Course and Program Catalogue 2013-2014

Students admitted to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree program will be registering themselves for classes through the University of Saskatchewan Personalized Access to Web Services system (PAWS). Detailed information regarding accessing PAWS registration and class selection will be sent to students upon confirmation of admission.

Lectures for all students in the DVM program will begin on Monday, August 27, 2012.

Students wishing to arrive late should address the request, together with a statement of the special circumstances, to the Associate Dean (Academic), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. Late arrival will be permitted only by special ruling of the Faculty.

Students are expected to regularly attend all lectures. Laboratory attendance is a mandatory component of the veterinary education. Failure of a student to perform the work of the course to the satisfaction of the Faculty will involve the loss of credit for the course and the student will be excluded from the final examination.

Progress through the program is determined on a yearly basis with promotion to the next year or recommendation for graduation requiring a Sessional Weighted Average of 60% or better and successful completion of all courses taken.

Subject to the regulations following, a student who has failed in any course of the veterinary medical program receiving a grade of less than 50% will be required to write and pass a supplemental examination before starting studies in a subsequent year.

Subject to a special ruling by the Faculty, failure in two courses or failure to obtain a weighted average of 60% constitutes failure for the session. The student may be permitted to repeat the entire year or be Required to Discontinue at the discretion of the Faculty.

The Faculty may require an individual to withdraw from the program for reasons other than academic if it is considered in the best interests of the individual or the College.

See the Examinations & Grading section for a full explanation of the grading system and the literal descriptors associated with percentage scores.

The D.V.M. degree with Distinction will be awarded to students whose four-year averages are between 0.70 and 1.5 standard deviations above the mean of the four-year averages for their class and who have four-year averages of greater than 75.0% and weighted averages of greater than 70.0% in Year 4. The D.V.M. degree with Great Distinction will be awarded to students whose four-year averages are more than 1.5 standard deviations above the mean of the four-year averages for their class and who have four-year averages of greater than 80.0% and weighted averages of greater than 75.0% in Year 4.

A D.V.M. degree does not automatically confer the right to practice veterinary medicine. By legislation this right is the prerogative of the recognized veterinary associations in each of the provinces. Further information on provincial licenses is obtainable from the offices of the provincial veterinary associations.