Veterinary oncologists are required to attend a bachelor's degree program at an accredited college or university. Admission to veterinary programs is highly competitive; although the official entry requirements to some veterinary schools list 45 to 90 hours of undergraduate work, applicants without a bachelor's degree will find acceptance difficult.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, undergraduate students have to take specific courses as an admissions prerequisite, including organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, physics, general biology, animal biology, genetics, animal nutrition, cellular biology, vertebrate embryology, microbiology, systemic physiology and zoology. Classes in statistics, trigonometry, precalculus, college algebra, literature, English, humanities and social sciences are also recommended. With increased frequency, veterinary programs are also requiring applicants to take classes in career development and business management in preparation for running an independent practice.
Undergraduate students need to submit scores from one of three graduate-program assessment exams. Of the 28 veterinary colleges in the country as of 2010, 22 require students to submit scores from the GRE (Graduate Record Examination), four require scores from the VCAT (Veterinary College Admission Test) and two schools require applicants to provide scores from the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test).
Veterinary oncologists are required to graduate from a four-year veterinary college accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association. According to Education-Portal.com, students spend the first three years taking classes in medicine for small animals, clinical pathology, equine medicine, radiobiology, neurobiology, diagnostic imaging and surgery principles. During their final year, veterinary college students practice supervised hands-on care rotating through the following specialties: anesthesiology, medicine for dairy and beef production, oncology, neurology, surgery, medicine for small animals, opthalmology, surgery and emergency medical care. Graduates will be conferred the title Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.
Veterinarians practicing general medicine can go into practice after graduating and passing the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam. Veterinary oncologists, however, must complete a three- to four-year residency where they earn specialized training and practice in preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer in animals. After completing their residency, veterinary oncologists are required to become board-certified.