two pre-veterinary medicine students giving a goat kid a physical examination

 

pre-veterinary medicine student holding a recovering dog

PRE-VETERINARY MEDICINE

The Pre-veterinary Medicine Program at Los Angeles Pierce College is for students who seek to become veterinarians.  The Pre-vet Program prepares students for application to graduate schools of veterinary medicine.  Pierce College has the most successful two-year Pre-Veterinary Medicine program in the State of California. Students may learn "hands on" (kinesthetically), by listening (auditorily), or by seeing (visually). We are internationally known for our excellence in hands-on training of applicants to graduate schools of veterinary medicine. Our farm laboratory, teaching hospital, diverse veterinary teaching staff, excellent life science and chemistry support programs, and our industry mentors have contributed to this success. As of today (October 2023), over 350 Pierce alumni have applied and been accepted into graduate schools of veterinary medicine. Many of these students have successfully become general practitioners, board certified specialists, professors, practice owners, and government officials.  Our students have been accepted at the University of California Davis, Western, Midwestern, Purdue, Tuskegee, Mississippi, Colorado State, Iowa State, Prince Edwards, Gainesville, Michigan State, Wisconsin, University of Liverpool, Oklahoma State, Guadalajara, Kansas State, Ross University, St. George University, Virginia-Maryland, Oregon State University, Washington State at Pullman, University College at Dublin, University of Illinois, University of Minnesota, Tufts, Cornell, Glasgow, Texas A & M Western University, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California,The Ohio State University, and Murdoch University in Western Australia. You can read some of their stories at our alumni page.

Students enrolled in the Pre-veterinary Medicine Program are incoming high school students as well as students who have obtained a bachelor's degree.  Students with a bachelor's degree are typically students who have decided to change their career path to become a veterinarian.  

All students who are interested in the Pierce College Pre-veterinary Medicine Program are encouraged to joined the Pierce Veterinary Sciences Club.  The Veterinary Sciences Club is a place where students are able to connect with other students and listen to veterinary speakers from different areas of veterinary medicine such as small animal, small animal emergency, large animal, zoo animal, and  public health.  The Veterinary Sciences Club also hosts admissions officers from graduate schools of veterinary medicine and coordinates field trips to places such as the San Diego Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo, Aquarium of the Pacific, California Polytechnic State University Pomona and San Luis Obispo, the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California Davis, exotic animal hospitals, and large animal veterinary facilities.  The Veterinary Science Club also participates in fundraisers and coordinates events that help the community.  For more information, please visit the Veterinary Science Club facebook and request to join at Veterinary Sciences Club.

The following information below details a brief overview of the Pre-veterinary Medicine Program at Pierce College.  For more detailed information, students are encouraged to review our Pre-veterinary handbook.

The Pierce Pre-Veterinary Medicine Program includes several animal oriented agriculture classes. Many of these courses are not offered every semester. The following outlines are recommendations for incoming students:

1st Semester


CHEMISTRY 60 or above

VETTECH 401 - Introduction to Veterinary Technology

ENGLISH 101

LAPC GE: B1 American Institutions course such as HISTORY 011 or POL SCI 001

ANML SC501-Principles of Animal Science (Optional if the student feels able to handle a heavier course load.  This course can also be taken during the second semester.)

2nd Semester


ANML SC 501 - Principles of Animal Science

ANML SC 511-Anatomy and Physiology of Animals Lecture

ANML SC 512-Anatomy and Physiology of Animals Laboratory

CHEMISTRY 101 or above

ENGLISH 102 or a Math course*

*If you have not completed Trigonometry, please take a math course this semester and continue to take math courses in the following semester until you have completed Trigonometry.

3rd semester and following semesters-please consult with the Pre-veterinary Medicine Advisor, Dr. Lu Dao.  His email is listed below.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Register as a student at Los Angeles Pierce College.
  2. Select Major Code 010210 Pre-veterinary Medicine.
  3. Register for the courses listed above for the first semester.  Please register as soon as possible.  Course fill up quickly.
  4. Meet with Dr. Lu Dao, the Pre-veterinary Medicine Director or email him at daoLt@piercecollege.edu if there are any questions.
  5. Join the Veterinary Sciences Club.

High school students typically take at least 3 years to complete the Associate Degree of Pre-veterinary Medicine.  Returning college students may transfer completed courses from other colleges or universities to obtain the Pre-vet A.S. degree within a shorter time.

Depending on whether the completed course is equivalent to the course offered at Pierce College, credits from courses completed at other colleges or universities may be able to transfer to Pierce.

The Pre-veterinary Medicine Program does offer some online courses such as ANML SC501, ANML SC512, and ANML SC181.   However, most of the courses do require attendance on campus.  All laboratories are in person.  

No.  Students can enroll in courses part time (less than 12 semester units); however, pre-veterinary medicine students are encouraged to enroll full-time during their last year before applying to veterinary college.  Students should exceed 12 units at this time.  

The Registered Veterinary Technology Program and Pre-veterinary Medicine Program have a similar courses during the first two semesters.  For example, VETTECH 401, ANML SC501, ANML SC511, ANML SC512, ANML SC181A, ENGLISH 101, HEALTH, HUMANITIES, and CHEMISTRY 60 can be taken and substituted for CHEMISTRY 51 in the RVT Program.  Students can take these courses and decide by the second year on which program they decide to pursue.

Yes, pre-veterinary medicine students are encourage to enroll in equine courses such as ANML SC650 Equine Health and First Aid to supplement their knowledge in all fields of veterinary medicine.

 

Contact

Dr. Lu Dao, Director
Pre-Veterinary Science Program
Professor of Animal Sciences
Email: daolt@piercecollege.edu

Dr. Leland S. Shapiro, Advisor
Founder of Pre-veterinary Science Program
Fellow, National Academies of Practice
Email: @email

 

Registered Veterinary Technology Program Co-Directors
Lu Dao, DVM

Email: @email

Rebecca Yates, DVM

Email: yatesra@piercecollege.edu

Registered Veterinary Technology General Questions and Vet Tech Student Counseling
Angela Killips, RVT (Instructional Assistant and Adjunct Professor)

Email: @email

Pre-veterinary Medicine Program Director
Lu Dao, DVM

Email: @email                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Horse/Equine Science Faculty Advisor
Kevin Connolly, DVM, PhD

Email: connolk@piercecollege.edu                                                                                                                                                                                        

Savanah St. Clair Senn, MS, Plant Science, Department Chair

Email: @email