What does it take to become a vet?

Question

What college classes would i have to take and what is the salary

Answer 1

You need to attend a college that has a veterinary medicine course.  There are only so many colleges that have that, and not all states have one.  There are usually 4 years of pre-veterinary courses and 4 years of veterinary courses.  There are usually more applicants than positions in the classes, so you have to have the best grades to get in.

Salary depends upon your location, the type of practice you work in, if you are a practice owner or not, plus many other factors.  But I can tell you that the hours are long, the work is hard but rewarding and the pay not exactly what you think it's going to be.

Answer 2

To have a decent chance of getting in you need at least 50 hours experience each working with a food animal vet, an equine vet, and a small animal vet, plus at least a thousand hours total observation time with working veterinarians. You'll also need good grades in college, a challenging course schedule, and an impressive list of extra-curricular activities. Starting salary is 30-45k/year. Financially it is a horrible career choice and you should do something else. Only continue on that path if you are so obsessed with it that nobody can dissuade you.

There are only 28 veterinary schools in the US so admissions is highly competitive.

Course requirements follow:

The following courses and credit hours must be taken in residence at an accredited institution of higher learning to qualify for admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Course Semester* Credit Hours

Composition or Courses in

Communication Skills such as Speech or Technical Writing

6

College Algebra or

More Advanced Mathematics



3

Biochemistry

(Requires Organic Chemistry Prerequisite)



3

Physics

(Comprehensive Courses**)



5

Biological Science



10

Social Science and/or Humanistic Studies



10

Electives



open

Minimum Total Semester Credit Hours



60

* Multiply quarter credits by 0.67 to convert to semester credits.

** 5 hr. in only the first of a companion series in physics will not suffice.