Veterinary Medicine

Veterinarians care for the health of animals. They diagnose, treat, or research medical conditions and diseases of pets, livestock, and animals in zoos, racetracks, and laboratories. Veterinarians in private clinical practices treat the injuries and illnesses of pets and farm animals with a variety of medical equipment, including surgical tools and x-ray machines. They provide treatment for animals that is like what a doctor would do to treat humans. Read through the tabs below to learn more about pursuing a career in veterinary medicine and the next steps to take.

• Typical Responsibilities
  Examine animals to diagnose their health problems
  Treat and dress wounds and perform surgery on animals
  Test for and vaccinate against diseases
  Operate medical equipment such as x-ray machines
  Advise animal owners about general care, medical conditions, and treatments
  Prescribe medication and euthanize animals
• Preparing for Admission
  Veterinarians must complete a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M. or V.M.D.) degree at an accredited college of veterinary medicine. There are currently 30 colleges with accredited programs in the US, 5 in Canada and 21 abroad. A veterinary medicine program generally takes 4 years to complete and includes classroom, laboratory, and clinical components. Specialties require additional schooling after DVM. Resources for researching schools: A complete list of all D.V.M. programs can be found on the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges website
• Prerequisite Coursework
  It varies by school. A complete list of prerequisite courses is available for each institution on the VMCAS website. There is also a book (Veterinary Medical School Admissions Requirements – VMSAR) published regularly with specific information.
• Standardized Test(s)
  Most programs require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for admission. Detailed information about the GRE process is available on the VMCAS website.
• The Admissions Cycle
  There is a Centralized Application Process (VMCAS) that all veterinary medicine schools (31) participate in.

  Application opens: early May but annual updates on application deadlines can be found online.

  Fees and Fee waivers: VMCAS charges $220 for the first program you apply to and $120 for each additional program. There is a fee assistance program to help cover application deadlines available to eligible students to apply.

  VMCAS has created an Applicant Help Center to aid in the application process