Our current curriculum is discipline based as has been traditional in many programs. Implementation of a system-based curriculum began in 2025. Hands-on experience is incorporated into the program from the very beginning of your veterinary medical journey. This curriculum is being mapped to follow AVMA-COE and AAVMC required competencies.
Semester 1
| Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Veterinary Anatomy 1 | 6 |
| Veterinary Physiology 1 | 4 |
| Veterinary Public Health | 1 |
| Essential Veterinary Skills 1 | 1 |
| Marine Mammal and Pocket Pets Biology and Welfare | 1 |
| Veterinary Embryology and Histology | 1 |
Semester 2
| Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Veterinary Anatomy 2 | 4 |
| Veterinary Physiology 2 | 3 |
| Veterinary Immunology 1 | 1 |
| Veterinary Epidemiology | 1 |
| Veterinary Clinical Nutrition 1 | 1 |
| Essential Veterinary Skills 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary Virology 1 | 1 |
| Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology 1 | 1 |
Semester 3
| Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology 1 | 4 |
| Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary Immunology 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary Pathology 1 | 4 |
| Veterinary Clinical Nutrition 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary Clinical Reasoning 1 | 1 |
| Essential Veterinary Skills 3 | 1 |
| Veterinary Virology 2 | 1 |
Semester 4
| Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology 2 | 4 |
| Veterinary Pathology 2 | 4 |
| Veterinary Parasitology 1 | 3 |
| Veterinary Clinical Reasoning 2 | 1 |
| Critical Appraisal of Scientific Literature 1 | 1 |
| Essential Veterinary Skills 4 | 1 |
Semester 5
| Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Veterinary Radiology | 3 |
| Veterinary Parasitology 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary Anesthesiology | 2 |
| Small Animal Medicine 1 | 5 |
| Clinical Appraisal of Scientific Literature 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary Clinical Reasoning 3 | 1 |
| Essential Veterinary Skills 5 | 1 |
Semester 6
| Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Small Animal Surgery 1 | 5 |
| Small Animal Medicine 2 | 5 |
| Veterinary Ethics/Jurisprudence | 1 |
| Critical Appraisal of Scientific Literature 3 | 1 |
| Veterinary Clinical Reasoning 4 | 1 |
| Essential Veterinary Skills 6 | 1 |
Semester 7
| Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Large Animal Medicine 1 | 5 |
| Avian & Exotic Animal Medicine 1 | 2 |
| Veterinary Obstetrics and Gynecology | 5 |
| Professionalism and Cultural Competencies 1 | 1 |
| Essential Veterinary Skills 7 | 1 |
Semester 8
| Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Large Animal Medicine 2 | 5 |
| Large Animal Surgery | 5 |
| Avian & Exotic Animal Medicine 2 | 2 |
| Professionalism and Cultural Competencies 2 | 1 |
| Essential Veterinary Skills 8 | 1 |
Semester 9
| Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Research | 12 |
| Licensing Exam Preparation | 2 |
The 4th year of the program consists of clinical rotations. This will follow the accredited institution’s plan and may include the following:
This clinical training will be completed at Xavier’s partner accredited affiliate institutions in the US and Canada.
Rotations may include, but are not limited to:
» Community Practice
» Shelter Medicine and Surgery
» Small Animal Internal Medicine
» Small Animal Surgery – Soft Tissue
» Small Animal Surgery – Orthopedics
» Farm Animal Medicine and Surgery
» Large Animal Field Services
» Equine Medicine
» Equine Surgery
» Equine Field Service
» Equine Emergency and Critical Care Medicine
» Radiology
» Clinical Anesthesiology
» Applied Pathology
» Small Animal Critical Care
» Small Animal Emergency
» Ophthalmology
» Dermatology
» Cardiology
» Small Animal Neurology
» Small Animal Oncology
» Theriogenology
» Surgical Oncology
The assessment and oversight for fourth year clinical rotations is the responsibility of Xavier University School of Veterinary Medicine, who is the degree granting institution.
Pre-Health Program – 12 months
Energy and the Universe
This course will expose students to college level mathematics followed by some exciting areas of Physics such as Kinematics, Dynamics, Thermodynamics, Optics, Vibration, Waves, Electromagnetism Quantum Mechanics, and Fluid Mechanics.
Introduction to Chemical Properties of Matter
The course aims to prepare tomorrow’s doctors by setting the foundation of chemistry concepts and emphasizing how to utilize the information, and how to incorporate into medical training. This course introduces basic chemistry concepts such as types of chemical reactions, thermodynamics, orbitals, chemical bonds, and chemical calculations.
Physiology/Histology I
This is an interdisciplinary integrated module looking at fundamental concepts, the musculoskeletal system, and blood and lymphatics physiology and histology. Each system will cover the fundamentals of normal structure and function with an introduction to clinical concepts and clinical manifestations of diseases.
Medical Communications
The purpose of the medical communications course is to provide the student with an understanding of the role of communication skills and the ability to apply this knowledge to diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Medical Communications is the study of communicating within the medical community while obtaining better usage and style within the English language. This course will explore the biopsychosocial needs of patients, families, and the multidisciplinary team.
Ethics and Behavioral Sciences I
This course is a broad survey of the history and theory underlying behavioral science and psychology, and medical ethics. This course is a preparatory course designed to prepare the student for the study of Medical Psychology and Ethics in the medical curriculum. Specific topics covered will include an overview of those ethical principles which will govern all medical practice, with specific application to ethics in the practice of psychiatric and behavioral medicine. Additionally, this course will cover the history of psychology and psychological research, lifespan development, sensation, learning, consciousness and cognition, all as they relate to human behavior in the medical setting. The course will conclude with an overview of the primary psychiatric pathologies that students will be studying in the medical curriculum, as well as those which will most often be encountered during clinical training in preparation for Step 1 of the USMLE.
Basic Principles of Chemical Reactivity
This is the second half of a two-semester sequence designed for the non-chemistry major to gain a basic understanding of general chemistry. It is the continuation of Introduction to Chemical Property of Matter. Basic Principles of Chemical Reactivity introduces additional fundamental chemistry concepts such as kinetics, acids and bases, and nuclear reactions. This course also introduces the student to some Organic Chemistry concepts such as nomenclature and structures.
Physiology and Histology II
This is an interdisciplinary integrated module looking at the physiology and histology of the Digestive System, Cardiovascular System and Respiratory Systems. Each system will cover the fundamentals of normal structure and function with an introduction to clinical concepts and clinical manifestations of diseases.
Anatomy I
The first part of the anatomy course will go over the normal anatomy of the human body and will focus in detail on the structure, composition and functions of the organ systems of the human body. It will focus on the anatomy of the GI, respiratory, cardiovascular, renal and endocrine/reproductive systems.
Inheritance and Evolution
This course will continue with classical and molecular genetics processes learned in Cells and Cellular Processes, and explore how genes relate to disease. The relationship between genes, transcripts, and proteins, and how it affects an individual’s health will be explored. A critical component will be understanding the inheritance mechanisms of genes through utilization of human pedigrees. In addition, the course will look at micro and macro evolution.
Microbiology and Immunology
The goal of the microbiology and immunology course is to provide the student with an understanding of the basic principles of Microbiology and the mechanisms by which they cause disease. The course will focus on mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis and the host response and the scientific approach to investigate these processes.
Ethics and Behavioral Sciences II
This course is a broad survey of the history and theory underlying behavioral science and psychology, and medical ethics. This course is a preparatory course designed to prepare the student for the study of Medical Psychology and Ethics in the medical curriculum. Specific topics covered will include an overview of those ethical principles which will govern all medical practice, with specific application to ethics in the practice of psychiatric and behavioral medicine. Additionally, this course will cover the history of psychology and psychological research, lifespan development, sensation, learning, consciousness and cognition, all as they relate to human behavior in the medical setting. The course will conclude with an overview of the primary psychiatric pathologies that students will be studying in the medical curriculum, as well as those which will most often be encountered during clinical training in preparation for Step 1 of the USMLE.
Problem Based Learning (PBL)
This is a case study based class in which students will be divided into small groups. They will then have to analyze a patient case study during a brain storming session. They will need to define there learning objectives and then over the following week will need to do research and present the case in the following class.
Anatomy II
The second part of the anatomy course will go over the normal anatomy of the human body and will focus in detail on the structure, composition and functions of the musculoskeletal system of the human body. It will focus on the thorax, Upper and lower limbs and the head and neck anatomy.
Neurosciences/Physiology III
This is an interdisciplinary integrated module looking at the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system for the first half of the course. The second half of the course focuses on the physiology of the renal system and the endocrine/reproductive system which are the 2 remaining systems to cover. Each system will cover the fundamentals of normal structure and function with an introduction to clinical concepts and clinical manifestations of diseases.
General Pathology
This introduction to general pathology covers the study of the various disease processes and mechanisms that result in disease. This also includes a selected review of anatomy, physiology and other subjects, and requires that the student independently review these subjects as needed so that the abnormal features can be easily understood. General Pathology involves the consideration of the major mechanisms of injury including trauma, ischemia, necrosis, infection, autoimmune disease, environmental exposures, selected genetic diseases, and oncogenesis as they apply to the major organ systems
Biostatistics
This course provides an introduction to the basic concepts of statistics and how they are used in medicine and the biological sciences.
Biochemistry
This integrated course has been designed to introduce students to basic concepts in biochemistry with a health science focus. Biochemical principles will be explained and used to describe the molecular basis of disease. Course content reflects subjects such as the following: the structure, function and, metabolic pathways of major biomolecules, structure of nucleic acids, the integration of metabolism within and between tissues, concepts of nutrition, and clinical chemistry. Case studies will be routinely applied to integrate biochemical, molecular and cellular contributions for enhanced understanding.
Organic Chemistry
This a course designed for the non-chemistry major to gain a basic understanding of organic chemistry. The focus will be on carbon compounds and their chemical bonds, structures, functional groups, nomenclature, stereochemistry, reaction classifications and mechanisms together with an introduction to branched and un-branched carbon compounds, cyclic compounds and their reactions and synthesis.
Problem Based Learning (PBL)
This is a case study based class in which students will be divided into small groups. They will then have to analyze a patient case study during a brain storming session. They will need to define there learning objectives and then over the following week will need to do research and present the case in the following class.
Ethics and Behavioral Sciences III
This course is a broad survey of the history and theory underlying behavioral science and psychology, and medical ethics. This course is a preparatory course designed to prepare the student for the study of Medical Psychology and Ethics in the medical curriculum. Specific topics covered will include an overview of those ethical principles which will govern all medical practice, with specific application to ethics in the practice of psychiatric and behavioral medicine. Additionally, this course will cover the history of psychology and psychological research, lifespan development, sensation, learning, consciousness and cognition, all as they relate to human behavior in the medical setting. The course will conclude with an overview of the primary psychiatric pathologies that students will be studying in the medical curriculum, as well as those which will most often be encountered during clinical training in preparation for Step 1 of the USMLE.
