Are You Interested in a Career in Veterinary Medicine?
The Advanced Veterinary Academy at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine is a summer program for high school students interested in studying veterinary medicine. Through a series of lectures, labs and related activities, the four-day academy presents participants with a peek at the life of a veterinary student.
Program Criteria
- High school junior or senior.
- Minimum age of 16 or entering into junior year of high school. Maximum age of 18 or entering freshman year of college.
- Must have spent, or be currently spending, time job shadowing a veterinarian.*
- Complete a 500 to 1,000-word essay addressing knowledge of the veterinary medicine profession, career goals and objectives related to the profession and how the academy can further those goals.
- Submit two letters of recommendation: one from a non-family member (e.g., pastor, teacher) and one from a veterinarian.
- Maintain a minimum 2.7 GPA.
*Name, address and phone number of the veterinary practice along with the veterinarian(s) are to be submitted for verification purposes.
Program Cost
- $400 per student.
The Academy program will simulate being a veterinary student in both the classroom as well as on clinical rotation.
- Admissions Session, ACT, GRE and Interview Prep:
Learn proper interview etiquette, dress, body language, eye contact and demeanor. Test-taking tips for the ACT and GRE. - Anatomy: Explore biomedical science through the broad expanse of anatomy. This session includes a brief instructional lecture followed by an animal dissection.
- Career Exploration: Learn about jobs in government agencies, academia and industry.
- Clinical Pathology: Is it cancer, diabetes, genetic or otherwise? Learn what is going on inside the body by what is found in blood and tissue.
- Comparative Medicine: Learn about comparative diseases, viruses and ailments plaguing both animals and humans.
- Food Animal Medicine: Learn how integral veterinarians are to America’s safe beef production.
- Gross Pathology: Discover how forensics applies in animal medicine.
- Lecture: Participants will sit in on an actual lecture alongside first- or second-year veterinary students.
- Public Health: Understand and appreciate the important role veterinarians play in disease prevention, food inspection, disaster preparedness and epidemiology.
- Radiology: Review radiographs and learn how pertinent they are to an accurate, clinical diagnosis.
- Small Animal Medicine: Shadow students and clinicians on rounds.
- Surgery: Scrub in on a surgery alongside clinical students observing critical procedures and complex cases.
- Toxicology: Is chocolate bad for dogs? What plants are harmful, possibly fatal, if ingested?
Application deadline: March 31, 2026
Questions regarding the academy can be submitted to Student Recruitment Specialist Douglas Tindall: tindalld@missouri.edu.