Changes to DVM Admission Process at AVC

October 28, 2024

The Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) has recently, at the request of the Provincial Governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador, added Provincial Admissions Agreements to the submission process for DVM applicants from those provinces. Applicants from these provinces must submit a signed Provincial Admissions Agreement with their application by the November 15, 2024, application deadline.

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) recognizes this funding agreement is an important contribution to ensuring the continued training of veterinary professionals who provide essential animal health, public health, and food safety and security services to the public by addressing both workforce shortages and wellness challenges currently experienced by the profession. However, this is a complicated process and the CVMA is concerned about potential unintended consequences of the agreements such as: 

  • Students wishing to pursue a career path not offered in these provinces.
  • Students failing to obtain a license may be required to re-pay the funding without the means to do so.
  • Some rural areas may remain underserviced as many veterinarians prefer to live in urban areas.

The CVMA continues to work with our partners within provincial associations and academia to help our members provide input to provincial governments as may be necessary.

We encourage members who wish to share concerns about this current process to contact their elected provincial and federal government representatives.