Veterinarians

High School

For the high school student who is interested in admission to a school of veterinary medicine, a college preparatory course is a wise choice. A strong emphasis on science classes such as biology, chemistry, and anatomy is highly recommended.

Postsecondary Training

The doctor of veterinary medicine (D.V.M.) degree requires a minimum of four years of study at an accredited college of veterinary medicine. Although many of these colleges do not require a bachelor's degree for admission, most require applicants to have completed 45–90 hours of undergraduate study. It is possible to obtain pre-veterinary training at a junior college, but since admission to colleges of veterinary medicine is an extremely competitive process, most students receive degrees from four-year colleges before applying. In addition to academic instruction, veterinary education includes clinical experience in diagnosing disease and treating animals, performing surgery, and performing laboratory work in anatomy, biochemistry, and other scientific and medical subjects.

There are 33 colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States that are accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Visit https://www.avma.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/Education/Accreditation/Colleges/Pages/colleges-accredited.aspx for a list of programs. Each college of veterinary medicine has its own pre-veterinary requirements, which typically include basic language arts, social sciences, humanities, mathematics, chemistry, and biological and physical sciences.

Applicants to schools of veterinary medicine usually must have grades of "B" or better, especially in the sciences. Applicants must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Fewer than half of the applicants to schools of veterinary medicine may be admitted, due to small class sizes and limited facilities. Most colleges give preference to candidates with animal- or veterinary-related experience. Colleges usually give preference to in-state applicants because most colleges of veterinary medicine are state-supported. There are regional agreements in which states without veterinary schools send students to designated regional schools.

Veterinary medicine students typically participate in one or more internships during their college careers. The internships allow them to learn more about career options in the field and make industry contacts. Some new veterinary graduates enter one-year internship programs to obtain experience in particular practice specialties such as zoo veterinary science.

Other Education or Training

Nearly all states require veterinarians to attend continuing education courses in order to maintain their licenses. The American Veterinary Medical Association offers continuing education (CE) opportunities at its annual conference. Recent sessions included “Veterinary Financial Planning,” “Fees: Shortchanging your Practice or Right on the Money?,” and “Shake Things Up: Creative Ideas to Grow your Practice.” Many other veterinary organizations provide CE opportunities, including the American Animal Hospital Association, American Association of Equine Practitioners, American Association of Zoo Veterinarians, Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians, and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.