Student Life at the University of Tennessee
Home to the University of Tennessee Veterinary Diagnostics Lab, the University of Tennessee in Knoxville boasts of having an excellent veterinary medicine program. The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine is one of four divisions in the Institute of Agriculture. They work with other services in the institute.
Species of animals, including large, livestock, avian, and zoological, are treated at the veterinary school, joined to the Veterinary Medical Center. Emergency services are provided to existing clients and referred cases.
The John and Ann Tickle Small Animal Hospital, the Equine Hospital, the Farm Animal Hospital, Avian, Exotics, and Zoological Hospital make up the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center.
The Origins of the University of Tennessee’s Veterinary Diagnostics Lab
The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine has longstanding ties to each other. Veterinary students have been taught at the university since 1976. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Education has provided accreditation since 1979. The American Veterinary Medical Association has offered full accreditation since 1993.
American Association for the Assessment Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care provided full accreditation to the animal laboratory facilities in 1983. Research at this facility has always been a priority.
The University of Tennesee Veterinary Diagnostic Lab itself has a long-established link to the Department of Pathology of the university and the agricultural department. Originally named the Department of Pathobiology until 1994, it has origins dating back ao the 1980s. Online ordering for diagnostic testing has been available since 2011.
The diagnostic laboratory offers various services, including bacteriology, urinalysis, cytology, clinical pathology, and hematology and biochemistry analysis. Both domestic and non-domestic species have services catered to them.
Laboratory staff comprises certified clinical pathologists, certified technologists, and some pathology residents. Diagnostics are undertaken using state-of-the-art equipment. Quality control is undertaken routinely and regularly to ensure the accuracy of findings. The Veterinary Laboratory Association provides external quality control.
Student Info About VetMed at the University of Tennessee
Located in Knoxville, in eastern Tennessee, next to the Tennessee River, the University of Tennessee provides many options for veterinary studies. There is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree with postgraduate degrees.
The vet degree accepts approximately 85 students each year. The majority of students are women. This consists of 60 in-state and 25 out-of-state residents. Moreover, Tennessee state students make the bulk of students accepted.
There are more than ten times the amount of applicants for the degree than are finally accepted. Invitations for interviews are only offered to one-third of applicants.
The grade point average (GPA) of all students in the last five years has been over 3.54, with more than 93% consistently passing the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam. Most students have received at least one job offer by graduation, with more having accepted an offer.
Admissions begin in January each year. All prospective candidates must complete the minimum pre-veterinary course requirements by the Spring term when they graduate. All of these courses must score a grade of C or higher.
All pre-veterinary courses required must be completed at any accredited university or college with courses equivalent to ones offered at the University of Tennessee based in Knoxville. However, completing these courses will not guarantee acceptance into the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine program.
The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine website provides set hours for each pre-veterinary required course. Courses are required in nine separate identified subjects. These include humanities, biology, genetics, and physics, with lab work required in five of those subjects. Further education in other sciences is encouraged.
To ensure that prospective students are aware and can complete the long hours required for concentration, study, and clinical and practical work, technical standards are recommended to be read.
Whether resident or non-resident, all applications must apply through the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). This is a centralized online application service that allows the collection, processing, verification, and distribution of data provided by the applicant to relevant colleges.
To avoid possible online congestion of applicants, early applications are strongly encouraged. All fees must be sent to the VMCAS directly, not to the college. Instructions on how to use their service are on their website. The university website posts deadlines for applications and fees. No late applicants will be accepted or considered.
Applicants must provide three letters of recommendation and submit these electronically. However, they may give a maximum of six. Education transcripts must also be sent directly to the VMCAS at the student’s responsibility.
On a 4.0 scale, a non-resident applicant must have a minimum GPA of 3.2, while a resident applicant must have a minimum of a 2.8 GPA.
Lower scoring applications with disadvantaged or hardship statements provided will be considered. These are reviewed to assess if further review is appropriate. Examples of difficulty include economic opportunities, cultural background, discrimination, disabilities, etc.
Applications from US citizens and international students are accepted, providing that their previous studies are comparable to what is needed from resident students.
GPA scoring initially rules out potential students. This is followed by a review from faculty members, including looking at previous experience, letters of reference, and any disadvantaged or hardship notes provided.
The final stage in determining placements requires an interview with members of the college faculty. Interviewers score students independently, which is then worked into a percentage. Motivation, previous experience, personal qualities, critical thinking skills, and other criteria are areas students are evaluated on.
The three stages work out the total score in determining who is offered places. Each stage is worth one-third of the final score. The higher the score, the more likely the applicant will be provided a space on the course.
As part of the vet degree, students will have a full curriculum to ensure they can gain knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors to work as successful veterinarians. The curriculum includes training in surgery, diagnostics, disease prevention, and medical treatment.
The DVM degree is four years long, with students starting in August. Once graduated, students will be qualified to pursue careers in different aspects, not just to become a veterinarian.
The University also offers postgraduate degrees and dual-degree programs. Following the vet degree, graduate students can further their knowledge with an MS and Ph.D. in Comparative and Experimental Medicine to lead to teaching or research careers in the health sciences.
Other courses that the university offers include a veterinary social work certificate and canine and equine rehabilitation certificates.
Veterinary social work certificate students work towards competency in four areas of veterinary social work. These include research on human interactions to ensure ethical social work practice, developing and demonstrating self-awareness, and managing animal welfare issues.
The Canine Rehabilitation Certificate Program is the only university-based Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) approved program available to Veterinarians, Licensed Veterinary Technicians, and Physical Therapists.
The course follows the same strict guidelines associated with university-accredited programs. The teaching faculty includes expert clinicians, researchers, and experts in the industry. The program uses clinical experience and evidence-based research to build its curriculum.
The program comprises seven modules: canine rehabilitation, therapeutic exercise, designing a rehabilitation program, case studies, and elective courses.
Similarly, the Equine Rehabilitation Certificate Program (ERCP) is the only university-based RACE-approved program in equine rehabilitation. Developed with the Colorado State University Orthopedic Research Center in 2004, ERCP is several postgraduate courses designed for veterinarians, technicians, and physical therapists.
Lab-based studies allow hands-on anatomy review. To ensure more thorough and productive learning, classes work around regular working hours through online research and in-person teaching. The curriculum teaches through case studies and cumulative examination.
There are three central academic departments at the university. These include Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, Large Animal Clinical Sciences, and Small Animal Clinical Sciences.
Biomedical Sciences and Research, Diagnostic Service Laboratories, and Veterinary Public Health and Outreach make up the Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences. These departments represent the teaching, research, and services of veterinary medicine.
The University of Tennessee Veterinary Diagnostic Lab can provide excellent education and application of veterinary medicine through its unique blend of disciplines. This prepares students for a range of careers in veterinary medicine and promotes research and discovery in veterinary medicine and public health to enhance animal and human health.
Faculty often move around the departments to assist in teaching and learning. They also want to provide excellent quality diagnostic services.
The University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center, a state contract for ruminants, wildlife, zoo, and exotic hospitals, and mail-ins from referral practices provide case material. Residents will teach veterinary students about their vet degrees.
The Large Animal Clinical Sciences department, formally known as the Department of Rural Practice, strives to advance veterinary medicine and surgery through education, research, and health maintenance. It was founded alongside the College of Veterinary Medicine in 1974.
The Large Animal Clinical services comprise the Equine Hospital, Farm Animal Hospital, and Equine Performance and Rehabilitation Center. Mainly serving horses and cattle, they will also provide care to a wide range of other species, including sheep, pigs, llamas, and large animals.
The department can offer emergency, referral, and routine care as well as investigations into herd disease outbreaks. They strive to ensure the most up-to-date care is provided as well as continue in educating the community and veterinarians.
The Small Animal Clinical Sciences services’ mission is very similar. They endeavor to educate veterinary students and graduates about the needs of companion animals and provide exceeding patient care. They also want to improve pet health through clinical research.
The college provides education for students in the vet degree while training graduates in various clinical specialties and continuing education. They also offer a resource for knowledge for current veterinarians and clients.
Patient care of pet animals is continuously improved through ongoing clinical research. This is maintained through a scientifically advanced faculty motivated for continuing education and knowledge.
Each of the three departments offers residencies, while internships are only available for the small and large animal departments.
The Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences department offers a non-degree residency program in anatomic or clinical pathology. Availability for the course varies yearly but usually has two students per year for six residents in the course at once. Once completed, Ph.D. training is available through the Comparative and Experimental Medicine graduate program.
The Large Animal Clinical Sciences department offers residencies in Equine Performance Medicine and Rehabilitation (EPR), Medine, Food Animal, Surgery, and Theriogenology.
The EPR residency is a three-year program that follows the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (ACVSMR). Upon completing the course, graduates can take a qualifying examination after submitting credentials for approval from the ACVSMR.
Once board certified through this course, graduates can either enter academic veterinary medicine or become specialists in sports medicine and rehabilitation.
To be accepted each year after starting the course, students have to have completed the previous year. Residents must attend regional and national meetings. Financial support is provided to assist with this. Third-year students must attend a major meeting to present a research paper.
The Food Animal Combined Graduate School and Residency is a three-year program designed to train individual and production animal medicine specialists. Specialisms can be chosen, such as the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Hands-on experience under direct supervision by board-certified specialists ensures learning is achieved. Food animal fields of study would be taught, with clinical work supplemented throughout the student’s chosen specialty. Students can apply for board certification upon completion of the program.
Combined with the residency program, students participate in either an MS or Ph.D. graduate program focusing on livestock infectious disease and immunology. For Ph.D. students, the course will be one year longer.
Requirements for their chosen board certification are expected to be completed by students each year. These include case reports, research projects, and examinations.
The Farm Animal Focused Large Animal Medicine Residency is three years long. On completion, candidates can qualify for the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) certification. The ACVIM approves this course, and it follows the guidelines they have set out.
Students are offered seminars in various specialties, including ophthalmology, radiology, and oncology. Subjects including pathology and ethics are offered in rounds.
The Large Animal Surgery Residency is another three-year program that prepares students for board certification from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Hands-on experience is massively provided to students. Direct supervision from board-certified specialists is decreased throughout.
Training is provided through seminars, conferences, and rounds. Seminars are available in many specialties, including cardiology and emergency medicine.
The first two years of the program focus on participating in clinical services and rotation through anesthesiology, pathology, and other medical departments. A research project is completed during this time. During the third year, residents will be in clinical surgery.
The final residency offered through the Large Animal Clinical Sciences department is the Theriogenology Residency. This three-year program is designed to give in-depth knowledge of Theriogenology and support disciplines for future careers in academic or specialty private practice.
Upon completing the program, students can apply for board certification from the American College of Theriogenologists. The program primarily participates in theriogenology clinical services and teaching programs of the Veterinary Medical Center and the Veterinary Research and Education Center.
To qualify, candidates must graduate from an AVMA accredited college of veterinary medicine and have completed a one-year internship or equivalent in private veterinary medicine practice experience.
Seminars, conferences, and rounds provide training. Supervised case management, research projects, and attendance of course rounds and workshops to help to gain technical skills and clinical judgment.
The Small Animal Clinical Sciences provide residencies in either Radiology or Anesthesiology, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, or Small Animal Medical. All courses are three years long, other than four years for radiology.
Approved by the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, the anesthesiology residency trains anesthesiology and pain management specialists to ready them for board certification. Intakes occur yearly.
The University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center provides all training. They emphasize clinical training, teaching, and research. The service provides care for a diverse caseload, including small and large pets, food animals, pet and exotic birds, and zoos and wildlife.
A research project must be completed, and at least one manuscript must be accepted for publication by the end of the program.
The American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD) approved that this residency provides thorough clinical training and information. It prepares students for certification through mentoring by two ACVD diplomats. A requirement is for residents to complete a research project that results in publication. Intakes happen every two years.
Newly offered through the University of Tennessee, the Ophthalmology residency program trains students to specialize in veterinary ophthalmology and prepare for certification by the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
This service provides care for the Small Animal Clinical Sciences and Large Animal Clinical Sciences departments and the Knoxville Zoo and Ripley’s Aquarium. The Veterinary Teaching Hospital facilitates diagnostic work-ups and medical and surgical treatment of all species.
The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) approves the Small Animal Medical Residency program. Certification is expected after training. Future careers in academic or specialist careers are expected after training and teaching.
Residents work closely with ACVIM diplomats in oncology, cardiology, neurology, and internal medicine. Rotations in ophthalmology, dermatology, and radiography are provided. A research project must be completed that results in publication.
Each University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center for every specialty has modern and state-of-the-art equipment available for each specialty department.
Both large and small animal studies have internships on offer. Large animal internships strengthen skills in medicine, surgery, anesthesia, reproduction, herd health, and rehabilitation. Hands-on experience under direct supervision from senior board-certified specialists is provided.
Experience through independent decision-making, the practice of skills, and communication with clients and other veterinarians encourage student learning.
Small Animal internships for veterinarians with medicine and surgery or veterinary technicians are provided.
Veterinarians are given advanced training to assist in diagnosing and treating animals. Opportunities for teaching and preparing interns for residency programs, specialist internships, or for a small animal veterinary practice are offered.
Interns are also responsible for primary receiving cases in the Emergency and Critical Care Service. This provides experience for small animals, exotics, and wildlife patients.
Veterinary technicians have the opportunity to increase knowledge and practical experience while in an educational environment. Core rotations include emergency and intensive care, anesthesia, internal medicine, and radiology after-hours. Elective rotations include avian and exotics, nutrition, rehabilitation, and surgery.
Veterinary technicians receive an hourly salary which includes overtime.
Applications from candidates for all residencies and internships are limited to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (those with a green card), people who do not need a VISA to work, and those eligible for a Mexican or Canadian NAFTA Professional Worker VISA.
Scholarships are available when students apply through VetNet. Links for this are on the university website. There are also links to financial aid centers and financial resources.
The Clyde M. York Veterinary Medicine Building houses the Departments of Biomedical and Diagnostic Services, Large Animal Clinical Sciences, and Small Animal Clinical Sciences. This is on the agricultural campus. Currently under construction is the Teaching and Learning Center.
The Cherokee Farm, located adjacent to the Veterinary Medical Center, also contains research facilities.
Things to Do in Knoxville, TN… Besides Studying
Knoxville is home to many natural areas, parks, blueways, and greenways. There are activities for individuals, family groups, children, and pets.
Outdoor Knoxville provides information about various outdoor activities, such as bicycling, fishing, hiking, rock climbing, and skateboarding.
There are over 160 miles (257 kilometers) of trails available for mountain biking. There is a varied terrain of lush open spaces and flat paved areas providing both short and longer routes, with varying skill levels of climbs.
Dozens of lakes, rivers, and reservoirs are available with piers, and boating opportunities for fishing are available. Alongside these are beautiful views to enjoy while relaxing while fishing.
Similar to biking trails, there are various trails in parks around the city and county of Knoxville for hiking. Both paved and natural surface trails are around the area for walking and short hiking opportunities. The Outdoor Knoxville website links hiking trails for a more strenuous hike.
East Tennessee has cliff lines hidden in its river canyons and sandstone boulders in its mountains and valley bottoms. Due to Tennessee’s mild climate, rock climbing can be done year-round. The Outdoor Knoxville Website highlights both more accessible and more strenuous climbs.
Four local skateparks are available for different levels of skateboarding talent. These are also open for BMX bikers as well. All parks are open every day and free to the public. Wearing a helmet is a requirement.
Key Highlights
The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine website can show how proud they are of their vet degree programs, including their postgraduate courses and their diagnostic laboratory. They boast their student successes and research programs and links to the departments surrounding them.
Their website gives clear instructions on what is required to attend their university. Moreover, they offer many opportunities for students of all backgrounds to attend and provide scholarships to ensure that even if a student does not have enough money to attend another school, they will be able to attend this one.
The departments of this university lead groundbreaking research in all areas and even boast of having the only university-based credentialing of Equine and Canine rehabilitation in the country. Similarly, the diagnostic department supports nationwide submissions in diagnostic medicine.
This university is also surrounded by beautiful areas and opportunities for getting in touch with nature, as well as being able to keep active.