Veterinarians play a major role in the healthcare of pets, livestock, and zoo, sporting, and laboratory animals. They have graduated from schools of veterinary medicine and veterinary colleges around the world. Some veterinarians use their skills to protect humans against diseases carried by animals and conduct clinical research on human and animal health problems. While attending veterinary medicine schools you can choose to specialize in certain areas, similar to human medicine. Others work in basic research, broadening the scope of fundamental theoretical knowledge and, in applied research, developing new ways to use knowledge. Veterinary schools or veterinarian schools can be found worldwide and you are limited only by your ability to choose one. Veterinarians can be found as self-employed vets-working solo or in group practices, or as salaried employees of another veterinary practice, as government employees (typically in the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health Services), at colleges of veterinary medicine, medical schools, research laboratories, animal food companies, pharmaceutical companies and zoos. This accounted for about 58,000 jobs in 2002. According to the U.S. Department of Labor prospective veterinarians must graduate from a 4-year program at an accredited college of veterinary medicine with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M. or V.M.D.) degree and obtain a license to practice. There are 28 colleges in 26 States that meet accreditation standards set by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The prerequisites for admission vary by veterinary medical college. Many of these colleges do not require a bachelor's degree for entrance, but all require a significant number of credit hours-ranging from 45 to 90 semester hours-at the undergraduate level. However, most of the students admitted have completed an undergraduate program. Applicants without a bachelor's degree face a difficult task gaining admittance. As you would with any school decision-making process, check out the veterinary schools that you are contemplating to find the one that offers the education you want and need. You might find that you will have to move to attend such a school of veterinary medicine but it will be worth it as you embark on your career helping to care for the world's animals.
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Schools of Veterinary Medicine
