DVM curriculum and course sequence

Xavier University School of Veterinary Medicine (XUSOVM) has adopted an upward-spiral, systems-based, competency-driven, innovative, and dynamic curriculum designed to educate highly competent entry-level veterinarians prepared to meet the evolving needs of animal health, public health, and society.

The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program is structured to provide students with a strong foundation in the biomedical, veterinary, clinical, and professional sciences while fostering the development of critical thinking, clinical reasoning, communication, leadership, and lifelong learning skills.

The curriculum is designed to ensure progressive acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and professional behaviors through a combination of classroom instruction, laboratory experiences, simulation-based learning, clinical skills training, and supervised clinical experiences.

The total duration of the DVM program is four (4) years. Students complete the first three years of pre-clinical veterinary education on the Aruba campus, followed by a fourth year of supervised clinical training at affiliated veterinary teaching hospitals and clinical training sites.

The curriculum integrates foundational sciences with clinical applications from the beginning of the program, ensuring that students develop clinical competence in parallel with scientific understanding.

Curriculum Design Principles

The DVM curriculum is aligned with the University's Mission, Vision, Program Educational Objectives (PEOs), and competency-based veterinary education framework.

Key features of the curriculum include:

Upward Spiral Curriculum

Core concepts are introduced early and revisited at progressively higher levels of complexity throughout the program, promoting retention, integration, and mastery.

Competency Based Veterinary Education

The curriculum is structured around clearly defined competencies and learning outcomes that prepare graduates for entry-level veterinary practice.

Vertical Integration

Foundational biomedical sciences, clinical sciences, population health, and professional skills are integrated throughout the curriculum, linking pre-clinical and clinical learning from the first semester onward.

Horizontal Integration

Disciplines within each phase of the curriculum are coordinated to promote interdisciplinary learning and reduce unnecessary redundancy.

Early Clinical Exposure

Students develop clinical examination, communication, diagnostic reasoning, and professional skills throughout the pre-clinical years through laboratory exercises, clinical skills sessions, simulations, and case-based learning.

Clinical Skills Training

Students receive structured instruction and assessment in clinical and procedural skills using simulation models, standardized scenarios, laboratory exercises, and supervised clinical experiences.

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are utilized throughout the curriculum to assess clinical competence, communication skills, clinical reasoning, professionalism, and procedural skills in a standardized manner.

Program Structure

The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program is completed over four academic years:

Clinical Training

Clinical training is conducted at approved affiliated veterinary teaching hospitals, specialty referral centers, and clinical training sites that provide students with diverse clinical experiences across companion animal, large animal, equine, food animal, public health, and specialty practice settings.

Clinical placements are selected to ensure that students achieve the competencies and educational outcomes required for graduation.

Courses and Credits

The following course sequence and credit allocations describe the DVM curriculum. Detailed descriptions, learning outcomes, contact hours, and competency mappings are maintained in the DVM Curriculum Handbook and approved course syllabi. Students must follow the course sequence and any cohort-specific changes formally communicated by the University.

The course tables total 126 preclinical credits and 50 clinical credits, for 176 credits across the four-year program.

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Semester 5

Semester 6

Semester 7

Semester 8

Semester 9

Clinical rotations