Food Animal Veterinary Incentive Program
The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in conjunction with the College of Veterinary Medicine selects up to ten undergraduates annually to participate in a specialized program for pre-veterinary medicine students interested in practicing food animal medicine. Food animal veterinarians are crucial to the achievement of healthy products through healthy animals. In 2010, the American Veterinary Medicine Association reported that less than eight percent of veterinarians practice predominantly on food animals—and that number has continued to decline. There are counties in the U.S. with over 25,000 food animals and no food animal veterinarians.
The Food Animal Veterinary Incentive Program (FAVIP) is a joint effort between the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the College of Veterinary Medicine. The goal of FAVIP is to recruit and train future veterinarians in food animal medicine for under-served communities, central to the future of safe and successful food animal production. Successful completion of this program will result in admission into the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, subject to review and approval by the CVM Admissions Committee. Selection of students into the FAVIP will be made by CAES in cooperation with the CVM Admissions Committee. Students must demonstrate a keen interest in and commitment to food animal agriculture/veterinary medicine. FAVIP students must major in and make satisfactory progress in one of the following CAES majors: Animal and Dairy Science, Animal Biosciences, Animal Health, Avian Biology or Poultry Science. Students accepted into the FAVIP are required to complete all courses required for their major and all prerequisite courses for the DVM program at the University of Georgia with a minimum of 30 semester credits each year.
Application Process
- Apply for admission to UGA
- University of Georgia First-Year Admissions
- Select animal health, animal science, avian biology, dairy science or poultry science as your major.
- After your first year at UGA
- By June 30th – complete and submit online FAVIP application
- A complete application includes:
- The FAVIP application
- Two letters of reference - preference should be given to letters from practicing veterinarians and/or others who can address the applicant's interest, potential, likelihood and success of becoming a food animal veterinarian
- Your resume
- Finalists will be notified.
- Finalist interviews scheduled.
- Notification of program acceptance.
Eligibility Requirements
- Be a Georgia resident at time of application.
- Demonstrate a keen interest in and commitment to agriculture and food animal veterinary medicine.
- Major in animal health, animal and dairy science or avian biology at UGA while pursuing pre-veterinary science curriculum.
- Complete at least two food animal experiences.*
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2.**
- Complete all UGA pre-veterinary and major course work .***
- Once accepted into the FAVIP, complete all courses required for CAES major and all prerequisite courses for admission to the CVM at the Unviersity of Georgia.
Applying to the UGA CVM Post-Program
Food Animal VIP students will apply to the CVM program through the regular admissions process and will be expected to meet all regular pre-veterinary and application requirements, including successful completion of the Graduate Records Examination (GRE). Acceptance to the CVM is conditional upon satisfactory completion of Food Animal VIP program requirements. Special consideration will be given to the commitment to and potential to contribute to the field of food animal medicine. Letters of recommendation required for the CVM admissions process must include at least one from a practicing food animal veterinarian with whom the Food Animal VIP student worked.
Career Opportunities
Students who complete the Food Animal VIP are encouraged to declare an area of interest in Food Animal in the CVM and, upon graduation from the CVM, practice food animal medicine. The only area of interest changes that would be allowed are to Mixed Animal, Population Health, Public Health or Public/Corporate Practice. There are many vacancies and numerous career opportunities in all sectors of food animal practice including:
• Mixed animal practice,
• Specialty practices in dairy cattle, beef cow-calf, beef feedlots, sheep, poultry and swine,
• Public practice including food safety and inspection,
• Communicable disease management,
• Regulatory veterinary medicine,
• Research and teaching careers and
• Diagnostic laboratory practice.
*Student food animal experience will be selected with the assistance of their program advisors and should include a minimum of 300 hours.
**A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.2 will be provided academic counseling and tutoring to encourage their academic progress. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 will be withdrawn from the program.
***With a minimum of 30 semester credits earned for each academic year. Students must achieve a 3.2 cumulative GPA or a combined score of 308 or greater on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to be eligible for CVM admission consideration.
