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How to Become a Veterinarian

If you have the dedication to work for free for many years before college even starts, work hard for up to 6 years to learn the basics and then continue to learn throughout your career.. congratulations, you might just make it as a veterinarain! Here are a few tips to help you on your way.

Steps
1. Work experience, work experience, work experience! I can't stress how important this is! Not only will this help you to decide if this career path is for you, but it will also show your dedication to the school(s) you eventually decided to apply to. I am currently a vet student, and worked every saturday morning for free for three and a half years. It's really important to get a good mix of practice and farm work as well.
2. Learn while you are on your placements. If you watch a puppy getting vaccinated, ask what its for! If you castrate a lamb, ask the farmer why! These are some of the questions that you could be asked in interviews, and some knowledge of the profession is required before you begin!
3. Study hard at school, veterinary schools can afford to be picky, so you will need top grades to get in. If you can manage this as well as the work experience, it shows not only dedication, but also ability. During your time at vet school you will need to do extra work experience, so this can't be an excuse for low grades!
4. Through your school try and get in touch with people in the years/grades above you who have gone on to vet school. Often their experiences with interviews can help you, and they may know of local work experience placements.
5. Keep up to date with vet related issues in the news and press, e.g BSE, bird flu, foot and mouth disease to name a few. Try and look into these issues as well, as often the news report version will be a watered down version for the general public, as an example... do you know what causes BSE? do you know what BSE stands for?

Tips
* Be open minded, many people start vet school with a passion for dogs, and leave as horse vets! 6 years in uni is a long time, and you will grow and change
* Have a back up plan, sadly not everyone who wants to be a vet will make it. There are still lots of careers working with animals or in animal health, such as veterinary nurses, veterinary scientists and pathologists

Warnings
* Be careful whilst on farms and especially in a vet practice. Animals are much more likely to injure you if they are stressed or in pain (so bascially every animal a vet practice!)

Things You'll Need
* A dedicated and enthusiastic personality, with a willingness to work for free to learn
* Top grades, and lots and lots of work experience
* The answers to some of my questions... BSE = bovine spongiform encephalopathy (means spongy brain disease in cows!) and is thought to be causedby prions, but there is a lot of debate about it... try looking about on the internet and see what else you can find out! View Article Source:
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