Becoming a Veterinarian

Is Veterinary Medicine Right for You?
Today's veterinarians are extremely dedicated and willing to work long, difficult hours to save the life of an animal of help solve a public or animal health crisis. Among the personal attributes that contribute to a successful career in veterinary medicine are:

A Scientific Mind - Individuals who are interested in veterinary medicine should have an inquiring mind and keen powers of observation. Aptitude and interest in the biological sciences are important. Veterinarians must maintain a lifelong interest in scientific learning, and must genuinely like and understand animals.

Good Communication Skills - Veterinarians should be able to meet, talk and work well with a variety of people. Compassion is an essential attribute for success, especially for veterinarians working with pet owners who form strong bonds with their pets.

Management Experience - Many work environments (e.g., private or corporate clinical practice, governmental agencies, public health programs) require that veterinarians manage other employees and businesses. Basic managerial and leadership skills make these positions much more rewarding.

A Bright Future
Employment opportunities for veterinarians are expected to keep pace with those of other professions. Positions exist for which postgraduate education in molecular biology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, immunology, diagnostic pathology, environmental medicine, or other specialities is preferred or required. The benefits of using scientific methods to breed and raise livestock, poultry, and fish, together with a growing need for effective public health and disease control programs, will continue to demand the expertise of veterinarians.

The Road to Becoming a Veterinarian 

Students interested in a career in veterinary medicine should perform well in general science and biology in junior high school and pursue a strong science, mathematics, biology program in high school. Before applying to veterinary college/school, students must successfully complete pre-veterinary undergraduate course work. Each college or school of veterinary medicine establishes its own pre-veterinary requirements, but typically these include demonstrating basic language and communication skills, and completion of courses in social sciences, humanities, mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics.

Admission to veterinary school is highly competitive with the number of qualified applicants admitted to veterinary schools varying from year to year. Applicants may be required to take a standardized test (for example, the Graduate Record Examination). Approximately 70 % of entering students are female. There are presently 28 AVMA-accredited colleges/schools of veterinary medicine in the United States, four in Canada, and six in other countries. Each school is regularly evaluated by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association and must maintain the quality of its program to remain accredited.

Most veterinary schools require applicants to submit applications through the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). For information about VMCAS, application requirements, applicant data statistics and other admissions resources, visit http://www.aavmc.org/vmcas/vmcas.htm.

After completing the required veterinary medical curriculum (usually over a period of four years), many graduates chose to pursue additional education in one of 20 AVMA-recognized veterinary specialties (surgery, internal medicine, animal behavior, dentistry, ophthalmology, pathology, laboratory, animal medicine, preventive medicine, etc.)

For more information

The AVMA Website, www.avma.org, includes a list of all AVMA Council on Education accredited U.S. veterinary colleges/schools, AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organizations, and additional resources on veterinary medicine.

The AVMA has produced a career video and CD-ROM, Dedicated to Service, which profiles veterinarians engaged in a variety of professional activities in different parts of the United States. To order one or both, call the AVMA Communications Division at 847.285.6667.