Before the development of medical tools such as sterilization, syringes and anesthesia, animal lives were routinely cut short because of disease and infection. When the world's first veterinary school was created in Lyon, France in 1762, animal science doctors quickly realized that not only would animal health benefit from better medical care, but so would the local economy as commercial animals such as livestock and horses began leading healthier, more productive lives. The concept of veterinary science quickly spread from France to other European countries, and eventually to the United States. The first U.S. vet school was founded in 1879 at Iowa State University.
A degree in veterinary medicine requires four additional years of upper graduate studies. A student's undergraduate major is less important than a willingness to complete pre-requisite courses required for admission. Prior to starting veterinary medical school, students must successfully complete courses such as organic chemistry, microbiology, genetics and physics. In addition to core science and math courses, students must also show proficiency in the English language and communications. Before applying to vet school, students must have received acceptable scores in the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), sometime within the last two to five years.
Veterinary medical colleges focus on domestic animals such as livestock, cats and dogs. However, as more people begin keeping small exotic animals as pets, more schools are offering coursework specifically for students who want to specialize in exotic species such as birds and reptiles. Regardless of the type of species a student chooses to specialize in, veterinary students will encounter a demanding coursework load as they learn how to fulfill their unique role in medicine as surgeon, pharmacist, diagnostician, radiologist, behaviorist, dentist, orthopedic surgeon and human counselor, all at once.
Public and private veterinary medical colleges are located throughout the United States. Attending a school in the state in which you live will save you tens of thousands of dollars in non-resident fees. However, even if your state doesn't have a veterinary school, many states have contractual arrangements with states that do. For example, there are no veterinary medical colleges in Arizona, but because of a reciprocal agreement with Colorado State University, Arizona vet school applicants may attend Colorado State University without incurring non-resident fees.