The University of Arizona’s College of Veterinary Medicine has attracted more than 2,500 prospective students for the class of 2029 beginning next fall. The program is now the third-most popular choice in the U.S., according to the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges.
The college, located in Oro Valley, received a total of 2,541 applications, with applicants ranging from 18-year-olds to 54-year-olds, the UA reports. The applicants included 667 first-generation students (the first in their families to attend college), 225 Arizona residents, and more than 530 reapplicants.
Out of this, the program — which started in 2019 and graduated its first class in 2023 — will accept only 4% of the applicants to fill a cohort limited to 110 students.
University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine student Cierra Smith assists in giving a lion a CT scan at the Denver Zoo during a recent clinical year placement.
UA’s veterinary program offers an accelerated three-year curriculum that eliminates summer breaks and allows students to graduate more quickly than in traditional, four-year programs. “The college also distinguishes itself by allowing students to work with live animals in the first two weeks of class — a privilege many programs reserve until the second or third year,” UA said in a news release.
The program offers foundational courses in subjects including immunology, anatomy and vital organ systems, along with advanced coursework in clinical management and surgery in the first two years, and additional hands-on experience in clinics and vets’ offices across the country in the third year.
First-year UA veterinary student Bryce Bauckman Wallace at the HoofsnHorns Farm Sanctuary in Tucson.
"I think the large number of applications to our program is a testament to our commitment to academic excellence and to preparing day-one-ready veterinarians," Dr. Julie Funk, dean of the college, said in the news release.
Bryce Bauckman Wallace, a first-year student at the college from Fredericksburg, Virginia, said UA’s three-year program stood out to her due to including an entire year dedicated to clinical experiences. Wallace, now three months into her studies, is learning how animals fight infection and disease and taking courses in professional and clinical skills. "A lot of people have pets and want them to be taken care of properly, and having well-trained veterinarians is essential," she said.
