The Canyon

Veterinary Medicine

Veterinarians help animals and people live longer, healthier lives by preventing and treating animal disease, improving the quality of the environment, ensuring the safety of food, controlling diseases transmitted from animals, and advancing medical knowledge.

Health Care Settings

Approximately 60,000 veterinarians are practicing in the United States. About 75% are in private practice, half of whom specialize in small animals. Most others have a mixed practice, and less than 10% specialize in large animals. Research positions in clinical laboratories or in industry are also available. The number of women in veterinary medicine is rapidly growing; approximately 70 percent of current veterinary students are women.

Specialization

In addition to private practice, there are several specialty areas for veterinarians:

Laboratory animal veterinarians:
oversee the housing, feeding, breeding and general health of animals used in research.
Research
developing and testing vaccines, serums and other biological agents to better treat diseases in both animals and humans.
Basic and applied research
to better understand the nature of disease, immunity, health and longevity.
Public health inspectors of milk, meats, and other animal food products
oversee the interstate transport of animals

Average Salary

The average salary in 2004 for first year graduates was $49,635 for private practice and $50,149 for those public and corporate employees. In 2003, the median salary for all veterinarians in private practice was $77,500, while the median salary for public and corporate employed vets was $98,000.

Education

The D.V.M. degree, (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) is awarded after four years of study at one of the 27 U.S. veterinary schools. Last year, 2,656 students graduated from veterinary school, and 100% found veterinary-related employment or chose to continue their education in order to specialize in a particular clinical area or species. In order to practice after graduating, state licensure is required. Although it is possible to apply to veterinary school after three years of undergraduate study and completion of all course prerequisites, most students admitted to veterinary school first earn an undergraduate degree at a four-year college or university. Admission to veterinary school requires a very high GPA (usually above 3.5), good scores on the VCAT or GRE exams*, and a significant amount of experience working or volunteering in a veterinary setting.

The prerequisite courses for veterinary school admission vary slightly from school to school. Some require calculus; others do not. Some require a course in statistics; others do not. Check the Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements handbook or individual school catalogues in the Office of Biomedical Professions before registering for these courses. Most veterinary schools do require, however, a year of biology, a year of general chemistry, at least one semester of organic chemistry, and a semester of physics. Many also ask for a course in biochemistry and a course in genetics.

* Some veterinary schools require the Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT); others require the Graduate Record Exam (GRE); a few will accept the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Check with individual schools or school catalogues for this information.

WICHE: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). VMCAS is the central distribution, collection, and processing service for applications to the veterinary medical colleges.

2006 ADMISSIONS STATISTICS:

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Recommended Reference:

Veterinary Medical school Admission Requirements in the United States and Canada (VMSAR). The annual VMSAR provides useful information on the 27 U.S. and 4 Canadian veterinary schools.

To order a copy, contact: