School of Veterinary Medicine
Advancing animal and human health with science and compassion
UW Veterinary Care

DVM Student Resources

Policies, Guidelines, and Standards

For DVM Students at UW School of Veterinary Medicine

Throughout the DVM curriculum at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, students may need to consult various policies, guidelines, or standards that pertain to the educational experience. If you have questions or need to discuss any of these further, please contact the Office of Academic Affairs (room 2268, oaa@vetmed.wisc.edu, 608-263-2525).

In compliance with Title IX regulations, the School of Veterinary Medicine has a grievance procedure to handle student complaints. Students should follow these steps until a resolution is achieved:

  1. Attempt to resolve the grievance directly with the individual involved.
  2. If that approach seems unsatisfactory, consult the course coordinator or lead faculty member for the course or clinical rotation.
  3. If necessary, discuss the grievance with the appropriate department chair.
  4. The next level involves the academic dean. Students should contact Interim Associate Dean Calico Schmidt, 2268 School of Veterinary Medicine.
  5. If that approach seems unsatisfactory, students can contact Dean Jon Levine, 2170 School of Veterinary Medicine.

There are a variety of ways that students can share feedback and complaints related to the standards for accreditation. Mechanisms to invite student input related to accreditation Standards include the following: the Dean provides DVM students, graduate students and interns/residents with the opportunity to offer feedback on SVM programs and the School’s accreditation any time during the year, either anonymously via a locked hardcopy collection box in the Office of Academic Affairs, via email, or direct meetings.  Students have many other options for feedback and comments to the SVM about student services, admission processes, curriculum, and other areas, through representation on SVM committees (e.g. Curriculum Committee, Faculty-Student Liaison Committee), annual meetings with the Dean on a class-wide basis, individual course/instructor evaluations, a VM4 exit survey, post-VM1-3 surveys, our VM1 admissions survey, meetings with the Associate Dean for Student Academic Affairs and/or the student services coordinator, and other ad hoc student discussions.

We know that mistreatment and/or harassment are detrimental to the learning environment and the School will not tolerate any incidents of discrimination, mistreatment, or harassment of students.  This SVM-specific online Mistreatment Form for students is an effort for us to facilitate reporting and communication around mistreatment or unprofessional behavior.

Students can also choose to report incidents of bias and hate on campus at https://doso.students.wisc.edu/report-an-issue/bias-or-hate-reporting/

DVM Professional Curriculum

The curriculum for the four-year veterinary medical degree program (DVM) consists of 164 semester credits of course work. The first three years contain two semesters each. The fourth year begins soon after the third year finishes in May and is 12 months long, made up of a minimum 47 credits of course work, which is based primarily in the veterinary medical teaching hospital and clinic and includes five weeks of vacation.

4th Year Information

National and Wisconsin State Licensing Requirements

All veterinarians must successfully complete both national and state application requirements and exams in order to be licensed to practice veterinary medicine.

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National Licensing Examination

All 4th year (senior) students in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, can take the North American Licensing Examination (NAVLE).  The exam is offered during a fall testing window usually in November/December, and also in the spring usually in April. There is a fee associated with this exam.

Under the International Council for Veterinary Assessment requirements, those eligible to apply for the NAVLE include:

  • Graduates of schools accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
  • Senior students at AVMA-accredited schools who have an expected graduation date no later than ten months from the last date of the applicable testing window, except for candidates applying through the California, Nebraska and New York state boards, which have an eight month graduation requirement.
  • Graduates of schools not accredited by the AVMA who are enrolled in or hold certificates issued by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG), or the Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE).
    • Candidates who are enrolled in ECFVG or PAVE must have completed the Step 3 examination requirement of the respective certification program before they may be approved by a licensing board to take the NAVLE.
  • Senior students at schools not accredited by the AVMA who are enrolled in the ECFVG or PAVE, who have an expected graduation date no later than ten months from the last date of the applicable testing window (except for candidates applying through the California, Nebraska, and New York state boards, which have an eight month graduation requirement), and have completed their program’s Step 3 examination.
  • Some state/territorial licensing board NAVLE eligibility requirements differ, and to be approved to take the NAVLE through those boards, you must meet their requirements.

For complete information regarding the NAVLE, including testing dates, please visit:  https://www.icva.net/

Wisconsin State Licensing Requirements

4th year (senior) students in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, interested in obtaining licensure in Wisconsin, should not apply for their Wisconsin Veterinary Medicine License until after they have taken and passed both the NAVLE and Wisconsin State Exam. Both exams will be administered through the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA). If you were approved for the NAVLE through the Wisconsin board, ICVA will send you an email regarding this WI state exam information, and you will be invited to register and pay to take the exam. Visit the ICVA website for instructions.

For complete information on Wisconsin state licensing requirements for individuals seeking licensure to practice veterinary medicine by examination/endorsement, please visit the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection-Veterinary Medicine License Application Page.

Wisconsin Statutes and Rules Examination

As part of the application requirements for licensure in the State of Wisconsin, all candidates must take and pass the Wisconsin Statutes and Rules Examination.  This online and ‘open book’ exam can be taken after ICVA invites applications to complete this exam. The exam content is drawn from applicable state statutes and administrative code chapters specific to the profession of veterinary medicine and which regulate the practice of the profession. A passing score is 88%. Testing windows for this exam take place two times per month, and it is recommended that you should allow up to 30 days for the state exam to process.