What Kind Of Education Do You Need To Be A Veterinarian?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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To become a full-fledged veterinarian, you’ll need to complete a

four-year undergraduate degree and earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree

. This degree is commonly abbreviated as a DVM or a VMD, and it takes four years to earn.

What are the requirements to be veterinarian?

Education Requirements. Veterinarians are required to complete a

four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program

, in addition to undergraduate school. These professionals are also required to obtain licensure to practice in the profession.

How many years does it take to be a veterinarian?

Aspiring vets can expect to devote about

eight years

to their higher education if they spend four years in college and four years in vet school earning a doctor of veterinary medicine, or D.V.M., degree.

How much do vets get paid?

The median pay for veterinarians as

of 2017 is $90,420

, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On top of that, the future for veterinarians looks good, as the BLS projects employment to grow 19%, which is far above the average. Of course, not all places pay veterinarians the same salary.

Is Vet School hard?

Compared to most undergraduate curriculums,

veterinary school is hard

. Most veterinary students take 25-30 credits per semester of rigorous science-based courses. This means that veterinary students can expect to be in a classroom or laboratory 35 to 40 hours per week, and will need to study several hours more.

Can you become a vet in 6 years?

6-Year

DVM

Program

The 6-year preveterinary entry point into our Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree program begins with intensive preveterinary coursework in organic chemistry and physics to prepare before entering the traditional, four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree program.

Can you become a vet online?

Can you become a vet online? Due to the clinical, field and laboratory requirements,

it is impossible for a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree program to be offered totally online

. Some schools offer bachelor’s degree programs in veterinary science that combine online and on-campus studies.

Can vets be rich?

More than half of veterinarians make

$40,000 to $100,000 a year

, which is a decent salary by any measure. … (These statistics, by the way, are from my friends at Veterinary Economics.) But most young veterinarians never see the high end of the $40,000 to $100,000 salary range.

Do vets or doctors make more money?

Do veterinarians get paid more than doctors?

No, doctors earn higher average salaries than veterinarians

.

Is being a vet worth it?

Being a veterinarian can be

an incredibly rewarding job

, it might even be the best job in the world. … There are so many different jobs that we veterinarians can do, and as a result, something that I really love (or hate) may well generate the exact opposite emotion in many other vets.

Is vet school easier than medical school?

Overall, getting into

vet school is slightly easier than medical school

, because of the lower competition (but it’s still cutthroat). Both require you to work hard in order to join them. While getting into vet school might be easier, it depends on each specific school.

Do you have to be really smart to be a vet?

An interest in science (as an aside: you don’t have to be good at math to be a vet, in case that is a concern for you; it was for me).

A strong work ethic

(and not just for school; try to get a job working for a vet clinic and learn vet med from the bottom up, even though it’s hard work).

How competitive is veterinary school?

Just as it is in medical school, the competition for admission to a veterinary college is very competitive. The

acceptance rate is typically between 10% and 15%

. … A few veterinary schools hover right around the 50% mark while some schools take more than 80% of its accepted applicants from within its own state.

Is 30 too old for vet school?

While the majority of vet students do fall into the traditional age range, there are quite a few cases where older students are able to secure a coveted place in a veterinary class. In fact,

most veterinary colleges have at least a few students over the age of 30

, and some have students in their 40s or even 50s.

Do veterinarians go to school longer than doctors?

Vet school takes about

eight years

of higher education to earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree (DVM), including four years of relevant study in college or university and four years in veterinarian school.

Do vets go to med school?

Students who want to study, diagnose and treat the health of animals go to veterinary school

and graduate with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree

. Students who plan to study and provide human health care attend medical school and earn either a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree.

Timothy Chehowski
Author
Timothy Chehowski
Timothy Chehowski is a travel writer and photographer with over 10 years of experience exploring the world. He has visited over 50 countries and has a passion for discovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and hidden gems. Juan's writing and photography have been featured in various travel publications.