VET UP!®

Now Accepting Applications for Team 7: May 19 - June 27, 2025

Vet Up!® College is a 6-week summer program that allows underrepresented and/or underserved students gain experiences and opportunities that increase their competitiveness as future veterinary school applicants. Participants gain a glimpse of what being a veterinary student is like by spending the first 4 weeks at PVM experiencing coursework, clinical skills labs, industry trips, study groups, and more. Then, 2 weeks are spent at a clinical placement site located in each participant’s local area gaining veterinary experience.*

Eligibility

• Meets Vet Up! The National HCOP Academy for Veterinary Medicine Program Eligibility Requirements
• Enrolled in college as an undergraduate student
• Will be entering the junior or senior year of college immediately following Vet Up! College.
• Demonstrates career interest in a veterinary shortage area
• Demonstrates equity-mindedness
• Minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5/4.0

Requirements

• Students are required to travel to West Lafayette, Indiana and actively participate in Vet Up! College sessions, 7-days-a-week for 6 total weeks, at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Financial support towards travel costs will be provided.
• Students are required to remain on campus during the duration of the program with the exception of off-campus programming that is part of the Vet Up! College curriculum.
• Students are required to conduct themselves in a collegial and professional manner in accordance with the values of Purdue Veterinary Medicine.

Vet Up! College Program Curriculum 

Vet Up! College participants will work with current Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty, staff, and students while experiencing aspects of all four years of the DVM curriculum including coursework, exams, animal experience, career exploration, mentorship, strategies to minimize educational debt, and cultural competence training. Vet Up! College participants will also develop strategies to prepare a competitive application for a veterinary medical program. Vet Up! College participants will receive a certificate upon completion of program requirements.

Learning

• Preview what it is like to be a veterinary student firsthand through the same courses our Purdue DVM students take, taught by PVM faculty and other experts:
  • Anatomy of the Dog with Lab
  • Parasitology with Lab
  • Cell & Tissue Biology with Lab
  • Pathology with Lab
  • Emergency & Critical Care
  • Behavior
  • And more!
• Participate in clinical skills labs to learn proper handling & safety of several species, taking of vital signs, husbandry skills such as fitting a halter & hoof trimming, venipuncture, bandage application, sonography, microscope use, and more:
  • Small Animal Clinical Skills Lab
  • Anatomy Ultrasound Lab
  • Large Animal Clinical Skills Lab
  • Diagnostic Clinical Skills Lab
  • Pathology Casework
  • Physical Exam & Diagnostics in the Horse
• Learn from topical seminars and instruction to gain a better understanding of the veterinary field and profession as a whole:
  • Careers in Research
  • Creating & Presenting a Research Poster
  • The Opioid Epidemic & Veterinary Medicine
  • Swine Industry Overview
  • Dairy Industry Overview
  • Cervid Overview
  • Global Engagement
  • Problem-Based Learning Cases
• Visit Purdue University veterinary and animal science facilities as well as non-university farms and facilities:
  • Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospitals: Small Animal, Farm Animal, and Equine.
  • Purdue Animal Science Research & Education Center (ASREC) Swine Unit
  • Purdue Animal Science Research & Education Center (ASREC) Dairy Unit
  • Fair Oaks Farms Dairy & Pig Adventures
  • Elk & Bear Farm
  • Indianapolis Zoo
• Complete a group presentation on a veterinary topic, create a poster on it, and present your findings on the final day of the on-campus portion of the program. Groups are judged on their content, understanding, and presentation skills with the top scoring team winning an award.
• Complete a 2-week internship at a clinical placement site in your local area during the final two weeks of the program*:
  • Gain a minimum of 40 hours of vital veterinary experience across a two-week period.
  • Often this experience has opened the door for future employment or volunteer work during school breaks or year-round.
  • Get the chance to build a mentorship relationship with your DVM supervisor, especially if you are in need of a letter of recommendation from a DVM for your future veterinary school application.

Support

• Participate in professional development courses and informational presentations that will set up for a higher chance of success when applying to veterinary school, in a DVM program, and in the workforce:
  • VMCAS Application Walkthrough
  • Wellness in the Profession
  • Personal Statement Writing Workshop
  • Insights Into Discovery Personality Profiling Tool Seminar
  • Financing Your DVM Degree
  • PVM Admissions Process
  • Interview Presentation & Mock Interview
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Activities to foster cross-cultural competencies
• Long-term mentoring and advising:
  • The opportunity to connect with a number of potential mentors including current veterinary students and faculty, many of whom also come from underrepresented and/or underserved backgrounds.
  • Access to ongoing, long-term advising from a specialized pre-veterinary advisor until the completion of a DVM degree or a change in career plans.

Equity-Mindedness

• Complete a professional certificate in Diversity & Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine to learn how to more effectively and respectfully work with peers, coworkers, and clients from diverse backgrounds.
  • Completion of asynchronous online modules during the first 4 weeks of the program.
  • Participation in prearranged community service and cultural activities, such as walking dogs at a local shelter and touring the many cultural centers located on Purdue’s campus.

Financial Support

• Participants will receive up to $375.00 in support to travel to the program at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine 
• Participants will receive free lodging during the six-week-long visit, and a stipend of $60 per day for the 42 days to cover all other expenses including meals. Please note: stipends can only be provided to students not enrolled in a regular course of education leading to their health professions degree; and, for activities with no other Federal financial assistance.

Accessibility

• The college of veterinary medicine is committed to making all aspects of our program accessible.  The Vet Up! College program has components requiring high levels of physical activity such as walking outdoors (concrete, grass, uneven surfaces, muddy areas, etc.) multiple times per day and working with a variety of species of animals. 
• If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, you are welcome to contact vetup@purdue.edu so that we can discuss options.  You are also encouraged to contact the Disability Resource Center at: drc@purdue.edu or by phone:  765-494-1247.

* Clinical placement site matching is not guaranteed as there are many variables involved in locating an available and willing site in a particular geographic area. We utilize a partnership with National Veterinary Associates to assist with the search, and Vet Up! staff will make significant efforts to match all participants.

Curriculum subject to change without notice.

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