Texas A&M Veterinary Graduates Lead The Nation In Licensing Exam Pass Rates
Story by Megan Myers, VMBS Communications
Texas A&M University’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students have continued the multi-year Aggie tradition of passing the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) with a rate that greatly exceeds the national pass rate.
More than 99% of the DVM Class of 2023 passed the licensing examination, which is significantly higher than the overall pass rate of 86% for all American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education accredited institutions. Passing the NAVLE is a requirement for licensure to practice veterinary medicine in the United States and Canada.
“The Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences has a history of graduating exceedingly talented and well-rounded veterinarians, and this latest round of NAVLE results is further proof of this,” said Dr. John R. August, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M. “I couldn’t be prouder of the DVM Class of 2023, as well as the VMBS faculty and staff members who are instrumental in ensuring our students graduate ready to practice veterinary medicine on day one.”
The newest Aggie veterinarians, who graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) in May, were also in the third class to complete the school’s updated DVM curriculum, which was implemented in the fall of 2017.
The updated curriculum was designed to add emphasis on hands-on, comparative experiential learning, including sequential ultrasound, surgical skills training and communication skills training starting in the first week of the first year of the DVM program.
“We are so proud of our graduates and our faculty,” said Dr. Karen Cornell, the VMBS’ associate dean for the DVM Professional Program. “Our DVM students continue to outperform the national average passing rate for the NAVLE.”
The most recent NAVLE results and the feedback received from individuals employing VMBS graduates prove that the hard work that went into developing the new curricular framework has paid off for Aggie DVM students.
Texas A&M is also committed to training well-rounded, compassionate veterinarians who uphold the university’s core values of Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity and Selfless Service.
Veterinary students receive unique learning and service opportunities through the various outreach initiatives led by the VMBS and the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH), which is the largest educational laboratory at Texas A&M and the only veterinary teaching hospital in the state of Texas.
These programs include preventive care services for local communities led by the VMTH’s Primary Care Service and recurring Pet Health Fairs co-hosted by the REACH Project of Bryan.
Beyond providing practice in clinical skills and client communication, these opportunities offer a chance to serve the local community, including low-income areas, elderly populations and Texas A&M’s contracted service workers.
Veterinary students also receive hands-on training in disaster response through a two-week veterinary emergency preparedness rotation led by the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team. Students who complete the rotation graduate with an American Veterinary Medical Association veterinary first responder certificate.
The VMBS was also recently ranked 11th in the world and 6th in the United States in veterinary science, according to the 2023 Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings by Subject. This latest round of NAVLE results further demonstrates the quality and value that Aggie veterinarians bring to the profession.
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For more information about the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216
