How to become a Veterinarian (COMPLETE GUIDE)

We will be should you how you can become a veterinarian, the requirements, and education criteria.

Who is a veterinarian?

The question of who a veterinarian is should be the first thing you ask yourself in your question of becoming a veterinarian.

veterinarian is someone that is trained medically to prevents, treats and takes care of injured animal.

Also, they might specialize in a type of veterinary medicine, such as surgery, and/or a group of animals, such as horses, dogs, or wildlife, etc.

Some of the duties of a veterinarian

The duties of a veterinarian may include;

• Spay and neuter cats and dogs as needed.
• Providing health care recommendations to pet owners
• Examine animals and check their health status.
• Dress wounds of injured animals.
• Prescribe medication.
• Performing surgery
• Diagnose illnesses and determine the best treatment.
• Perform dental, ophthalmic, and orthopedic surgeries.
• Vaccinate animals to prevent diseases.

Why Should I Become a Veterinarian?

As we said earlier Veterinarians prevent and treat illnesses and injuries in animals. Also, Veterinarians conduct research in areas such as biomedical sciences. For those that want to venture into this field please note that they often work very long hours, and many make themselves available for emergency situations also.

Becoming Veterinarian might be out of your passion. We encourage you to tell yourself the truth why you want to venture into this field.

What are some of the career Requirements

According to the statistics by the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the median annual salary for veterinarians in May 2019 was estimated to $95,460.

• To become a vet, a doctorate degree in veterinary medicine is required and
• You must pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam to earn licensure. There may be additional licensure requirements specific to each state. Employers may have different experience requirements.

Some of the keys skills you will need in this career include

• Critical thinking,
• Complex problem solving,
• Decision-making, speaking
• Active listening.
• Aside from the above-mentioned, you will also need proficiency with scientific software, and physical dexterity to use X-Ray, surgical, and laboratory equipment.

How to Become a Veterinarian

As earlier said we will be showing you some steps you can follow to become a veterinarian:

1. Complete a Bachelor’s Degree Program
2. Earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
3. Become Licensed
4. Gain Experience
5. Become Certified in a Specialty
6. Join a Professional Association

Complete a Bachelor’s Degree Program

Some schools offering this course prefer you have a bachelor’s degree before applying to become a Veterinarian. While some students earn their degree in biological science, most veterinary schools do not have a preferred major as long as certain science courses are taken.

These courses include biology, chemistry, physics, and math. Most schools may require some more advanced science courses, such as mammalogy, biochemistry, or animal behavior, etc.

Do not for to take a GRE because this might be required by many schools of veterinary medicine. Most school will mandate applicants to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.

To advance your knowledge about what veterinary is all about we advise you to Join a pre-veterinary club. Pre-professional clubs that focus on veterinary medicine are available at many schools. Most atimes members of these clubs may have meetings where they discuss career topics, shadowing programs, and resources for volunteer or internship experience. Some also offer the chance to apply for scholarships that are only offered to members of the club.

READ: Chevening Scholarship 2020/2021 Application 

Earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Each successive year in a program of veterinary medicine builds upon the previous year’s curriculum. The first year or two may focus on science subjects like animal anatomy and physiology, nutrition, and virology. These and related courses lay the basic framework for understanding veterinary medicine. Some courses might be specific to an animal group.

The third year may focus on clinical studies in which students come into contact with living animals and practice using the knowledge and skills they’ve gained in the previous two years to make diagnoses and recommend possible treatments. The fourth year is usually spent participating in applied experiences, such as practicums or externships.

Get involved in research projects. Some programs offer students the opportunity to be involved in research while studying for their degree. This experience may be helpful in understanding certain aspects of the veterinary field and can open up opportunities to work in research rather than a clinical setting.

Become Licensed

To become a Veterinarian it is mandatory that you successfully pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam. Also, most states may require state-specific exams.

Gain Experience

Another area you need to consider after becoming licensed is gaining experience. To Gain experience you might choose to gain further practical and specialized experience in the field maybe by applying for a year internship before applying for a more permanent position. Most veterinarians work with small companion animals in private clinics to enable them to have on-the-field experience. Some go as far as to specialize in working with equines or other large animals, zoo animals, exotic animals, etc.

Become Certified in a Specialty

To become certified in a specialty field, such as surgery or internal medicine, you need to complete either a residency or additional education. Residency programs mainly involve working multiple years at a specified location. During your time at the location, you will receive supervised training in your chosen specialty.

Join a Professional Association

Joining a professional association is another thing you need to consider before becoming a Veterinarian. We have associations both at the National and state-level you can identify with.

Some of the benefits of joining an association include:

• Access to informative Newsletters,
• Professional connections
• Published literature on the latest veterinary topic
• Resources for continuing education, etc.

To join a professional organization we advise you to check online on the one operating in your Province or State.