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What To Learn

High School

What high school courses should you take if you're interested in this career? Get your answers from the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources cluster Animal Systems pathway.

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Vets must graduate from a four-year program at an accredited college of veterinary medicine with a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM or VMD) degree and obtain a license to practice.

Prerequisites for admission vary. Many schools do not require a bachelor's degree for entrance, but all require a significant number of credit hours at the undergraduate level.

Because entrance to veterinary medical colleges is so competitive, many will only consider applicants who have a high grade point average.

In the U.S., applicants must also submit test scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT) or the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), depending on the preference of each college.

Previous work experience with veterinarians, agribusiness, research or health science can be helpful for admission, as can working with animals on a farm, ranch, stable or animal shelter.

Equine veterinary graduates must specialize and usually complete a one-year internship and a two- or three-year intensive training program in a specific area of medicine.

All U.S. veterinarians must be licensed before they can practice. Applicants must pass the multiple-choice National Board Examination (NBE) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT).