How to Become a Veterinarian: 8 Requirements 

If you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, there’s a good chance that one of the first professions they’ll mention is a veterinarian. There seems to be an indelible connection between kids and animals. Often, these pet-obsessed youngsters will carry their dream of becoming a veterinarian into adulthood and decide to pursue this career path. 

Although the road to becoming a veterinarian can be long and challenging, it’s ultimately a rewarding career that’s well worth the effort for those who are passionate about animal care.

If you’ve always dreamed of helping animals, this step-by-step guide will explain how to become a veterinarian—from the classroom to the examination room. 

Step 1: Understand What Veterinarians Do

Before committing to the field, it’s worth looking closely at what vets do. Generally speaking, veterinary practitioners work closely with animals in pursuit of better health for animals and humans. 

A typical day for a vet might include:

• Examining and checking animal health issues
• Diagnosing and treating animal health problems
• Performing surgery
• Dressing wounds
• Conducting lab tests such X-rays and blood tests
• Determining which medications to prescribe
• Vaccinating animals
• Keeping animal medical records
• Communicating healthy practices to pet and livestock owners

If surgery and prescribing medications don’t sound like your forte, you can become a veterinary technician, or a vet tech, by completing a two-year program at a community college, veterinary college, or university. Vet techs assist veterinarians with a wide range of tasks, anything from taking vital signs to educating animal owners.

Step 2: Prepare for Your Post-Secondary Schooling

No matter where you are in your life or career, you can begin preparing for a job as a veterinarian before you even sign up for a degree program. 

Veterinarians rely on hard skills, like general sciences, as well as soft “people skills,” like communication and showing care and compassion. Therefore, as a future vet, it can be helpful to familiarize yourself with the following topics:

• Biology – Essentially the study of life, biology is one of the most important sciences involved in veterinary medicine. The study of biology also includes other important sciences, like anatomy and physiology. 
• Chemistry – Clinical chemistry is an integral part of practicing veterinary medicine. Vets rely on a chemistry background to perform laboratory testing, measure the progression of animal diseases, and gauge responses to treatment, among other important tasks.
• Physics – An understanding of how animal bodies function is crucial knowledge for a veterinarian. This understanding will allow you to spot irregularities, make diagnoses, and safely treat your patients. 
• Animal psychology – Vets don’t only need to understand the biology of different animal species—they also need to understand how animals process their experiences and surroundings, and how they communicate their needs to humans. 
• Communications – Aside from being something of an animal whisperer, you’ll also need to be able to communicate clearly with pet owners, colleagues, medical representatives, and other people you’ll work closely with as a vet. 
• Business – If your long-term goal is to open your own practice, augmenting your veterinary education with a strong background in business can help you develop the skills you’ll need to succeed outside of the examination room. 

Step 3: Enroll in an Undergraduate Program 

What education is required to become a veterinarian? To go to vet school, you’ll want to make sure you acquire a bachelor’s degree first. An undergraduate degree program can provide you with some of the skills you’ll use daily in vet school and help you fulfill any prerequisites, ensuring that you’re as prepared as possible for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. 

What bachelor’s degree is needed for veterinary school? Generally speaking, any bachelor’s degree can act as a springboard to vet school. In fact, even English and math majors have gone on to become successful veterinary students and doctors. 

However, if you want to choose a major that can better prepare you for the topics you’ll cover in veterinary school, you’ll want to consider the following programs:  

• Pre-veterinary medicine
• Animal science
• Biochemistry
• Zoology
• Biology

Step 4: Apply to Veterinary School

To work as a vet in the U.S., you’ll need a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree (D.V.M) from an accredited school.

At the time of writing, the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has accredited or granted “reasonable assurance” to 54 schools of veterinary medicine worldwide. Thirty-three of those schools are located in the United States according to the AAVMC, so finding a veterinary program that’s best for you shouldn’t be too difficult.

Vet school typically takes around four years to complete; the first three years consist of in-class studies, while the final year usually involves clinical rotations. Clinical rotations provide you with invaluable hands-on veterinary experience that gives you the opportunity to translate your classroom learning into real-world skills. As part of your rotations, you’ll typically:

• Work with a fully-trained, licensed veterinarian
• Begin seeing patients
• Start learning and implementing procedures

Step 5: Earn Your Veterinary Licenses 

To graduate from vet school (and legally work as a vet), you’ll have to pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE). Doing so requires that you submit two separate applications: 

• NAVLE application – This is a general application to take the exam that you’ll submit to the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA). This application is necessary if you want to obtain a license to practice veterinary medicine in any U.S. state or in Canada.
• NAVLE state/territorial application – You’ll submit this application to your state or territory’s licensing board. The steps for submitting and having your application approved vary from state to state. 

Additionally, some states require a separate license to practice, so be sure to check with your state government to find out more about your specific requirements.