foundation in basic sciences with courses such as veterinary anatomy, physiology, microbiology, immunology, parasitology, and pharmacology. Students in the third year enroll in medicine and surgery courses and learn diagnostic and surgical skills in laboratories.
In the final year, seniors work with veterinary faculty, clients, and patients in the College’s teaching hospital and diagnostic laboratory. Rotations through clinical sections in the teaching hospital give senior students experience in small animal, food animal, and equine medicine and surgery, radiology, anesthesiology, field service, and diagnostics. After a basic series of clinical experiences, students can select rotations in either the basic areas represented in the teaching hospital or in areas of special interest, such as beef cattle, equine, laboratory animal, ophthalmology, swine, dentistry, dermatology, zoological and wildlife medicine.
National and state requirements for licensure to practice veterinary medicine are determined by the individual state veterinary medical boards. Specific information about each State Veterinary Practice Act is listed in the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) directory.
Information about Veterinary Practice Acts can be found on the website of the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB)
Dual Degree Programs
For more information on Dual Degree Programs at the College of Veterinary Medicine please go to the College’s Research web site