Why You Should Study at Cummings School of Veterinary Sciences
Cummings School of Veterinary Sciences nurtures its students into developing leaders in science, technology, and ethics. Tufts University Veterinary School prerequisites may seem daunting, but ambitious and dedicated students with a passion for science always rise to the challenge.
Tufts Vet school offers accelerated vet programs, state-of-the-art facilities, postgraduate learning opportunities, and a “One Health” focused mission. With internationally renowned teaching hospitals and biomedical research centers, this university offers an incredible student experience.
Cummings School of Veterinary Sciences DVM Program
Tufts University Veterinary DVM program strives to achieve the following goals:
- Prepare graduates with day-one competency in any major domestic animal species.
- Provide a strong foundation in scientific principles with numerous opportunities to apply knowledge.
- Encourage lifelong learning ambitions, critical thinking, research, and evidence-based decision-making.
- Enhancing student competency in communication, compassion, business management, and financial literacy.
As the only veterinary school in New England, Tufts University offers a four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree program, three combined DVM/Masters of Science degree programs, and four stand-alone graduate programs.
The idea to share coursework with Tufts medical school has progressed into One Health initiatives, which strive to improve the health and well-being of animals, humans, and the environment.
These distinctive One Health programs focus on producing graduates educated in infectious disease research, comparative oncology, international medicine, wildlife, conservation medicine, and human-animal interactions.
The academic teaching hospitals and clinics treat more than 80 000 patients a year. Students train alongside clinicians and faculty members engaged in cutting-edge treatments and research. The medical centers provide specialty veterinary care that exposes students to high-quality, hands-on clinical learning opportunities.
Graduates work with small companion animals, exotic pets, horses, farm animals, and sick or injured wildlife creatures. Over 2 000 graduates enter various careers that range from private practice, biomedical research, conservation medicine, or public health.
A Brief History on Tufts Veterinary School
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine is the insightful actualization of Jean Mayer’s revolutionary idea to establish a “One Medicine” veterinary school in 1978. The program officially started with pre-clinical instruction alongside Tufts School of Medicine in 1979.
A partnership with Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, MA, established the preliminary clinical teaching venue.
In 1981, a hospital for Large Animals opened at the Tufts vet school Grafton, MA, 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Boston. The faculty also launched the Tufts Ambulatory Service in Woodstock, CT, providing food supplies and equine veterinary services.
In 1982 the Grafton campus established the first freestanding veterinary wildlife clinic in the United States.
In the momentous year of 1985, the Henry and Lois Foster Hospital for Small Animals opened on the Grafton campus. In 1989, the Pan-African Rinderpest Campaign endorsed the use of ground-breaking heat-resistant vaccines for Rinderpest.
This vaccine enabled the scientific community to eradicate Rinderpest. Eradicating the Rinderpest virus is a momentous achievement, occurring only for the second time in history. Smallpox was the first virus ever eradicated.
Research produced at Cummings school has been nationally and internationally acclaimed. Faculty research contributions in regenerative medicine, infectious disease, reproductive biology, and hepatic disease expose students to invaluable experiences and collaborations with faculty mentors.
In 2003 the Cummings Foundation donated $50 million to Tufts University. The rebranded school became the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University as a naming gift from the foundation.
Cummings School received full re-accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA/COE) in March 2012, for seven years, which is the longest period allowable by the AVMA/COE.
Over the last five years, 98.8 percent of DVM graduates have passed the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE). The AVMA Council on Education standard requires 80 percent of graduating seniors to pass the exam by graduation time.
Tufts University Veterinary School Prerequisites and Other Info
Here are a few details about Tufts Veterinary School requirements, including where it’s based, what they have to offer, and what kind of applicants get accepted.
Location
Located in North Grafton, Massachusetts, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine is a 594-acre campus 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Boston.
How Many Students Get into the DVM Program Per Year?
Listed in the table below are the vet admission statistics comparing the class of 2021 with the class of 2025.
| Class of 2021 | Class of 2025 | |
| Total applications | 1106 | 1035 |
| Class size | 98 | 103 |
| Mean undergraduate vet school GPA | 3.70 | 3.76 |
| Number of Massachusetts residents | 30 | 32 |
| Mean age | 24 years | 24 years |
| Number of students with advanced degrees | 8 | 12 |
Admission Criteria for US Students
Applying to any veterinary program can be daunting but adequate preparation and insight into the process can help prepare applicants.
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University uses the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). After processing, this service receives the applications and forwards them to the elected vet school. Fall 2023 enrollment is available from the beginning of January 2022 and must be submitted by September 15, 2022, at 11:59 pm EDT.
To be considered for admission to Tufts University vet school, applications need to be in before the deadline on the 15th of September 2022.
Students must complete the following steps to apply for the DVM program:
Applicants must complete the VMCA application and select Tufts University from the list of programs. The student’s official transcripts must be sent directly to VMCAS for all tertiary faculties attended, including undergraduate and graduate programs.
Three letters of evaluation from individuals who know the applicant well are also a prerequisite. The first letter must be from a faculty member who taught the student, a pre-veterinary profession committee representative, a second faculty member, or a vet/researcher with whom the student has worked.
Ensure that students answer the Tufts-specific questions under the “Questions” tab on the VMCAS application as they serve as a supplemental application. Students must also complete the Tufts-specific prerequisites section under the “Prerequisites” tab on the VMCAS application.
Application fees charged by the VMCAS exclude a $70 non-refundable fee for the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. The VCMA will email the payment link to the applicant. Payment is necessary to complete your application.
The Admissions Committee at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University considers the following criteria when evaluating applications for admission to the DVM program:
- Academic records required include undergraduate grade-point average, any achievement in required pre-professional courses, advanced degrees, and academic honors.
- Veterinary, animal, or health science experience.
- Letters of evaluation
- Two essays: one essay for the VMCAS application and one for Tufts.
- Extracurricular, community, active citizenship activities, committees, leadership roles, and employment not related to animals.
- Potential for contribution to and advancement of the profession.
- An interview at the invitation of the Committee on Admissions or the dean.
The admissions committee uses the following formula: 34% grade-point average, 33% interview, 27% holistic application review, 6% essays.
DVM applicants must have completed the equivalent of at least three full undergraduate academic years at an accredited college or university and fulfilled 90 semester hours of coursework before enrollment.
All applicants must have completed the following courses before enrolling at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University:
- General Biology with Laboratory (two semesters).
- General Chemistry with Laboratory (two semesters).
- Organic Chemistry with Laboratory (two semesters).
- Physics (two semesters).
- Genetics (one semester, unless included in General Biology).
- Biochemistry (one semester).
- Mathematics (two semesters).
- English (two semesters).
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (two semesters).
- Humanities and Fine Arts (two semesters).
Admission Criteria for Foreign Students
International students require all of the above criteria and result from submission for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). These tests are necessary if the student’s native language is not English or they have not graduated from an institution where the curriculum taught is not in English.
Educational Opportunities
The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine offers students the option of designing their DVM degree to foster their strengths and complement their interests.
Special programs include Signature Opportunities in the following fields:
- International Veterinary Medicine Signature Opportunity explores international veterinary education, innovative approaches to supporting animal health in the developing world, and issues in conservation medicine and global health.
- Wildlife and Conservation Medicine Signature Opportunity provides a rich learning environment for students concerned with wildlife health and preservation, habitat and species diversity, conservation biology, ecological issues, and natural resources.
- Accelerated Clinical Excellence (ACE) Signature Opportunity offers students the advantage of developing skills not taught in traditional veterinary medical education to help them become leading clinical veterinarians in their field.
- Animal Welfare, Ethics, and Policy Signature Opportunity offer a program designed to educate veterinary students about the link between human and animal well-being.
The DVM programs also include combining two disciplines into a dual degree. The DVM/Masters programs include the Public Health Program and the Laboratory Animal Medicine Program. If students are passionate about a research career, they can enroll in the Cummings School’s Research Path for DVM candidates.
The Bachelor’s/DVM Early Acceptance Program offers undergraduates enrolled at Tufts University, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and the University of Vermont an opportunity to apply to the DVM Program during the spring of their sophomore year.
Postgraduate Opportunities at Tufts Vet School
Internship, externship, and residency opportunities are also available at the Department of Clinical Sciences at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.
Internship programs based at Tufts veterinary hospital, Grafton, are one-year programs after graduation. They provide intensive experience under direct faculty supervision, rotating through various specialties. Interns have tailored rotations to their interests. The only candidates are individuals eligible to work in the US or qualify for TN visas.
Internships available include:
- Small-Animal Rotating Internship
- Large Animal Surgery Internship
- Large Animal Medicine/Mass Equine Internship
- Exotic Medicine Internship
Residency programs are three years long and provide specialty training under the supervision of experienced, board-certified faculty members. Candidates must possess a DVM or VMD degree or their equivalent. The AAVC’s Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program receive all applications.
Residencies available include:
- Anesthesiology Residency
- Cardiology Residency
- Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology Residency
- Large Animal Internal Medicine Residency
- Large Animal Surgery Residency
Programs designed to prepare for the Neurology Residency:
- Small Animal Internal Medicine Residency
- Small Animal Medical Oncology Residency
- Small Animal Surgery Residency
The Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University offers an externship in Wildlife Medicine at Tufts Wildlife Clinic. The department also offers two paid internships in Wildlife and Conservation Medicine.
What Else Does Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine Offer, Other Than Education?
There are state-of-the-art medical centers at the Tufts vet school, Grafton, MA. campus.
The Tufts Henry & Lois Foster Hospital for Small Animals at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center is the teaching hospital where students gain their clinical experience. The center is open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.
Veterinary specialists provide clinical training to the vet students. The diverse caseloads offer students outstanding learning experiences.
The region’s most powerful diagnostic imaging capabilities reside at the tufts pet hospital. They include MRI, ultrasound, CT, and a state-of-the-art interventional radiology unit that enables surgical procedures such as the placement of stents and pacemakers.
The hospital offers advanced critical care, anesthesia, pain management, and radiation oncology for animal cancer patients. Students, interns, residents, researchers, and professors work alongside one another to help care for an array of small animals.
The Tufts Hospital for Large Animals at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center is home to the Tufts Equine Center and the Farm and Fiber Animal Service.
The equine center offers innovative treatments and case management that provide clients with the highest standard of care. Passionate board-certified specialists deliver specialized medical, diagnostic, and surgical care with their experience and expertise.
The Farm and Fiber Animal Service is one of the US’s few medical centers that boast four expert large animal internists and an internationally recognized camelid expert. Students can experience working with routine care or specialized services for alpacas, llamas, goats, sheep, and pigs.
Faculty and Facilities
The medical centers have various specialty clinics providing multiple services for several species. The additional clinics and services include:
- Tufts Equine Center
- Farm and Fiber Animal Service
- Tufts Veterinary Emergency Treatment & Specialties at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts, located in Walpole, MA.
- Tufts Veterinary Field Service at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center, based in Woodstock, CT.
- Tufts Wildlife Clinic at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts
- Luke and Lily Lerner Spay/Neuter Clinic at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts
- Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center
The various departments of the veterinary faculty offer diverse and quality undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral training. The departments strive to foster scholarly activity to deliver innovative new research. The departments include:
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology
- Department of Clinical Sciences
- Department of Environmental and Population Health
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health
There are three academic centers based at Tufts school of vet medicine. The first is the Center for Animals and Public Policy. This center encourages the study of complex issues surrounding animals’ changing role and impact in society. The center focuses on how animal well-being matters because there is a link between animal and human well-being.
The Center for Conservation Medicine aims to advance the health of animals, people, and the environment through professional training, research, and service to communities around the globe, utilizing a conservation medicine approach.
The Center for Shelter Dogs is a unique initiative dedicated to improving the welfare of homeless dogs under the care of humane organizations, animal control facilities, and rescue groups throughout the nation.
The Clinical Trials Office is responsible for a lot of veterinary clinical research. The CTO dedicates itself to investigating and evaluating new therapies, medical devices, and diagnostic tests to advance the health and well-being of veterinary patients.
The clinical studies also offer insight into potential human diseases and may provide answers for patients who may suffer from similar issues that animals are experiencing. These clinical studies aim to provide access to cutting-edge care when standard treatment options have failed. There is often little or no cost.
Student Life at Tufts
University is about more than just getting a degree. Student life at Tufts has incredible opportunities that are not only academic. There are over 300 student organizations that will help you connect with other students with the same interests.
Community Service opportunities facilitation occurs through Tufts’s Leonard Carmichael Society (an umbrella organization for all service groups on campus). If you are passionate about helping your community, there are ample opportunities for students to apply their skills.
Club and Intramural Sports can offer students a way to stay athletic during their studies. Some club sports include fencing, soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, and the Tufts University Quidditch team, the Tufflepuffs.
Intramural Sports also offer students relaxed sporting opportunities. Friends can form teams, or students can join alone to play basketball, lacrosse, or dodgeball.
Debate and Mock Trial has a team that engages in APDA-style parliamentary debate and hosts an annual tournament on the Hill. The Tufts Mock Trial team offers ional focus, the Tufts Model UN team lets students travel to four debates in two different countries each year.
The Tufts Dance Department has multiple shows throughout the year. More social dancing includes the Tufts Salsa, Ballroom, or Sarabande (a group featuring modern, jazz, and ballet dance styles).
Fraternities and Sororities are also a part of the Tufts campus life. There are nine fraternities on campus, four sororities, one independent co-ed fraternity, and four active culturally based, citywide Greek organizations.
Music departments offer lessons to students for credits regardless of their major. Students can also rent practice space and instruments. Students can audition for performing ensembles, including choirs (a capella and traditional), strings, bands, and world music. Theater opportunities include student-organized, designed, and directed productions.
Political Groups currently active on campus range from the Tufts Democrats and Tufts Republicans to the Tufts Socialist Club.
Publications are also available for those students who strive to have their voices heard. The publications include the Tufts Daily (Tufts is the smallest school with a daily student newspaper), the Tufts Observer (student magazine with long-form pieces and visual arts), Zamboni (Tufts’ equivalent of ‘The Onion’), and the Traveler Magazine.
Pre-Professional Organizations host advisor groups for pre-veterinary students and other professions.
Religious Life/Tufts Chaplaincy at Tufts is all about the diversity of cultures. There are thriving Jewish communities at the Granoff Hillel center and Chabad house, morning prayers with the Muslim Student Association, and meditation with Buddhist students. Other groups represented include the Roman Catholics, Unitarian Universalists, Hindus, and Orthodox Christians. The University Chaplaincy provides interfaith services and programs and serves as an umbrella for all religious life.
Things to do in Massachusetts
Massachusetts is famous for its many colleges and universities. Students can enjoy various activities in the state ranging from outdoor adventures, musical experiences, or museums. Here are a few things you can do in Massachusetts between studying, practicals, and exams.
Bash Bish Falls
Bash Bish Falls is an 80-foot (25-meter) waterfall located in the southwestern region of Massachusetts. The beautiful falls cascade into a shallow creek and pool, which visitors can view from the waterfall peak.
According to legend, the name of the falls comes from a Mohican woman accused of adultery, named Bash-Bish. She was tied to the canoe and sent off the falls’ edge, even though she professed her innocence. Her daughter White Swan threw herself off the falls after she couldn’t conceive a child.
Safety walkways get fitted with steel cables to prevent accidents because several people have had accidents at the falls. Visitors need to be responsible and cautious.
Cape Cod National Seashore
The 43,607-acre national park is a popular summer destination with 500 miles (804 kilometers) of stunning beaches throughout the coast of Cape Cod. The protected coastal area has unspoiled shores and numerous conservation areas. The area is a beautiful getaway option, with fun nightlife and excellent dining options.
Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery
This Movie Monster Museum boasts a spooky gallery with pieces of James Lurgio’s private collection of monstrous memorabilia and artifacts. Famous life-size monsters from scary movies get crafted in a variety of silicone, latex, and resin.
Fenway Park
The renowned home of the Boston Red Sox is an iconic location. Baseball fans will adore this stadium experience. The stadium plays a big part of Boston’s culture, and it is the oldest major league baseball stadium in the world. The old fashion charm of the stadium makes the experience even more worthwhile.
Martha’s Vineyard
The beauty of Martha’s Vineyard makes it one of the biggest attractions in Massachusetts. The island in the Cape Cod area is only accessible by ferry. The sunset views at The Vineyard are spectacular, with unspoiled wild areas and lighthouses. The area also offers an excellent retail and dining experiences.
The gingerbread houses in Oak Bluffs are also a great attraction with their Victorian-style cottages.
Tanglewood
The Lenox-based entertainment venue was a gift from the Tappan family estate to the Boston Symphony and Serge Koussevitzky. Tanglewood brings in over 350 000 visitors when hosting music festivals and performers from various genres.
The Harvard Museum of Natural History
The magnificent collection from three different institutions merged into one facility. The museum has over 21 million specimens from the Mineralogical and Geological Museum, the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and the Harvard Herbaria. Visitors can view 12 000 of the specimens at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.
The museum has a fully assembled skeleton of a dodo bird, more than 3,000 different glass flowers used in botany lessons, and a collection of human skulls on mounts.
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of Massachusetts
Isabella Steward Gardner collected artifacts, and her home became a museum in 1903. The museum houses over 2500 different artifacts, including paintings, textiles, manuscripts, and sculptures.
Isabella lost a child and could not conceive again, which resulted in her becoming a recluse. Her husband eventually coaxed her into a trip into Europe, which reawakened her zest for life and love of art. Pieces from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East were collected and stored in Fenway Court. These pieces make up the current collection in the museum.
The Museum of Fine Arts
This museum is one of the best and most extensive art museums in Massachusetts. Based in Copley Square in Boston, the museum opened in 1876, but it moved to Huntington Avenue as its collection grew.
A popular location, more than one million people visit it every year. Famous masterpieces in the museum include works by Money, Picasso, and Rembrandt.
The New England Aquarium
The incredible New England Aquarium, situated on the waterfront of Boston, Massachusetts, is spectacular. The location has over 550 species of marine fauna, including small crabs, sharks, turtles, sea dragons, stingrays, eels, barracudas, and more.
Attractions include the Caribbean Reef Exhibition, the Edge of the Sea touch tank, and the colossal coral reef-filled Giant Ocean Tank that reaches four stories in height. The IMAX theater also features documentaries and films.
The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
The Marine Sanctuary in Massachusetts Bay is a famous whale-watching location. It spans 842 square miles (2180 square kilometers) of protected marine area. The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary has over 50 marine species that include humpback whales, dolphins, seals, and more.
The Bottom Line
The decision to become a vet is easy. The journey to fulfilling that decision can be pretty daunting, but every journey starts with the first step. The road to becoming a vet appears fraught with challenges, but the strength these challenges bring out in one’s character is the foundation for your veterinary career.
The Tufts University veterinary school prerequisites are reasonable, and the right candidates will easily apply themselves to achieving a spot in the class of 2026. The beautiful state of Massachusetts has so much to offer, and the extraordinary facilities of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University are genuinely world-class.