High school courses to become a vet?
I know in college you'll have to take a lot of biology and both inorganic and organic chemistry, so it'd probably be a good idea to get a good background in those subjects. I think you'll also have to take two semesters of physics, so that couldn't hurt either. You could look up the requirements for vet schools you want to go to, they'll usually be more specific. *You'll probably have to take Calculus too.
How competitive is veterinary school?
Thanks for the A2A.I agree with the other answers that it does depend on where you live. In the USA there are currently 30 accredited schools of Veterinary Medicine. Rates of acceptance vary from 20% to 50%. Your best option is to study hard and get good grades (3.8 on a 4.0 scale work or volunteer where you can get a variety of experience in many fields related to veterinay medicine and acquire excellent references from licenced Veterinarians (especially if they graduated from the school you wish to attend).Be fully aware that a career in Veterinary medicine does NOT pay well in general, unless you earn a specialty degree. However, at least in my case, job satisfaction is high, and for me that is worth more to me than making a lot of money at a career or job where you are unhappy. It’s a sacrifice. People will actually think that you are in it for the money even though you don’t make a lot, they will accuse you of not caring about their pet because you charge them for your services without even considering that you also have a home, a family, bills to pay and employees to pay. You will be asked to euthanize loved family members, and sometimes be told that “it’s just a cat/dog”. Some of your clients will respect and appreciate what you do, and others will just be looking for the cheapest way to get what they want regardless of the quality of the care.In short, I LOVE my job. but it can be quite stressful as well.Good luck
What subjects should I take in high school to become a vet?
You need the highest level physics, chemistry and biology courses your school offers. It differs by country but Canada is all academic science science and United States is all AP science. Avoid stuff like space sciences you don’t need it and it’s extra work that is hard. Make sure to take advanced math as well. My school in canada courses for grade 12 would be all academic math, calculus, biology, chemistry, physics, English. With two extra courses it may be worth taking if your school offers beginner medical courses but I really reccomend taking easy courses as this is a heavy workload already. During the summer or even during school year if you can manage it spend as much time volunteering at vets, shelters and pet stores. This is good for your application to vet school. In Canada you have to take an undergrad in Biology. Make sure you meet the prerequisites for your undergrad. Assuming you get high marks in your undergrad you should be set to apply to vet school. Where I live they don’t accept anyone with below 75% average. Aim for high eighties and nineties.Edit:I forgot to mention some vet schools require recommendation from a vet or even multiple vets. You’re highschool marks you have more leniency with as you just need them to get into the undergrad. Your makes during your undergrad are very important. Hopefully you enjoy more then just animals. It’s important to enjoy surgery, treatment, biology, animal behaviour. It’s one thing to dream of saving animals it’s another to thoroughly enjoy the difficult science courses leading up to it. There are many many animal related jobs that’s require less school marks and are generally less stressful with good pay.
How competitive is Vet school?
You mentioned UC Davis - it is one of the top and most competitive veterinary schools in the country. They admit ~12% of the applicants. The average age of admission is ~25 because many people work in some veterinary field for a couple of years between undergraduate and vet school. Doing your undergraduate work at UC Davis does not improve your chances of admission to UCD's vet school.
What do you do if you do not get into Vet school?
Well, since you have your college career ahead of you and you know how competitive getting into vet school is, you will know what to do to put together a solid application (great grades/scores, volunteer work/internships related to veterinary med, ECs, etc)....so hopefully you'll get in on the first shot. That said, people who don't get in often look for a full-time job related to animal medicine....working for a shelter/zoo/clinic, doing vet research, etc....those with weak GPAs might take more classes to increase their GPAs. It's all about being proactive and doing something to strengthen your application for reapplying the following year. If you don't get in after a couple of attempts, THEN it's worth looking for another career.....but you certainly shouldn't give up after one failed attempt.
Being rejected from Vet School?
Hey there again (and again...) lol :) I can tell you what I am gonna do if I don't get into vet school first time round after the pre-selection semester next year. (Remember than in New Zealand there is a pre-selection semester with core papers, and the top students from that semester go on to do the rest of the 4.5 year course.) ....The way I see it there are several options.... 1) Leave and get a job for half a year, I would ask for an assistant job in the vet clinic I currently work at (or any other vet clinic in the area) and possibly be trained to do nurses duties (this can be done in conjuction with a correspondence course)... If not I would get a random job for that half year, and try again the following year. (If I didn't get in 2 times, I would most likely do something else related to animals, I don't really want to put my life on hold forever) 2) The pre-selection semester is designed so if you don't get in to vet school, you can continue getting a bachelors degree in animal science, zoology or biology etc... So I would consider doing a bachelors in Animal Science or Zoology combined with vet nursing. 3) Possibly do a Bachelor of Veterinary Technology and then go back to Uni later to do zoology or something. 4) Get another degree - zoology, biology etc And then try again at vet school 3 years later (after I've gotten the degree.) Just remember, it's not the end of the world if you get rejected first time round. There are tons of applicants each year and only so many places, so many have to go on to do other things anyway. There are other jobs you can get to do with animals without being a veterinarian. Despite this, you should go for your dreams and at least try get into vet school, because otherwise you will spend the rest of your life thinking 'I could've got in.. I should've tried.. etc' Even if you don't get in, I think it's better to have an answer rather than wondering. ;-)
What requires more schooling, to become a veterinarian or a doctor?
In addition to the responders on this thread, this is what I was able to find out:Veterinary SchoolThe American Veterinary Medical Association accredits veterinary schools in the U.S. Veterinary school is usually a four-year program in which students spend three years studying advanced sciences such as animal anatomy, microbiology and zoology and then spend the final year getting hands-on training through clinical rotations. After veterinary school, students must pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam before practicing. Most U.S. states require an additional state exam. Graduates can become certified in a specialty, such as surgery or internal medicine, during an additional three- to five-year program.Medical SchoolStudents must earn an undergraduate degree and pass the Medical College Admission Test before being admitted to medical school. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education accredits medical schools in the U.S. and Canada. Medical school usually takes four years to complete and is followed by three to eight years of residency and internship. During the first two years, medical school students take classes in advanced science subjects like anatomy, microbiology and pharmacology. In the third and fourth years of medical school, students spend most of their time on rotations observing and assisting with actual patients. To practice medicine, students must also pass all three parts of the United States Medical Licensing Exam.Vet School vs. Med School
What are the subjects I need in school to become a vet?
First, you must earn a bachelor's degree from a 4-year college. While your studies can cover a wide variety of subjects, they should include a good grounding in the hard sciences, especially chemistry and zoology. Since your next step will be to apply to a college of veterinary medicine, you should check the entry requirements of the specific schools you have in mind and be sure that your undergraduate college courses include all of that school's prerequisites. Typically, they will include organic chemistry and sometimes biochemistry, too. You'll need to earn the highest grades you can, since there is considerable competition for admission to the veterinary colleges. You should also gain some experience working in a veterinary practice to the extent possible after school and during your summer vacations. If you intend to work on farm animals, you should also accumulate some experience working on a livestock farm.You will then need to apply to one or more colleges of veterinary medicine for their 4-year course of study leading to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree or its equivalent. (For example, in the US, one college of veterinary medicine, that of the University of Pennsylvania, awards the VMD degree instead of the DVM degree.) Be prepared to work harder than you ever have in your life, because the standards are much higher than those you will have become accustomed to in undergraduate college.Once you have earned your veterinary degree, you will then need to take and pass the licensing exam for whichever jurisdictions you intend to practice in. In the US, professional licensing is handled by the states.Good luck!
What does it take to become a vet?
Congrats on having specific goals. Becoming a Vet takes a lot of hard work and is not easy. To become a Vet you first need to finish an undergraduate degree, then apply to Vet school. There isn't a specific undergraduate degree you need, but many vet students have bachelor's degrees in biology or one of it's subfields. Some universities have a pre-professional program for students who want to go to Med/Vet/Dental/etc school. Most undergraduate degrees take four years to finish but many people take five years or more. Once you finish your undergraduate, you apply to get into vet school. Admission toVet school is extremely competitive. There are only 28 Vet schools in the U.S. and each school only takes a set amount of students. It is actually easier to get into Med school than Vet school. To get into Vet school, you need a high GPA (as close to a 4.0 as possible), you will need to take a standarized test called the GRE and score well on that, and you will usually have to write an essay. Once you get in, Vet school takes 4 years. Three years of classes and one year on clinical rotations/externships. Once you graduate, you will need to take national and state boards before you are licensed to pratice. Before you own your own hospital, you will probably want to work for awhile to become familiar with what it takes to run your own hospital. Also one thing you want to keep in mind is that Vet do not make a lot of money. It costs a lot to go to Vet school and you don't make much as a Vet. For example, my wife just graduated Vet school. It cost her $200,000 in student loans to go to Vet school and she only makes $50,000/year, which isn't that much. It would cost you the about the same to go to medical school and you would make consideralby more as a medical doctor. As for what to study in school, science and math and lots of it, especially any biology and chemistry. Take as many biology classes as are available. The same is true for when you go to college, take as much biology and chemistry as possible. and keep your grades up. One last thing, Vet school is a huge committment. I hope you like studying because you will be doing lots of it.
Community college to become a veterinarian?
In the U.S., veterinary school is graduate school. You need to get a four year bachelor's degree first. You can go to community college for the first two years of your bachelor's degree, then transfer to a four-year university to complete your bachelor's degree. Most community colleges have automatic transfer programs, in which if you achieve a certain GPA, you are automatically accepted into a state college or university (although not necessarily your first choice). As an undergraduate, you will need to take the veterinary school prerequisite classes, which vary by school but typically include a year of biology with lab, a year of physics with lab, a year of general chemistry with lab, a year of organic chemistry, and statistics or calculus. Some veterinary schools require the MCAT, which contain questions on psychology and biochemistry in addition to the prerequisite subjects. While vet schools typically "prefer" that prereqs are taken at a four-year college or university (not community college), they will not penalize you for taking them in the natural progression of community college to a four-year university. Community colleges often have veterinary technology programs, which is a vocational program to become a licensed veterinary technician (equivalent to an RN (registered nurse), like the veterinarian is equivalent to a doctor for humans). These are typically five semester programs (75 credits) and are NOT transfer degrees (i.e. they do not typically stand in for the first two years of a bachelor's degree).