school

Question
I was wondering how long you have to go to school to be a vet?Thanks

Liz

Answer
Liz,

That is a good question with a complicated answer.  Most veterinary schools are 4 year programs.  There are a few that are 3 year programs.  

However it's getting into vet school that is the REALLY hard part.  You need a minimum of 2 years of undergraduate work and the admissions committee's of most veterinary schools prefer that you have 4 years of undergraduate work with a degree (typically in biomedical science).  I called the kids who got into vet school after only 2 years of college "superkids"  because they typically took 21-25 college credit hours per semester, made a solid 4.0 grade point average, and were highly involved in extracurricular activities.

Getting into veterinary school is actually more difficult than getting into medical school because there are only 27 veterinary schools in the country.  You need to have very high grade point averages, be involved in other activities beyond just school work, and show that you have the drive and perseverance it takes to complete vet school before you can get in.  

I would recommend seeing a school counselor in high school to start planning the path to vet school because it begins with going to a good university out of high school.  If you are already out of school, I would recommend talking to the college of veterinary medicine that is either in your state or if your state doesnt have one, contacting the school that serves your state.  For example Arkansas has no veterinary school so the vet school at Louisiana State University has a reciprocal agreement with Arkansas residents.  The admissions office at any vet school can send you a packet of requirements for admissions.    

The last important thing is to make sure you want to follow this long, difficult, and expensive path (very rewarding but you have to be committed to it!)  I would try to find veterinary clinics near you and start volunteering or trying to get a job there to see if this is truly the path you want to take.  There are other less strenuous, less expensive careers in veterinary medicine like veterinary nursing.

Veterinary medicine is a fun and rewarding field.  But it takes a lot to get here.