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 Veterinarians are in the unique position of being the only doctors educated to protect the health of both animals and people. They play an important role in environmental protection, food safety, and public health. In taking the Veterinarian’s Oath, a new graduate swears to use his/her “scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.”
The majority of veterinarians are in private small, large or mixed animal clinical practice. Many also serve in county, state, and federal governments, universities, private industry, zoos, the U.S. military, wildlife organizations, racetracks, and circuses. Board Certified Specialists run referral practices in one of 20 AVMA-recognized veterinary specialties (surgery, internal medicine, animal behavior, dentistry, dermatology, ophthalmology, pathology, laboratory animal medicine, radiology, preventive medicine, etc.) Practices exist that are limited to avian medicine, exotic animals, aquatic animals, cancer treatment, in vitro fertilization, geriatric care, preventive medicine, and in-home euthanasia. The following federal agencies employ a large number of veterinarians: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Defense, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. At present, there is a shortage of veterinarians who enter research and public practice as a whole.
Practically any veterinary position will require the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree. This training typically takes four years to complete.
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PREREQUISITE COURSES
There is no universal set of requirements, but most programs require a core of prerequisite undergraduate courses that includes:
- two semesters of biology with lab
- two semesters of general chemistry with lab
- two semesters of organic chemistry with lab
- two semesters of general physics with lab
- one or two semesters of biochemistry
- one semester of calculus and/or statistics
- one semester of microbiology (often, but not always)
- one semester of genetics (sometimes, but not always)
- one or two semesters of literature or composition*
* (FYS, Junior I.S., and other writing-intensive courses can sometimes count, but policies vary from one institution to another)
These prerequisites should be completed by the end of your college career, but some institutions will give preference to applicants who complete them early. Students interested in veterinary medicine are strongly encouraged to enroll in CHEM 111 (Introductory College Chemistry I) and BIOL 101 (Foundations of Biology) during their first semester at Wooster. Frequent communication with your academic advisor, members of the Pre-Health Advising Committee, and Pre-Health Coordinator will be essential to make sure that you are on track with your courses.
GRADE POINT AVERAGE
The College of Veterinary Medicine at Ohio State University prefers a GPA of at least 3.0 (for Ohio residents) or 3.4 (for non-residents). This policy is similar to those found at other programs, but it is important to investigate specific programs to get the most accurate and detailed information for your situation.
ENTRANCE EXAM
Most programs accept the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and consider a combined score of at least 1200 to be competitive. Some programs will accept the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) as well. As always, it is important to investigate specific programs to get the most accurate and detailed information for your situation.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Academics play a significant role in the admissions process, but most competitive candidates also have a strong record of animal and health-related experience. Students may shadow, complete an internship, obtain employment, attend a summer enrichment program, or do research as ways of gaining this first-hand exposure. Developing a breadth of experience in different veterinary settings is to an applicant’s advantage.
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