Pre-Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Elizabeth Benavides stands with a student in the field.

Advising Area

Competitive veterinary school applications require both a strong natural science curriculum and hands-on experience. With our nationally-recognized animal science curriculum, our variety of learning in action opportunities, and this special advising program you’ll be ready for graduate school success.

In addition to learning traditional veterinary practices like weighing animals, giving shots, castration, and weaning, you will also experience incidental animal emergencies, including antibiotic treatment or broken bones. You’ll develop your confidence working around animals and emerge equipped for graduate school.
And with a variety of animal-related non-profit organizations in Asheville, you will deepen your experience through your community engagement and internship.

Why study Pre-Veterinary Medicine at Warren Wilson?

  • Distinct Advantage: Warren Wilson provides distinctive advantages for pre-vet students, especially those interested in large animal care. With multiple animal species on the farm, including cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry, you’ll supplement your classroom learning by practicing veterinary practices directly with animals. Most vet schools require a minimum of 200 hours of direct animal experience, which you can easily achieve as a student working on our farm.
  • Strong References: When the time comes for a letter of reference, you’ll have long-standing and close relationships with faculty who can speak directly to your strengths and research accomplishments.
  • A Competitive Application: Becoming a competitive veterinary school applicant means having strong academic and research skills. Our commitment to small class sizes, access to faculty, and academic support extends throughout your pre-veterinary requirements and while you pursue original research.
  • Developed Resume: By the time you apply, you’ll have developed a resume of academic and experiential accomplishments that will set you apart.

See how Pre-Vet students put our education into action:

Internship

Alona Fransen worked as a veterinary assistant and technician at several hospitals and clinics in the area. Alona has managed day-to-day clinic aspects as well as assisted with vaccinations, surgeries and other animal related tasks.

Work

You can work on any crew as a student but many Pre-Vet students choose to be on crews such as:

  • Animal Welfare
  • Farm
  • Biology / Environmental Studies
  • Chemistry
  • Genetics Research Assistant

Research

Kat Strickland
Pork Quality Trait Comparisons Of Conventional and Pasture-Raised Pork

Kat conducted a study using pork samples from Warren Wilson (raised on pasture) to evaluate their characteristics and compare them to conventionally raised pork. Additionally, Kat conducted a triangle test to evaluate whether consumers could discern a difference between the pork samples. Kat presented their findings at UNC-Asheville’s undergraduate research symposium.

Research

Kat Strickland
Pork Quality Trait Comparisons Of Conventional and Pasture-Raised Pork

Kat conducted a study using pork samples from Warren Wilson (raised on pasture) to evaluate their characteristics and compare them to conventionally raised pork. Additionally, Kat conducted a triangle test to evaluate whether consumers could discern a difference between the pork samples. Kat presented their findings at UNC-Asheville’s undergraduate research symposium.

Where Our Pre-Vet Graduates Go

  • University of Tennessee Knoxville
  • University of Georgia
  • Caney Fork Farms
Sitting around a lab table, five pre-vet students build lung models

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