Veterinary Enrichment Camp

The Application Deadline has passed for this year!

Camp Date

July 17-20, 2012
July 24-27, 2012

Program Description

This special summer program is for high school students who have an interest in the field of veterinary medicine. The three-day program will give participants the opportunity to explore the possibilities of veterinary medicine as a career. Participants will live in university dormitories, attend special sessions, and discover the broad diversity of career opportunities available to graduates with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. The program admissions process is competitive and similar to a typical academic admissions process.

Who is Eligible?

You are eligible to participate in the Veterinary Enrichment Camp the summer immediately after the completion of your sophomore or junior year in high school. Students participating in an accelerated program toward graduation will have years in high school computed by 9-month intervals: example, students who have attended school for 18 months straight, including summers, are at the end of their sophomore year. Students who are seniors as of January 3, 2012, or who have attended the camp before are, ineligible to participate. An interest in exploring career opportunities in the field of veterinary medicine is required. As such, each applicant should have number 1 below, a minimum 3.0 grade point average, and one of the following experiences completed, from numbers 2 or 3:

A minimum cumulative high school grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (High Schools that are weighted above a 4.0 scale will be converted using the conversion equation used by Texas A&M freshmen admissions)
Have 24 work or service hours under the supervision of a veterinarian in a clinical or research setting*
IF and ONLY IF, your local veterinary does not hire minors or allow minors to shadow, have 48 service hours of formalized animal experience including service in FFA, 4-H, a working (income generating) farm/ranch**, a kennel, an animal shelter, raising show animals or other. For the purposes of this camp, this does NOT include the raising of family pets (large or small); nor does it include working/volunteering at the same riding barn where an individual has personal horses and/or takes lessons.

*Research experience needs to be 24 hours with research animals; under the observation of a D.V.M. Observation of molecular laboratory procedure does not count.

**If student's experience is on a working farm/ranch, someone other than a family member must write the letter of recommendation. Proof of business is requested: website, business card, letter from servicing veterinarian, etc.

What is a Veterinarian?

Today's veterinarian is dedicated to protecting the health and welfare of both animals and people. He or she is highly educated and skilled in diagnosing diseases in animals. As a doctor of veterinary medicine, he or she is also a member of a major health profession with its own educational system, license requirements, organization, and ethics.

Veterinarian's Oath

Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skill for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering, the conservation of livestock resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.

I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics.

I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence.

D.V.M. Student Curriculum:

For a link to the curriculum a professional student in veterinary medicine follows, click the link below:
DVM Curriculum

Registration for Veterinary Enrichment Camp

Registration is not complete until you have submitted a complete application. Applications must be submitted complete (in one mailing) and be postmarked by the application deadline: February 17, 2012. Applications include the following:

Application form (click here for details)
$10 nonrefundable check or money order made payable to Texas A&M University. If accepted, a $465 nonrefundable fee is required in each acceptance packet with your permission forms.
2" X 3" photo for the camp participant display board
Personal resume (click here for details)
High school transcript in a sealed envelope (It is permissible for this one item to come separately, as some high schools will not release these to students. Deadlines for postmarking apply!)
One-page Essay (click here for details)
Letter of recommendation from high school counselor (Please have your counselor give you their letter in a sealed envelope, with their signature across the seal.)
Letter of recommendation from veterinarian for whom you worked/volunteered OR, IF and ONLY IF your veterinarian does not hire minors, please send a letter from a supervisor of your animal experience, for ex: Ag teacher, etc. (click here for details)
(Please have your Vet or supervisor give you their letter in a sealed envelope, with their signature across the seal.)
Checklist of application materials (click for details)

ONLY COMPLETE APPLICATIONS need be submitted. ALL application materials should arrive in one envelope and be postmarked no later than February 17, 2012. Acceptance letters will be mailed by May 1 and a notice as to the date they are mailed will be posted to this website. Please do not call regarding the progress of application reviews after the February 17, 2012 deadline.

Late applications are not accepted and there are no exceptions.

Selection Process: Applications will be looked at for completeness. Any incomplete applications will be omitted from the selection process. Complete applications will be reviewed and assigned a random number. 40 seats will be drawn from complete, eligible applications for each camp attendance.

Two seperate Veterinary Enrichment Camps will be held on the dates shown above.

Because we have more eligible applicants than space in the camp, eligible students' applications will receive a random number and a drawing will be held to determine participants.

Program check-in: Check in will be held on campus from 4:30pm to 5:30pm on the first day of the program. Check in will not start early and students should arrive in a timely manner. The program will conclude at 2:30 pm on the last day of the camp. Students may not leave the program activities at any time after check-in. Students may not leave, after the conclusion of the camp, with any individual except a parent, unless the student arrived in a self-driven vehicle. Students must have flights leaving by 4:45pm on the last day of camp. Parents must pick students up by 4:45pm on the last day of camp. If anyone other than a parent is picking up the student, written permission must be submitted prior to the beginning of camp and a valid ID will be required at check out.

Students arriving by air* should fly into College Station, TX (airport code CLL) prior to 3:30pm on the first day of camp. In order to have someone meet the student at the airport, email Brady Dennis at bdennis@cvm.tamu.edu Please put "Attn. Brady Dennis Vet Camp" in the subject line. Please send this notification no later than 2 weeks prior to the camp.
*Students arriving prior to check in should bring a book to read until check in.

Sample Itinerary: To view a Sample Itinerary, click here.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy Statement
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Department of Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities, in Cain Hall or call 845-1637.

For Further Information Contact:

Brady Dennis
Senior Academic Advisor
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Texas A&M University
MS 4465
College Station, TX 77843-4465
(800)874-9591 or bdennis@cvm.tamu.edu