There are only 28 veterinary schools in the United States, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, so expect to compete for available slots. While curricula differ slightly from school to school, courses usually include anatomy, clinical medicine, radiology, obstetrics, study of diseases, anesthesiology, surgery, toxicology, nutrition, preventative medicine and business courses, such as ethics. All veterinary medicine programs include two learning phases: one in the classroom and lab, and the other in a clinical setting, either on campus, if there are proper facilities, or in a working veterinary practice.
The American Veterinary Medical Association was founded in 1863, and the first veterinary school was established in 1879. In the beginning, veterinarians worked mostly with livestock, such as horses and cattle. But by the 1950s, the emphasis had shifted to dogs, cats and other companion animals.
There are veterinary colleges scattered across the United States. Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin each has one veterinary school. California and Alabama each has two vet schools to choose from.
You must earn a four-year bachelor's degree focused on pre-veterinary medicine courses before you can apply to veterinary school. Once accepted, you must take an additional four years of courses in veterinary medicine before you can graduate. To practice veterinary medicine, you must pass a board examination to earn a license.
The basic undergraduate requirements for veterinary school encompass proper course work, a high grade point average, or GPA, and high test scores. Depending on the school where you apply, you must earn 75 to 90 credit hours in classes such as humanities and fine arts, social and behavioral sciences, mathematics and mainly biology and physical sciences, including biochemistry, principles of biology, animal nutrition, organic chemistry and physics. Most veterinary colleges require applicants to have an undergraduate GPA of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, although some admit students with a 2.5 or higher into their programs. Scores for the Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, must be within a range set by each school, but generally from 1300 to 1600.
An essential requirement to being accepted by a veterinary medical program is experience working with animals. Work in a veterinary clinic, a research facility, a zoo or livestock setting usually are acceptable. This experience can include working as a veterinary assistant, vet technician, lab assistant, zookeeper or in a similar capacity on a ranch or farm. Interning at a veterinary practice, lab, animal shelter or conservation group also can help you gain admission.
Requirements differ for each veterinary medical program, but some of the basic elements are the same. Carefully read the requirements for the school you hope to attend to make sure you meet them all. A limited number of spaces is available each year in the United States; more than 8,500 students are currently enrolled nationwide, and about 2,100 students graduate each year, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. It is important to have credible recommendations and references as to your character and your ability to complete the program.