CVM student organizations
Students at The College of Veterinary Medicine can choose to be involved in a wide variety of extracurricular activities. There are over 20 student organizations with areas of interest both veterinary and non-veterinary related. Student organizations provide students with leadership experience, opportunities for networking, skills development, and much more.
All student organizations within the College of Veterinary Medicine must be officially registered with the University of Minnesota in order to make room reservations, post announcements, and participate in the CVM Student Activities Fair. Visit the Student Unions and Activities homepage, or contact Amanda Anderson, Student Affairs Coordinator, with any questions.
Student leaders should ensure all guest lectures or business partner presentations comply with the External Stakeholder Engagement with the DVM Student Body Policy (pdf).
All DVM students are welcome to participate in any College of Veterinary Medicine student organization regardless of race, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristic.
Student organizations (alpha order)
Alpha Psi
Alpha Psi is a professional veterinary fraternity. The University of Minnesota Nu Chapter was established in 1957. Alpha Psi promotes the importance of being active within the college, developing leadership skills, and educating the public about the veterinary profession. The members of Alpha Psi work to provide an informal, relaxed refuge from the stresses of vet school. This enables students to get to know one another and become close friends with their future colleagues.
Contact: [email protected]
American College of Veterinary Pathologists Student Chapter at the University of Minnesota
The American College of Veterinary Pathologists Student Chapter at the University of Minnesota is a professional student organization associated with the College of Veterinary Medicine. Only DVM students may join. In association with the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and our own UMN Pathology Department staff, we work to create opportunities for vet students to learn more about both clinical and anatomical pathology via lectures and wet labs.
Contact: [email protected]
Animal Behavior Club
Animal Behavior Club serves to promote education about animal behavior at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, to provide a presentation medium for veterinary students on behavior topics, and to promote education about animal behavior to the general public.
Contact: [email protected]
Animal Welfare and Ethics Club
The mission of the Animal Welfare and Ethics Club at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine is to promote critical thinking and open discussion of complex welfare-related and ethical issues in veterinary medicine and to provide educational opportunities to the CVM student body in the fields of animal welfare, veterinary medical ethics, and regulatory medicine.
Contact: [email protected]
Association of Asian Veterinary Medical Professionals Student Chapter
The Association of Asian Veterinary Medical Professionals Student Chapter (AAVMP) aims to inspire, support, and increase the voice and visibility of Asians and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the veterinary profession and advocate for greater general diversity in the veterinary profession.
Contact: [email protected]
Christian Veterinary Fellowship
Christian Veterinary Fellowship exists to be a support network for those in the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our purpose is to encourage and uplift fellow students and faculty/staff in their Christian faith through prayer, service activities, Bible study, and fellowship.
Contact: [email protected]
Global Health Student Advisory Board
The University of Minnesota's Global Health Student Advisory Board (GHSAB) is an interprofessional global health student group. This committee of student representatives from graduate and professional programs across the Health Sciences works to educate and mobilize the next generation of socially responsible global health professionals through lunch-and-learns, networking events, case competitions, and more!
Contact: [email protected]
Jump Start!
Jump Start! aims to ease the transition into vet school and to make tests and studying less daunting. We are here to provide support for first year DVM students as they begin their professional career.
Contact: [email protected]
Latinx Veterinary Medical Association
The LVMA club will empower Latinx/Hispanic students and professionals in veterinary medicine and support aspiring Latinx/Hispanic veterinarians in order to better serve client demographics or “the next generation of Latinx/Hispanic veterinarians.”
Contact: [email protected]
Production Animal Medicine Club
Production Animal Medicine, or PAM club, is a club composed of veterinary students interested in food animal medicine in their future career. Through this club, we host lunch n learns from food animal vets or industry representatives as well as conduct socials to help you become closer with your future colleagues.
Contact: [email protected]
One Health Club
One Health Club provides regular involvement opportunities in the Vet School through recurring newsletters, lunch seminars, and connecting with other like-minded clubs. Our long-term goal is to create a multidisciplinary community with other health professional colleges interested in finding solutions to One Health problems.
We want this club to be a way for students to get to know One Health topics and opportunities as well as a way to network with a variety of professionals in the various One Health Fields.
Contact: [email protected]
Research Animal Medicine Club
The Research Animal Medicine Club promotes the integration and importance of research within veterinary medicine. It encourages veterinary students to stay informed with cutting edge medicine by participating in journal club, attending speakers from all ranges of research medicine and touring research laboratories around the local area. We hope the RAM Club encourages students to consider research as a fruitful and progressive part of their professional career. Lastly, we serve as the acting liaison between those efforts presented by the university in promoting, advertising, and sponsoring research based events and activities.
Contact: [email protected]
Shelter Medicine Club
At the Shelter Medicine Club our purpose is to promote interest, improve public involvement, and increase the knowledge of veterinarians, vet students, and pre-vet students in the field of shelter medicine. With the help of local shelters, animal controls, and rescue groups, we hope to increase awareness of the homeless animal population and the role we as future veterinarians can play to improve animal welfare. Whether veterinarians are working in private practice or directly in a shelter/animal control, they can make a huge impact in the lives of animals and humans alike by offering resources and knowledge to aid in the reduction of unnecessary relinquishment, abandonment, and euthanasia of companion animals.
Contact: [email protected]
Sled Dog Medicine Club
Sled Dog Medicine Club is a group of veterinary students attending the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine that are passionate about sled dogs and canine sports medicine! We are the first official student chapter of the International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association (ISDVMA). Our club hosts lectures and wet labs relevant to the world of sled dogs and canine sports medicine for the benefit of educating veterinary students and networking with veterinarians. We also attend races all over the Midwest to assist veterinarians on race day with the care of canine athletes!
Contact: [email protected]
Small Animal Medicine Club
The Small Animal Medicine Club at the University of Minnesota is committed to advancing the knowledge, education, and awareness of all things related to small animal veterinary medicine. This is achieved through a combination of hands on wet lab experiences and lecture-style discussions with leaders in the veterinary industry.
Contact: [email protected]
Small Ruminant/Camelid Club
The Small Ruminant/Camelid Club is a group for veterinary students interested in learning more and gaining hands-on experience with sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, cervids, and other small ruminants. We are primarily an experience-focused group and aim to expose vet students to more small ruminant-specific topics through wetlabs.
Contact: [email protected]
Student American Veterinary Medical Association
Student American Veterinary Medical Association Chapter at the University of Minnesota's objective is to promote a spirit of friendly professionalism among the students enrolled in veterinary school. It also provides an opportunity for its members to gain professional knowledge and an understanding of professional ethics and conduct.
Contact: [email protected]
Student Chapter of the American Association of Equine Practitioners
The Student Chapter of the American Association of Equine Practitioners is a group of students interested in pursuing and/or learning more about equine medicine and the role of an equine practitioner.
SCAAEP events include wet labs, lunch and learns, resident and hospital rounds, and social events. SCAAEP members also have the chance to attend events through an AAEP membership such as the National Convention and Essential Skills Workshop. All of SCAAEP's events are centered around educating members on different topics in equine medicine and opportunities for continuing education such as externships/internships and career avenues.
Contact: [email protected]
Student Chapter for the Foundation of Veterinary Dentistry
The Student Chapter of the Foundation of Veterinary Dentistry (SCFVD) at the University of Minnesota is committed to advancing the knowledge, education, and awareness of veterinary dentistry among veterinarians, students and the public. Through our efforts, we are successfully increasing awareness of the importance of this facet of animal medicine.
Contact: [email protected]
Student Initiative for Reservation Veterinary Services
Student Initiative for Reservation Veterinary Services' mission is to train future veterinarians by serving communities in need. We provide veterinary services in the form of student-run clinics to underserved Reservation communities within Minnesota and neighboring states. At these clinics, we are able to enhance veterinary students’ and veterinary technicians’ leadership, clinical, and interpersonal skills. The communities and animals that we serve are offered wellness exams, vaccinations, medications, and spay and neuter surgeries. SIRVS works hard to ensure that all members involved are working towards the same overarching goal of empowering owners and providing quality care for animals.
Contact: [email protected]
Student Society of Veterinary Surgery
The purpose of the Student Society of Veterinary Surgery is to foster interest in the field of veterinary surgery among the veterinary medical students at the University of Minnesota, to facilitate communication between the students and veterinary surgeons and technicians within the college, and to provide hands-on experience that will benefit the student in practice.
We provide monthly lectures on various topics relating to veterinary surgery. We also provide regular suture labs and additional hands-on experiences to help students improve their clinical skills.
Contact: [email protected]
Student Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society
Student Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society promotes student participation and interest in veterinary emergency and critical care medicine. We provide opportunities for members to further their education on subjects relating to emergency medicine and provide opportunities for hands-on labs. We make information available about opportunities to work in the field of emergency and critical care in veterinary medicine. To join our group you must be a current UMN Veterinary Student.
Contact: [email protected]
Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment
We are the University of Minnesota chapter of VOICE, Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment, an organization that seeks to increase awareness, respect, and sensitivity to differences among all individuals and communities in the field of veterinary medicine. We aim to celebrate diversity within our profession, emphasize the importance of cross-cultural awareness in veterinary medicine, and provide mentorship to youth, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, who are interested in careers within veterinary medicine.
Contact: [email protected]
Veterinary Business Management Association
The Veterinary Business Management Association is a national student-driven organization dedicated to advancing the profession through increasing business knowledge, creating networking opportunities, and empowering students to achieve their personal and professional goals. To become a member of the MN VBMA, you must be a veterinary student at the University of Minnesota. Our student group supports the leadership development of its members by providing the utmost in veterinary business education through our Business Certificate Program.
Contact: [email protected]
Veterinary History Club
The Veterinary History Club explores and shares the stories of the veterinary profession as well as preserving the history being made today by current students. Our goal is to hold meetings and social events to promote historical topics, as well as establish a student gallery space. We will work alongside the Minnesota Veterinary History Museum in order to engage the College of Veterinary Medicine community and beyond.
Contact: [email protected]
Veterinary Treatment Outreach for Urban Community Health
VeTouch is a non-profit veterinary student club that provides basic pet care and nutritional support to low or no-income Twin Cities families. The volunteers are veterinary students who also have the opportunity to gain valuable clinical experience while promoting the human-animal bond and establishing a client-veterinary relationship. These students work under the guidance of licensed veterinarians and certified veterinary technicians. We hold clinics on the first Sunday of each month at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church.
Our organization gives vet students and pre-vet students an opportunity to apply the knowledge they learn in class and gain important skills that they will use in their future careers.
Contact: [email protected]
Zoological, Exotic, Avian and Wildlife Medicine Club
Our mission as the Zoo, Exotic, Aquatic, and Wildlife Medicine Club is to promote education in all aspects of non-traditional species. Our club is designed to give veterinary students who are interested in pursuing exotic medicine access to lectures from current clinicians, wet labs to get hands-on experience, and field trips to exotic programs around the Twin Cities.
Contact: [email protected]