OVERVIEW  Veterinary Medicine is an amazing profession that is responsible for the health and well-being of all animals ranging from companion animals, farm animals and wildlife to marine mammals, exotics and laboratory animals. 

The pre-veterinary medicine program is not a degree granting major, it is an advising program to better prepare University of Hawaii at Manoa students for applying to veterinary school. Dr. Jenee Odani is the dedicated pre-veterinary advisor to help you prepare for application to veterinary school admission. The advisor’s responsibility is to provide you with information and resources to improve your knowledge regarding the admissions process, including admission requirements, application steps and other requirements.

Each veterinary school has its own specific admission requirements, but a strong foundation in the sciences, effective communication skills, and a passion for lifelong learning are keys to success. Advising from the Pre-Veterinary program is beneficial to you but ultimately it is up to you to take your academics seriously and put forth the considerable effort required to ensure your admittance to veterinary school. The day that you receive your veterinary diploma and can call yourself a member of the veterinary profession, you’ll look back at all the hard work and sacrifice and know that it was all worth it.

Hawaii does not have a veterinary school but is part of the  Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) that allows for a limited number of students to attend veterinary schools that are part of WICHE and pay in-state tuition. The veterinary schools that actively participate in the WICHE program are Washington State University Oregon State University, and Colorado State University.  Students that attend veterinary schools in non-WICHE states will pay out-of-state tuition. Currently, there are 30 US veterinary schools and each has unique admission standards and requirements; therefore students must consult information from each school they are planning to apply for admission.  The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has on-line resources for all of the US veterinary schools and provides information regarding the application process.