DVM Curriculum

The DVM degree is awarded after 4 years of successful study, and students are encouraged to consider writing a thesis as part of their veterinary school experience.

First Year

The first year of the DVM curriculum consists largely of didactic teaching and laboratory instruction and focuses on the basic biomedical sciences. The major emphasis is on the basic structural and functional relationships that occur in normal animals. The Clinical Skills course provides basic handling and husbandry of large and small animal species

Anatomy I	First Year Farm Husbandry
Anatomy II	General Pathology
Applied Epidemiology & Evidence Based Medicine	Human-Animal Relationships
Applied Molecular Biology	Immunology
Case Based Learning I & II	International Veterinary Medicine
Clinical Skills I	Introduction to Veterinary Nutrition
Communications I and II	Organ System Structure & Function I & II
Comparative Anatomy and Physiology	Veterinary Biochemistry and Metabolism

Second Year

2 veterinarians and a student examining a dog

The instructional program for the second year of the DVM program is mainly concerned with the pathophysiology of specific disease entities as they affect organs in various systems of the body. In these courses, students relate the morphological and physiological manifestations of a specific disease to the functional abnormalities they cause in a particular body system. In addition, the second year introduces students to clinical and imaging topics. Clinical Skills II introduces students to basic physical examination and diagnostic procedures for all species.

Accelerated Clinical Excellence	Ethics & Veterinary Medicine	Respiratory Pathophysiology
Basic Pharmacology	Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology	Second Year Clinical Rotations
Cardiovascular Pathophysiology	General Parasitology	Skeletal Pathobiology
Clinical Pharmacology	Hemic-Lymphatic and Clinical Pathology	Toxicology
Clinical Skills II	Introduction to Veterinary Public Health	Urinary Pathophysiology
Diagnostic Imaging	Introduction to Zoological Medicine	Veterinary Infectious Diseases
Diversity & Professional Perspectives II	Law and Veterinary Medicine	Veterinary Microbiology Laboratory
Emerging and Exotic Diseases of Animals & Initial Accreditation Training	Principles of Surgery	Veterinary Neurobiology
Endocrinology Pathophysiology	Reproductive Pathophysiology

Third Year

student and veterinarian conducting an ultrasound on a small animal

During much of the third year, students integrate the pathophysiological aspects of specific diseases learned in the second year with a comprehensive discussion of the presenting clinical signs, diagnostic criteria and the treatment of these entities. Thus, the third-year curriculum is designed to provide students with a sound basis in clinical medicine with emphasis on diagnosis, prognosis and management. The third year culminates with a two-week period of advanced elective course offerings.

Anesthesia & Analgesia	Farm Animal Medicine & Surgery
Bovine Procedures Lab	Introduction to Small Animal Anesthesia and Surgery Techniques
Clinical Animal Behavior	Ophthalmology
Clinical Dermatology	Small Animal Clinical Procedures Lab
Clinical Reasoning	Small Animal Dentistry
Communications III	Small Animal Medicine & Surgery I and II
Diagnostic Ultrasonography	Team Dynamics Workshop
Equine & Camelid Medicine & Surgery	Theriogenology
Euthanasia Seminar	Veterinary Economics and Practice Management
	Zoological Medicine

Fourth Year

student caring for a baby lamb at hospital for large animals

By the beginning of the fourth year, all core didactic courses and some clinical rotations are completed. The student spends the entire year gaining further experience in clinical and other rotations. The core clinical rotation program utilizes the case method approach. Under supervision the student records case histories, performs physical examinations as well as diagnostic and surgical procedures, and learns to assume responsibility for treatment and case and client management.

Core Clinical Rotations	Weeks
Ambulatory Medicine	3
Anatomical/Clinical Pathology	3
Anesthesia	3
Cardiology	2
Dermatology	2
Diagnostic Imaging	2
Emergency and Critical Care	3
Ethics Seminar	2 hours
Large Animal Medicine	3
Large Animal Surgery	3
Neurology	2
Oncology	2
Ophthalmology	2
Small Animal Medicine	3
Small Animal Surgery - Orthopedic and/or Chief Residency	2
Small Animal Surgery - Soft Tissue	2
Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic	4
Wildlife Clinic	1
Vacation	4
Electives	15
Total Core Rotations	43
Total	61

DVM Thesis Option

Students at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University are encouraged to consider writing a thesis as part of their veterinary school experience. The program is voluntary and open to all Cummings School DVM students conducting research. Students whose summer research presentations on Student Research Day are deemed viable as a possible thesis will be invited by the chair of the Advanced Education Committee (AEC) through their mentor to participate in the program. Other students and their mentors can also request permission to submit a thesis. Students successfully completing a DVM with thesis will be acknowledged at graduation, and the notation of “DVM with THESIS” will be posted on their transcript.

Learn More About the Thesis Option