DVM in the Netherlands

20/05/2010
Veterinary school in the Netherlands is quite different from veterinary school in the United States. The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is the only veterinary school in the Netherlands, while there are currently about twenty-eight in the USA. Instead of four years of undergraduate studies, applying to veterinary school, and then four years of veterinary school, in the Netherlands students are either accepted to the full six year program or not, they do not have to reapply. After they have finished their first three years, they are granted their Bachelor’s degree; and they are granted their Master’s degree upon completion of their final year. This means that acceptance to their veterinary school is based on high school grades or an interest in farm animals. Each year the new class starts with two hundred and twenty-five students; and each year about two hundred students graduate, many of which decide to only work part-time. A degree of Doctor is not required to practice veterinary medicine.
The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, so their graduates can practice in the United States of America. Americans can apply for acceptance to this program, but a working ability to speak Dutch is required. They are ranked within the top five in the world for both veterinary schools and graduate research studies. By an arranged agreement, graduates of American veterinary schools are also allowed to practice in the Netherlands once permission is officially requested, but this would likely be difficult without the ability to speak Dutch.
Regarding the application process, every year the eight top ranked applicants are accepted. The rest of the spots are determined by a lottery system for all remaining qualified applicants. All applicants that state a specific interest in pursuing farm animal and public health receive an interview, but if selected for admission, they must commit to pursuing a career specifically in farm animal medicine.
We were informed that recently their curriculum has undergone much revision, partially due to the Bologna Reform, a system to standardize higher education throughout Europe. Additionally, from various studies they believe that lectures are an ineffective way of teaching and that the popularity of such a method is due to it being much less work for faculty members as compared to other methods. Their concern with lectures being the primary method of teaching is that the studies show that only about twenty to twenty-five percent of information from the lectures is actually retained by the students. Their curriculum now focuses on a few subjects at a time before moving onto the next. Before their forth year, each student must select either horses, farm animals and public health, or companion animals and can only work in that specific field upon graduation. American veterinarians can change their field without too much difficulty. There is the opportunity for graduates of American veterinary schools to pursue a one and a half year Master’s degree, a four year Ph.D., or a four year residency training at the Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)