The Washington-Idaho-Montana-Utah (WIMU) Regional Program in Veterinary Medicine is a partnership between the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Idaho Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Montana State University, and Utah State University College of Veterinary Medicine. All prospective students, regardless of state of residency, apply to the WIMU Regional Program through Washington State University.
Whether you are currently in high school or nearing completion of an undergraduate degree from college, begin here to learn what it takes to earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree and become a veterinary medicine practitioner.
Logan - WIMU Regional Program
Each year, up to 20 Utah residents and 10 nonresidents are entered into the WIMU Regional Program in Logan at Utah State University. Those accepted into the program spend the first two years at Utah State University before transferring to Pullman for their remaining two years. Upon satisfactory completion of our program, the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree is conferred by the Regents of Washington State University. Although the University of Idaho, Montana State University, and Utah State University are partners in the program, all students receive their DVM degrees from WSU.
USU’s College of Veterinary Medicine — formerly the School of Veterinary Medicine — is comprised of dedicated, internationally-recognized faculty members and state-of-the-art teaching, animal and research facilities. WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine is one of the nation’s top veterinary schools and has one of the best-equipped teaching hospitals in the world as well as distinguished faculty members who are global leaders in their field.
Future Plans
Utah State University is currently a partner in the Washington-Idaho-Montana-Utah (WIMU) Regional Program in Veterinary Medicine. Our veterinary medicine students spend their first two years at Utah State and finish the last two years of their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree at Washington State University. Currently, 30 students are admitted to USU’s program each year. With the creation of the USU College of Veterinary Medicine, students will soon be able to spend all four years in Utah. Eventually, 80 students will be admitted each year, with 40 of those being Utah residents.
Applications are anticipated to open in 2024 for the fall semester of 2025 and the first class to attend all four years in the USU College of Veterinary Medicine. Until that time, USU continues to participate in the WIMU program.
Admissions
The new program will accept qualified applicants from any college or university’s undergraduate program, just as USU’s College of Veterinary Medicine does now in the WIMU program. In its 10 years of operation, the program has accepted students who have studied at every higher education institution in Utah as well as many outside the state.
Degree Options
USU plans on offering a non-tracking program, meaning that students select elective courses for interest rather than a track devoted to a single medical specialty or area of emphasis. The first year of vet school is devoted to learning about normal states of healthy animals while developing technical expertise in diagnostics, anatomy, principles of surgery, nutrition, and immunology. The second year focuses on diseased states through the study of pathology, toxicology, virology, public health, and epidemiology while furthering additional technical skills, such as clinical communication. There are also electives in research, complementary and alternative medicine, and international veterinary medicine.
Third-year students continue to build a broad base of knowledge and focus on the study of medicine, which includes courses in pharmacology, small and large animal medicine and surgery, theriogenology, and nutrition. In their fourth year, students participate in clinical rotations to practice the art and skill of medicine under the guidance of veterinary practitioners.
Extracurricular Options
Even in the first two years, some students know they are interested in a particular specialty, while others take more time to find their interest. To help with that search, there are student-driven clubs that host enrichment activities. Guest practitioners and others are invited to do workshops and presentations on a wide range of topics, including emergency care, nutrition, veterinary practice/business management, dentistry, exotic animals, wildlife, and more.
Program Requirements
While the program’s requirements have yet to be finalized, they will be very similar to our current requirements as part of the WIMU program, which can be viewed on the website for Washington State University’s veterinary medicine program. The Veterinary Medical Application Service (VMCAS) is the centralized application service for accredited colleges of veterinary medicine. You can learn about the application process and how to become a veterinarian on the AAVMC website. Prospective students can also view the American Veterinary Medical Association’s guide to vet school admittance for tips and advice.