The overall purpose of this program is to increase minority and other disadvantaged students in the professional program, thereby increasing the number of graduate veterinarians from disadvantaged backgrounds. Students in this post-baccalaureate program participate in two summer programs and an academic year program. During the first six-week summer program, students attend classes consisting of lectures, laboratories and recitation periods to improve their academics in math, chemistry, biochemistry, and cell biology. During the fall semester, students attend undergraduate courses to enhance their academic background in basic anatomy, mammalian physiology, histology, and patho-biology. The regularly scheduled courses allow the students to utilize some of the note-taking and other personal skills that were stressed in the initial summer program.
Students meet weekly with faculty to review their progress.
During the spring semester, students attend selected segments of regularly scheduled courses. This segment of the program provides students with exposure to the basic science courses for professional veterinary medical school and allows them to become acquainted with the instructors who teach this material in the professional curriculum. The second six-week summer program provides students with preliminary education in selected areas of biomedical science that they will encounter in the first two years of professional school. The instruction is in a classroom setting and at a pace similar to that for a typical course in the professional curriculum. This realistic exposure gives students an appreciation for the challenges they face and improves their self-confidence.