Concurrent DVM Certificate Programs

Certificates provide an opportunity for currently enrolled DVM students to receive additional credentialing at graduation. Certificate programs include a set number of core and elective courses, demonstrated competence in clinical skills, and additional co-curricular experiences in specific professional areas. Click here to sign up for a program.

Food Animal Veterinary Certificate

The Food Animal Veterinary Certificate (FAVC) will prepare DVM students for long-term success in food animal veterinary practice by incorporating skills in varied areas including animal health, production medicine, practice management, and client communications which go beyond the content of the core DVM curriculum. Graduates will become part of a veterinary workforce capable of meeting the needs of livestock producers in a sustainable practice environment.

Requirements

Three required courses:
- VCS 891 Elective Topics: Production Medicine (1cr)
- VCS 901 Clinical Externship: Food animal focus (2cr)
- VCS 917 Rural Business Management (1cr)
Four credits of the following pre-clinical electives:
- VCS 891 Elective Topics: Basics of Bovine Theriogenology (1cr)
- VCS 891 Elective Topics: Bovine Palpation (1cr)
- VCS 891 Elective Topics: Issues in Rural Practice (1cr)
- VCS 891 Elective Topics: Rural Practice Management (1cr)
- VDMP 891 Elective Topics: Herd Disease Outbreak Investigation (2cr)
- VDMP 816 Trade and Agricultural Health (2cr)
- VCS 891 Elective Topics: Ecotoxicology (1cr)
- VDMP 888 Globalization and food trade (1cr)
Six credits of the following clinical rotations:
- VCS 913 Advanced Feedlot production medicine (2cr)
- VCS 915 Advanced Cow Calf production medicine (2cr)
- VCS 919 Food Animal Reproduction (2cr)
- VDMP 911 Dairy Production Medicine (3cr)
- VCS 901 Clinical Externship: Food animal focus (additional 1-6cr)
- VCS 947 Advanced Bovine Palpation (2cr)
- Relevant course at another academic institution*
Core experiences:
- Member of at least one national food animal veterinary professional association
- Complete required procedure log
- Complete required number of procedures from elective procedure log
- Documented proficiency at core clinical skills during DVM core coursework
- College-wide seminar presentation of accumulated experiences and selected case management

View the Food Animal Veterinary Certificate guide (pdf)

Shelter Medicine Veterinary Certificate

The Shelter Medicine Veterinary Certificate (SMVC) program is offered for current Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students. The goal of the SMVC is to prepare DVM students for long term success in the field of shelter medicine by incorporating skills that include shelter animal care, shelter animal behavior and well-being, high-quality high-volume sterilization surgery and shelter management consultation. Attaining this certificate will provide DVM graduates with a well-rounded foundation for a career in Shelter Medicine.

Requirements

Core courses (9 credits):

Pre-Clinical
VAP 891B Animal Care & Welfare (1cr)
VCS 891A Shelter Basics: Medicine & Management (1cr)
VCS 891C Topics in Applied Animal Behavior (1cr)
VCS 892G Disaster Response – ICS Deployment Certification (1)

Clinical (Fourth year)
VCS 937 Shelter Medicine Rotation (2cr)
VCS 946 Shelter Operations Consultation (1cr)
VCS 901 Externship – Shelter Medicine Emphasis (2cr)

Elective courses (must take at least 6 credits from the list below)

Pre-clinical
VCS 891 K Topics in IVM – Shelter Systems (3)
VCS 891 T Surgical Skills (1)
VCS 892 B Pre-Clinical Mentorship – Shelter Medicine Emphasis (1cr)

Clinical (Fourth year)
VCS 901 Externship – Spay/Neuter Emphasis (1-2cr)
VCS 942 Advanced Surgical Experience (2cr)
VCS 945 Supplemental Dentistry for Small Animals (1cr)

View the Shelter Medicine Veterinary Certificate guide (pdf)

Exotic Animal/Zoological Medicine Veterinary Certificate

The Exotic Animal/Zoological Medicine Veterinary Certificate (EAZMVC) program is for current Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students at Kansas State University. The goal of the EAZMVC is to prepare DVM students for long term success in the field of exotic animal and zoological (which, for this document, includes wildlife) medicine by incorporating skills of varied areas and the ability to adapt a student’s knowledge and experience to a broad-range of species.

Requirements

Required courses (8 credit hours + 1 zero credit (VCS901) enrollment)):

First, Second or Third year
VCS 892 Pre-Clinical Mentorships – Exotic Animal/Zoological Medicine Emphasis (1 cr)

Third year
VCS 891 J Topics in Advanced Zoological/Wildlife Medicine (1 cr)
VCS 891 O Topics in Advanced Exotic Pet Medicine (1 cr)

Fourth year
VCS 905 Exotic Animal, Wildlife, and Zoo Animal Medicine Clinical Rotation (3 cr)
VCS 901 Externships – Exotic Animal/Zoological Medicine Emphasis (2 cr)
VCS 901 Externship/Programmed Study* (0 cr)
*Students must enroll in the zero (0) credit option of VCS901 during the 4th-year as verification that the 50 points of training opportunities have been completed and recognized.

Elective courses (minimum of 6 (12 possible) credit hours required)

VCS 891 Special Interest Anatomy (1 cr)
VCS 820 Topics in Global Veterinary Medicine (1 cr)
VDMP 804 Ecotoxicology (1cr)
VDMP 891 Laboratory Animal Science (2 cr)
VDMP 891C Backyard Chicken Diseases (1 cr)
VCS 901 Externships – Exotic Animal/Zoological Medicine Emphasis* (1-4 cr)
VDCS 903 Laboratory Animal Medicine Clinical Rotation (2 cr)
(Note: only 2 students are on at one time; only 5-7 blocks are offered; VDMP 891 is a prerequisite)

View the Exotic Animal/Zoological Medicine Veterinary Certificate guide (pdf)