Veterinary Medicine

Nature of the Work

Veterinarians help animals and people live longer, healthier lives and serve society by preventing and treating animal diseases, improving the quality of the environment, ensuring the safety of food, and controlling diseases transmitted from animals. Prospective veterinarians must have good manual dexterity, an affinity for animals and the ability to get along with animal owners. Additionally, they should be able to quickly make decisions in emergencies. In 2022, there were approximately 124,069 veterinarians practicing in the United States. Typically, people envision veterinarians to work in private practices, but there are many other types of careers within the veterinary field, such as preventive medicine, regulatory veterinary medicine, military veterinary medicine, laboratory animal medicine, research and development in industry, public health, and teaching and research in a variety of basic science and clinical disciplines.

Occupational Outlook and Earnings

Employment of veterinarians is expected to increase much faster than average for all occupations through the year 2031, with a projected 19% growth in employment. In May 2021, the median annual salary of veterinarians in practice was $100,370.

Pre-Veterinary Preparation

There are 33 U.S. and 5 Canadian veterinary medical colleges/schools. Prospective veterinarians must graduate from a 4-year program at an accredited college of veterinary medicine, pass the national veterinary boards, and obtain a license to practice, which is controlled by each state and province.

Major

Most veterinary medical colleges will only consider applicants who have a minimum grade point average (GPA). The required GPA varies by school, from a low of 2.5 to a high of 3.2. Those who receive offers of admission usually have a GPA of 3.5 or better. Any major is appropriate as long as applicants take the required prerequisite courses. The prerequisites for admission vary by veterinary medical college. Many of these colleges do not require a bachelor’s degree for admission. However, most of the students admitted have completed an undergraduate program. It is not necessary that a student complete a program specifically labeled “pre-veterinary” or “pre-vet.” It is, however, necessary for applicants to complete all prerequisite requirements before enrolling in one of the 33 U.S. or 5 Canadian veterinary medical colleges/ schools.

Testing Requirements

Standardized test requirements also vary at each school. Applicants must submit test scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE-general and/or subject tests) or the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), depending on the preference of each college.

Clinical Experience

Veterinary medical colleges weigh heavily on a candidate’s veterinary and animal experience in admissions decisions. Formal experience, such as work with veterinarians or scientists in clinics, agribusiness, research, or in some area of health science, is particularly advantageous. Less formal experience, such as working with animals on a farm or ranch or at a stable or animal shelter, is also helpful. Students must demonstrate ambition and an eagerness to work with animals. Many schools require experience in more than 1 type of animal setting.

Two Educational Institutions in CA

The University of California, Davis
Western University of Health Sciences

Requirements for Admission

Prerequisite requirements vary significantly from one institution to another. For a complete list of specific veterinary school/college prerequisites, please refer to the Veterinary Medical School Admissions Requirements in the United States and Canada (VMSAR) or the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) website.


Pre-Veterinary Courses at PCC

Subject Course Number
Biology 010A, 010B, 010C
Chemistry 001A, 001B, 008A, 008B
Physics  031A, 031B or (008A, 008B, 008C) or (002A, 002B*)
Statistics 050

Notes:
*Physics 031A & 031B is preferred by most veterinary  schools. Students who choose to have majors other than biological sciences or chemistry may take Physics 002A & 002B in preparation for Veterinary schools. Students who major in engineering should complete Physics 008A, 008B, 008C.
The above lists of classes are requirements for most veterinary schools. For more specific requirements, students should check with individual veterinary schools.


Helpful Website for Pre-Veterinary Students: