Veterinarian Education Requirements and Career Info

Veterinarians spend their professional careers caring for a variety of animals. This care may include conducting assessments and tests, performing surgery, and administering medication.

For this reason, aspiring veterinarians spend several years in school before they can begin practicing. They must complete various levels of education to meet the requirements to become licensed.

In the United States, veterinarians must be nationally licensed, which requires graduation from a veterinary school with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, or DVM, degree.

Veterinary schools are competitive and students must meet various requirements before acceptance. Some require specific types of degrees or the completion of specific preliminary classes.

If this sounds like the ideal career for you, follow the steps outlined below to obtain the necessary education and achieve your dreams of becoming a veterinarian.

1. Obtain a High School Diploma or GED

As noted above, preparation for your career as a veterinarian begins while you are still in high school. It's important to work hard and get good grades in all of your classes to keep your GPA up.

Consider taking courses in biology, animal science, life science, and related fields to develop a solid foundational knowledge of these subjects.

If you want to become a veterinarian, your best bet is to stay in school and graduate with a high school diploma.

If you did not graduate but are no longer in school, you can pursue a GED instead. However, having a high school diploma may give you a better chance of being accepted into veterinary school later on.

2. Obtain a Bachelor's Degree

After high school, you will need to attend college. The goal is to graduate with at least a bachelor's degree. Some students may choose to pursue a master's degree as well, but this isn't a requirement.

A specialized pre-veterinary degree gives you the best chance of being accepted into the veterinary school of your choice. There are many great pre-veterinary schools to choose from.

However, depending on the vet school, other degree programs may be accepted as well, such as biology and agriculture.

Regardless of the major you choose, it's a good idea to find out ahead of time what your vet school of choice requires. You may need to take some courses that aren't required as part of your degree program.

If you study full-time, you should graduate with your bachelor's degree in about four years.

3. Gain Relevant Experience

There are no formal requirements regarding animal-related experience; however, this is a crucial step on your path to becoming a veterinarian.

You can gain this experience while you are still in high school or college, or you can wait until after school. Look for opportunities to gain volunteer or internship experience.

Spend some time working on a farm, as a veterinarian's assistant, or in any position that allows you to gain experience with animals.

You may have these opportunities built into your degree program if you are a pre-vet student. Otherwise, you will likely have to seek them out yourself.

4. Obtain a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree

Getting into veterinary school can be challenging, as there are less than three dozen of these schools in the U.S. When applying for vet school, it's important to ensure you meet all of the requirements.

You will likely need to take and pass the Graduate Record Exam, provide letters of recommendation, and show proof of at least 100 hours of volunteer or internship experience.

Once you are in veterinary school, you will spend three years studying topics such as animal anatomy and physiology, veterinary practices, and pharmacology.

You will spend the fourth year of school working on clinical rotations, putting into practice the skills you learned through classroom and lab experiences.

After graduating with your DVM, you may decide to specialize in a specific animal or pursue further education through residency programs. This is not a requirement, however.

5. Get Licensed

To begin working as a veterinarian, you will need to pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam or NAVLE. The test consists of 360 multiple-choice questions.

Depending on where you plan to practice, you will likely need to obtain a state license as well. Most states require these state-specific licenses.

Obtaining a state license will likely involve passing one or more additional exams, as well as meeting state-specific requirements.

To find out what is required specifically in your state, you can check with the American Association of Veterinary State Boards.