Becoming a Veterinarian
Becoming a veterinarian, like becoming a human doctor, requires many years of schooling. It can, however, be a LOT harder to get into vet school because there are currenlty only about 28 veterinary colleges in the United States, compared to over 150 medical schools
The key to getting a head start on getting into vet school is to start preparing in High School. Study hard, get great grades and take as many advanced placement courses as you can.
Next, you need to find a college with a good pre-veterinary program. This is typically a Bachelor's Degree program, and around 4 or more years of college. Make sure you are taking the prerequisite course needed to get into veterinary college and keep very good grades.
After you complete your pre-veterinary education, you then apply to veterinary colleges. With limited colleges available, it can be a very competetive process. Many people get a Masters degree in science to improve their chances. Once you get into vet school, plan on another 4+ years of college.
After that, you may have an Internship if you have a special interest in something like internal medicine, oncology, etc. You may also want to plan on a residency if you would like to become a specialist in those fields, or others like cardiology.
All in all, you should plan on a minimum of 8 years of college to recieve your doctorate degree, and up to 12 to 14 years of college if you want to become a specialist.
Once you become a licensed veterinarian, the learning really never stops. Veterinary medicine, like human medicine, changes every day. Doctors Cloutier, McCaw and Keene all frequently attend continuing education programs in order to keep up on the latest medical information. They subcribe to journals and research new cases thoroughly.
Becoming a veterinarian requires not just a love for animals, but a love for science and medicine and investigation. Veterinarians perform surgery, diagnostics, read x-rays, interpret lab tests, do ultrasounds and prescribe medication. It is a lot of work, but can be a very rewarding experience if you think you have what it takes.
