DVM Thesis Program

TCSVM students are encouraged to consider preparing a thesis during their first three years of veterinary school. The program is voluntary but those who complete a thesis will be acknowledged at graduation, and the achievement will be noted on their academic records. Any student contemplating doing research while in school should consider completing a thesis.

Thesis Proposal

Each student is requested to submit his or her thesis proposal to the Advanced Education Committee (AEC) during the spring of their second year. The Chair of the AEC will communicate the deadline to the students. The Thesis proposal should be inclusive yet succinct (2 – 4 pages) and should include the following:

• The specific subject matter and the title
• The names and signatures of three thesis advisors—the Thesis Advisory Committee
• The question and the hypothesis that will be examined
• A brief background section which highlights the significance of the work to the veterinary field
• The methodologies to be employed, the experimental design and the statistical methods for data analysis in sufficient detail to permit evaluation (students and mentors are urged to consult with a biostatistician during the preparation of the proposal)

Original and innovative work of a more philosophical nature may be proposed and considered as well. In such cases, students are urged to contact the chair of the AEC prior to preparing the proposal.

The members of the AEC will review the proposals and decide whether the proposal is acceptable. Proposals which require clarification will be deferred but may be resubmitted in a timely fashion with modifications for reconsideration.

In order for students to proceed with their thesis, proposals need to be approved by the AEC.

Thesis Advisory Committee

The Thesis Advisory Committee must be composed of three people—the principal mentor who must be a full-time faculty member at the Cummings School, and two other advisors who may be selected from any other source including, but not limited to, other schools within Tufts University. Members of the advisory committee should have expertise in the proposed subject of study.

The advisory committee must approve the proposal and the thesis before it is submitted for review to the AEC. A statement of approval together with the signatures of all three advisors should appear on the title page of the thesis. A letter from the principal mentor of the advisory committee describing the student's contribution to the project must accompany the initial submission.

Thesis

The thesis should be based upon the proposal of original research conducted by the student in clinical or laboratory science and must be carried out while matriculated in the DVM program at the Cummings School. Any survey of literature contained within the thesis must be comprehensive, critical and of a high standard, a simple summary of work by others in any given field is unacceptable. Actual submission to a journal is not compulsory, but is strongly recommended.

The thesis must be submitted, along with the three advisors' signatures and a letter from the primary mentor clearly defining the student's involvement in the project, no later than November 15 of the student's fourth year. The committee will evaluate the thesis and return it to the student for corrections and or modifications in a timely manner—generally by January 1. The final revised version of the thesis must be returned for final action by March 15 of the student's fourth year. Accepted theses will be placed on permanent file in the Webster Veterinary Library.

An award for The Outstanding Senior Thesis will be given to the student submitting the most accomplished thesis as determined by an independent vote of the AEC faculty. This award is presented at the annual Dean's Dinner.