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1 Veterinary Medicine For more information on careers in this field, click on the appropriate profession(s) in the Career Explorer ( section of this site. Veterinarians are best known for healing ill and injured animals, but helping all kinds of creatures live longer, better lives is not all veterinarians do. For instance, more and more links are being found between human and animal diseases, such as SARS, mad cow disease, West Nile virus, and avian flu, among others. Thus, a degree in vet medicine can prepare you for a career in public health. For more information, see the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges 9http:// (AAVMC) Website.

2 Veterinarian Veterinarians ( play a major role in the healthcare of pets, livestock, and zoo, sporting, and laboratory animals. Some veterinarians use their skills to protect humans against diseases carried by animals and conduct clinical research on human and animal health problems. Others work in basic research, broadening the scope of fundamental theoretical knowledge, and in applied research, developing new ways to use knowledge. Working Conditions Veterinarians often work long hours, with well over one-third of full-time workers spending 50 or more hours on the job. Those in group practices may take turns being on call for evening, night, or weekend work; and solo practitioners can work extended and weekend hours, responding to emergencies or squeezing in unexpected appointments. Academic Requirements Prospective veterinarians must graduate from a 4-year program at an accredited college of veterinary medicine with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M. or V.M.D.) degree and obtain a license to practice. There are 28 colleges in 26 States that meet accreditation standards set by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The prerequisites for admission vary by veterinary medical college. Many of these colleges do not require a bachelor's degree for entrance; but all require a significant number of credit hours ranging from 45 to 90 semester hours at the undergraduate level. However, most of the students admitted have completed an undergraduate program. There is a growing need for vets with post-graduate education in particular specialities, such as molecular biology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, immunology, diagnostic pathology, or environmental medicine. The veterinary profession also is becoming more involved in aquaculture, comparative medical research, food production, and international disease control. For a listing of U.S. veterinary medical schools and colleges, see the websites of the American Veterinary Medical Association ( and/or the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges ( You can connect with other veterinary med students on Preparation Timeline Applicants to veterinary medical school are not required to have a bachelor's degree, but more than 80% of all entering students do. The other 20% choose to start veterinary school after their junior year of college. Freshman and Sophomore Years Since chemistry and biology are basic requirements for entry into all veterinary medical schools, it's a good idea to take these courses early in your college career. This will give you plenty of time to take the other courses that may be required by individual vet schools. Each vet school has a list of prerequisite courses. Try to obtain a copy of this early in your college career, so you can plan your courses appropriately. It's also helpful to use these first years of college to enhance your veterinary, animal and/or research experience. (To find helpful research programs, see the Find An Enrichment Program section of this Website.) According to the Association of the American Veterinary Medical Colleges, you can never have too much highquality experience.

3 Summer Before Junior Year It is possible to start veterinary school after your junior year of college. If you're interested in this option, you should start the application process during the summer after sophomore year or early in the fall of junior year. See the Senior Year category below for details. Junior Year Applications to vet schools are due each year on October 1, for entry into vet school the following fall. See the Senior Year category below for details. Summer Before Senior Year Some students choose to finish their bachelor's degrees first, in which case they apply to vet school during the summer following junior year or early in the fall of senior year. See the Senior Year category for details. Senior Year Applications to vet schools are due each year on October 1, for entry into vet school the following fall. Most schools in the U.S. (and some non-u.s. schools) participate in the online Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). Electronic applications are available by early summer and due by October 1. Your vet school application must include your scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Some schools also accept the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). It's a good idea to take the exam early. That way, if you're not happy with your scores, you still have time to retake the exam as often as you need to. Also, be certain to verify that your entrance exam scores have been sent correctly to the school(s) of your choice. (For example, the university's main campus might have one GRE code and the veterinary school another.) General Tips for Success While in college, meet with a pre-vet or pre-health advisor, who can offer guidance and help you identify the key courses you'll need to take in order to be an ideal candidate for veterinary school. It's good to take a fairly heavy course load throughout your college career (i.e., hours per semester). Admissions committees like to know that you can handle a rigorous schedule. Know the specific course requirements and deadlines for each of the schools to which you're applying. If you have questions, ask them. And don't listen to anyone but officials from that school. You may apply to vet school while still working to complete the required courses, as long as you complete all the prerequisites within the vet school's timeline. (Some schools require all prerequisites to be completed by the end of the spring semester prior to the fall you will enter the program -- no last-minute summer school courses!) Check your mail and daily. Schools depend more and more on electronic communication, and they use the address you provide in your VMCAS application. If any of your contact information changes (address, , phone numbers), immediately notify all the schools to which you've applied. Verify with each school that your application is complete. Just because you asked your college to send transcripts does not mean that the transcripts arrived at the veterinary school. Know the timelines for each school's application review, interviews, etc. If you do not not hear from any of the schools to which you've applied, contact the school directly. If you need to mail anything directly to the school, send everything in a single package. Make sure the address is correct and complete, and that it includes the name of a contact person at a particular department; do not send it just to the "College of Veterinary Medicine." Remember that the burden for submitting a complete application, meeting deadlines, and making it to your interview falls on you. Veterinary schools try to communicate effectively, but ultimately it is the applicant's responsibility to be sure all is well.

4 Professional Associations American Veterinary Medical Association ( Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges ( Funding Opportunities Search for funding opportunities in this field ( Enrichment Programs Search for enrichment programs in this field ( Source Learn more about this field: Veterinary Medicine ( Average Salary: $101,040 Years in school: 8 * Job outlook: Excellent * after high school graduation Reproduction is permitted with appropriate attribution: Reprinted courtesy of ExploreHealthCareers.org, funded in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation of Princeton, NJ, and administered by the American Dental Education Association, 1400 K Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC

5 Veterinary Technologist/Technician Owners of pets and other animals today expect state-of-the-art veterinary care. To provide this service, veterinarians use the skills of veterinary technologists and technicians, who perform many of the same duties for a veterinarian that a nurse would for a physician, including routine laboratory and clinical procedures. Although specific job duties vary by employer, there often is little difference between the tasks done by technicians and by technologists, despite some differences in formal education and training. As a result, most workers in this occupation are called technicians. Working Conditions People who love animals get satisfaction from working with and helping them. However, some of the work may be unpleasant, physically and emotionally demanding, and sometimes dangerous. Veterinary technicians sometimes must clean cages and lift, hold, or restrain animals, risking exposure to bites or scratches. These workers must take precautions when treating animals with germicides or insecticides. The work setting can be noisy. Academic Requirements There are primarily two levels of education and training for entry to this occupation a 2-year program for veterinary technicians and a 4-year program for veterinary technologists. Most entry-level veterinary technicians have a 2-year degree, usually an associate degree, from an accredited community college program in veterinary technology, in which courses are taught in clinical and laboratory settings using live animals. A few colleges offer veterinary technology programs that are longer and that may culminate in a 4-year bachelor s degree in veterinary technology. These 4-year colleges, in addition to some vocational schools, also offer 2-year programs in laboratory animal science. Professional Associations American Veterinary Medical Association ( National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America ( Funding Opportunities Search for funding opportunities in this field ( Enrichment Programs Search for enrichment programs in this field ( Source Learn more about this field: Veterinary Medicine ( Salary: $25,000 - $27,000 Years in school: 2 * Job outlook: Excellent * after high school graduation Reproduction is permitted with appropriate attribution: Reprinted courtesy of ExploreHealthCareers.org, funded in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation of Princeton, NJ, and administered by the American Dental Education Association, 1400 K Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC