The following college-level policies are subject to University Council Regulations. In the absence of information, or in the case of discrepancies between university and college regulations, university regulations will prevail. Please note that students will graduate according to the regulations effective for the year in which they are approved to graduate. In all other cases, the most current rules will apply, unless otherwise stated.

Students admitted to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree program will be registering themselves for classes through the University of Saskatchewan Personalized Access to Web Services system (PAWS). Detailed information regarding accessing PAWS registration and class selection will be sent to students upon confirmation of admission.

In accordance with University policy, regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in all lectures.  Laboratory and tutorial attendance is considered mandatory. Students will be provided with the laboratory attendance requirements for individual courses at the beginning of each academic session.

Students must request permission from the Associate Dean (Academic), or designate, if they are going to be absent due to illness or for reasons other than illness.

Students will not receive permission for absenteeism due to conference attending. 

Degree requirements must be completed within 6 years from the date that a student first enrolls in the D.V.M. program. 

Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association

The Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association (SVMA) is the provincial licensing body for veterinary practitioners. Students enrolled in the DVM program must be registered and in good standing as veterinary students at the beginning of Year 1. This educational license must be renewed and maintained by the student on an annual basis.

Progress through the program is determined on a yearly basis with promotion to the next year or recommendation for graduation requiring a Sessional Weighted Average of 60% or better and successful completion of all courses taken.

Subject to the regulations following, a student who has received a failing grade in one course of the veterinary medical program receiving a grade of less than 50% will be required to write a supplemental examination and pass that course before starting studies in a subsequent year.

The minimum passing grade for all courses in the DVM program is 50 per cent.

In order to be promoted, a student must pass all courses taken during the regular academic year and must attain a credit weighted average of 60 per cent or better.

At the end of each academic year, faculty will review the performance of all students and make recommendations according to accepted policy. Further details of these policies can be obtained from the Office of the Associate Dean (Academic).

The following applies to the VINT 580.32 course:

i. A minimum grade of 50 per cent is required in each rotation and a cumulative average of 60 per cent is required for successful completion of the VINT 580.32 course. Note it is possible to fail the entire rotation by failing to meet the competency in just one section.

ii. A student obtaining less than 50 per cent in a rotation will be deemed to have failed the rotation. The student will be given the opportunity to improve their grade in that rotation to a passing level in accordance with the individual rotation requirements as outlined in the 580 Handbook/Syllabus. This privilege will be granted only once for the entire academic year.

iii. Failure to successfully upgrade the rotation in accordance with the above, failure of a second rotation or, failure to obtain a weighted average of 60 per cent constitutes failure of the course. (Note: In certain elective or external rotations, where repetition of the rotation is not possible, those students, at the discretion of the faculty, may be permitted an alternative opportunity to improve their grade or to repeat the year. A student repeating the year would be required to meet the requirements for promotion as outlined above)

iv. In order to complete the final year students must also successfully complete all the required Demonstrated Entrustable Professional Activities (DEPAs – previously final year OSCEs).

Failure to meet promotion standards; the student may be permitted to repeat the entire year (an opportunity that may only be granted once), be rusticated from the DVM program for one year or be required to permanently withdraw from the program.

The Faculty may require an individual to either be rusticated or permanently withdraw from the program for reasons other than academic if it is considered in the best interests of the individual or the College.

Appeals of evaluation, grading, and academic standing are governed by university-wide council regulations.

The D.V.M. degree with Distinction will be awarded to students whose four-year averages are between 0.70 and 1.5 standard deviations above the mean of the four-year averages for their class and who have four-year averages of greater than 75.0% and weighted averages of greater than 70.0% in Year 4. The D.V.M. degree with Great Distinction will be awarded to students whose four-year averages are more than 1.5 standard deviations above the mean of the four-year averages for their class and who have four-year averages of greater than 80.0% and weighted averages of greater than 75.0% in Year 4.

Supplemental and deferred examination procedures and policies are subject to the university-wide regulations on supplemental and deferred examinations outlined in the Academic Courses Policy. 

Deferred Examinations

a. A student who is absent from a final examination for medical or compassionate reasons, or becomes ill during a final examination, may apply to the College through the Office of the Associate Dean (Academic) for a deferred examination.

b. When applying, a student must submit satisfactory documentary evidence to the Office of the Associate Dean (Academic) within three days of the missed examination 

c. The deferred examination will be scheduled by the office of Associate Dean (Academic) (typically, at the next available Wednesday afternoon).

Supplemental Examinations

a. Supplemental examination privileges will not be considered until the final grades from all courses for the academic calendar year have been reported and tabulated (typically the beginning of May).

b. Supplemental examinations are granted to those students who have failed only one course but have attained a weighted average of at least 60 per cent. 

c. The supplemental final examinations will be accorded the same weight as the original final examination in the computation of the student's final grade for the course.

d. The course grade using the supplemental examination grade will be used to calculate the weighted average for the Academic Session.

A D.V.M. degree does not automatically confer the right to practice veterinary medicine. By legislation this right is the prerogative of the recognized veterinary associations in each of the provinces. Further information on provincial licenses is obtainable from the offices of the provincial veterinary associations.