WHAT
IS VETERINARY MEDICINE?
Veterinarians play a major role in the health care of pets, livestock, and
zoo, sporting, and laboratory animals. Some veterinarians use their skills
to protect humans against diseases carried by animals and conduct clinical
research on human and animal health problems. Others work in basic research,
broadening the scope of fundamental theoretical knowledge, and in applied research,
developing new ways to use knowledge. Most veterinarians perform clinical work
in private practices.
AREAS
OF SPECIALTY
Private Practice: The majority of veterinarians are owners of
a private practice but, as in the other health professions, group practices
are becoming increasingly more common. The practice may concentrate on
large animals, small animals, or a combination of the two. Small animal
practices have traditionally treated dogs and cats but veterinarians in
these practices are seeing growing numbers of pet birds and exotic animals,
including reptiles. Large animal practices often emphasize either horses
or cows and work is done both on a farm-call and an in-clinic basis. As
the number of pork-producing farms and goat and sheep herds increases,
practitioners are also receiving more calls to treat these animals. Some
practices are restricted to a certain type of caseload. An example is an
emergency clinic, which only sees patients on an emergency or "after
hours" basis. The mobile clinic or ambulatory unit has gained
popularity in recent years with its ability to bring veterinary medical
care directly to the patient. Specialty practices may also restrict caseloads
to specific problems, offering specialized care and facilities in cardiology,
equine supports medicine, neurology, ophthalmology, surgery, avian medicine,
embryo transfer, dermatology, or radiology.
Private
Industry: There are many opportunities for veterinarians
in private industry, particularly in the fields of nutrition and pharmaceuticals.
Veterinarians may help develop new products for animals, work in drug
research for a pharmaceutical company, diagnose disease and drug effects
as pathologists, or safeguard the health of laboratory animal colonies.
Veterinarians are also employed by zoos and aquariums and may act as
consultants to wildlife preservation groups or game farms.
Government
Agencies: Many government agencies at the federal, state,
and local levels employ veterinarians in regulatory and public health
work. This work may include the administration of meat and/or animal
quarantines, herd health checks for diseases transmissible to man, or
the care and maintenance of wildlife within state or federal parks or
coastal regions.
Military: Veterinarians
are employed in the Army Veterinary Corps and as Environmental Health Officers
in the Air Force.
Academic
Institutions: Academic institutions, particularly schools
of veterinary medicine, employ veterinarians as clinicians, researchers,
and teachers. Specifically, they may function as pathologists, microbiologists,
behaviorists, pharmacologists, anatomists, or specialists with the fields
of cardiology, dermatology, surgery, avian or aquatic medicine, equine
physiology, and many other areas.
DESIRED
SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES
Students who wish to become veterinarians must demonstrate ambition and an
eagerness to work with animals. In addition to satisfying preveterinary course
and testing requirements, veterinary medical colleges weigh heavily a candidate's
veterinary and animal experience. Formal experience, such as work with veterinarians
or scientists in clinics, agribusiness, research or some other 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.
EMPLOYMENT
OUTLOOK
Employment of veterinarians is expected to grow faster than average for all
occupations through the year 2008. Employment openings stemming from the need
to replace veterinarians who retire or otherwise leave the labor force will
be almost as numerous as new jobs resulting from employment growth over the
1998-2008 period.
RELATED
CAREERS
Veterinarians prevent, diagnose, and treat disorders and injuries in animals.
Those who do similar work for humans include chiropractors, dentists, optometrists,
physicians, and podiatrists.
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Pre-Professional
Veterinary Medicine
Biology
Life Sciences 1, 2, 3, 4. One year of coursework
with lab.
Notes: LS 1-4 will prepare you for the Biology section of the
VCAT. If you took LS 2 and 3 before Fall 98, then take
two additional life science lab courses (in departments such
as EEB
(Ecology and Evolutionary Biology),
MCD Bio, neuroscience, psychobiology, or physiological science).
Many schools recommend extra upper division life science courses
in addition to this basic requirement.
Chemistry
Life science or non-science majors: Chemistry 14A, 14B/BL,
14C/CL, 14D; plus 153A/L (biochemistry).
Physical, life or non-science majors: Chemistry 20A, 20B/L,
30A/AL, 30B/BL, 30C*; plus 153A/L (biochemistry). *Chem
30CL may not be required for applicants from the life science majors. General and organic chemistry
courses are required. Many schools include a separate requirement
for or a strong recommendation to take biochemistry. The
chemistry coursework will prepare you for the Chemisry section
of the VCAT.
Physics
Physics 6A, 6B, 6C or 6AH, 6BH, 6CH or 1A, 1B, 1C,
4AL, 4BL
One year with labs is generally required. Trigonometry-based physics
can also satisfy this requirement, but UCLA only offers calculus-based
courses and these are required for the various science majors.
Math
Math 3A, 3B, 3C or 31A, 31B, 32A
This is your preparation for calculus-based physics. Several schools
require one year of college level math. For other schools, this
requirement is strongly recommended, especially as preparation
for physics. One year of math can include statistics (see below)
and computer programming classes
(PIC 10A, 10B, 10C). These courses will prepare
you for the Quantitative Ability section of the VCAT.
Statistics
Statistics 10, M11, M12, 13, Biostatistics or Biomath,
Psychology 100A*
One quarter of statistics is required for some schools including
UCLA and strongly recommended for others. *Check with individual
schools for acceptability of classes offered outside of the Statistics
department. These courses will prepare you for the Quantitative
Ability section of the VCAT.
Other
recommended or required courses
Other
Biology
Physiology, microbiology, genetics, embryology, and cellular
biology are all recommended. Check with each individual department
counselor for availability of upper division courses.
| Physiology |
Phy
Sci M166 (usually offered in the summer)
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| Genetics |
Life
Science 4 or MCD Bio CM156
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| Embryology |
MCD
Bio 138
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| Cell
Biology |
Any
upper division cell biology class will work for
most schools (e.g. EE Bio/PS M158, any MCD Biology
class)
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| Microbiology |
MIMG
101/101L (or some schools will also accept MIMG
102/102L)
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English
One year of college level literature and composition. Writing
I and Writing II courses, select general education literature
courses, and any upper division English literature or English
Composition courses will satisfy this requirement. Please
see the “English requirement for health professions schools”
sheet for a complete list of suggested courses. These courses
will prepare you for the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
sections of the VCAT.
Foreign
Language
Knowledge and cultural competency in any language other than English
is a valuable asset to working in a health care field. If your
future plans include working in California or the southwestern
states, Spanish is highly valued and somewhat expected. Ask yourself:
Can I walk into a hospital room and get a patient history in another
language? If the answer is no, then consider taking college level
foreign language classes to brush up on your skills.
Other
Humanities and Social Science courses
are strongly recommended. The non-science GPA is
an important component to your overall academic record and
liberal arts education. Courses in the following can enhance
your communication skills and overall understanding of the
world: Anthropology, Communication Studies, Economics,
any ethnic studies area (e.g. Women’s Studies, LGBT Studies,
Afro-American Studies, Chicana/Chicano Studies, Near Eastern
Studies), Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology,
and Speech to name a few.
Computer
skills are strongly recommended. Many programs have
incorporated computers and electronic media into their curriculum.
Several programs are strongly recommending that a student owns
a computer. Other programs have indicated that they will soon
have the purchase of a computer as part of the requirements
of their program.
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ANIMAL
AND VETERINARY EXPERIENCE
Experience
in veterinary clinics and in research laboratories is strongly
encouraged. Some schools require a minimum of 300 hours of veterinary
medical exposure and animal experience by fall of the year you
are applying to the school. (UC Davis requires 180 hrs.) Try
to become involved with animals and/or working in a veterinary
practice. Such involvement could consist of breeding, rearing,
feeding, and showing various species of animals including companion
animals, livestock, laboratory animals, zoo animals, or wildlife.
The importance of working with a veterinarian before applying
to veterinary school is vital and all animal experience is helpful
and will look favorable on an application. The current trend
seems to be that most veterinary colleges favor those applicants
with a significant number of hours working in a veterinary setting.
For example, currently at UC Davis, those applicants who were
admitted into the veterinary or biomedical programs had an average
of 2,000 hours working in a veterinary setting.
STANDARDIZED
TESTS AND TIMELINES
Most
veterinary medical colleges require one or more standardized tests:
the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Veterinary College Admission
Test (VCAT), or Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Check with
your schools of interest to find out which standardized exam is
required. Please
note that although a few veterinary schools
accept the MCAT, most of them want the GRE.
The
best time to take the exams is in the spring or summer prior
to the year you plan to enter veterinary school. Application
materials for any of the exams can be picked up at the Pre-Professional
Services Office.
APPLICATION
PROCESS
In addition to taking the required exams, you will need to contact
each veterinary medical school you want to attend to find out if
they participate in VMCAS. The Veterinary Medical Colleges Application
Service (VMCAS) is a centralized application service, which provides
for the collection, processing, verification and distribution of
applicant data to the participating colleges for their use in the
applicant selection process. VMCAS applications are available in
July at the Pre-Professional Services office. Applications should
be returned by late summer of the year prior to entering.
MINIMUM
GPA (RECOMMENDED)
Schools vary in terms of the GPA of their entering classes but
most schools require GPA's of 2.8 or above. Aside from cumulative
GPA, applicants are evaluated on the basis of science GPA, experience
and achievements in veterinary and animal related work, research,
letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, maturity
and broad cultural perspective, and motivation and dedication to
the veterinary career.
CHOOSING
A SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
There are currently 28 veterinary medical schools in the United
States, the newest one is part of Western University in Pomona,
CA, and four schools are in Canada. Many schools restrict acceptance
to residents of their own state. Therefore, applying to an in-state
school increases your chances of being accepted. In addition, students
typically pay less tuition at in-state schools than at out-of state
institutions. This, however, should not limit you to in-state schools,
especially considering that the only veterinary school in California
is at UC Davis. Be sure to check the Veterinary Medical School
Admissions Requirements (VMSAR) catalog, available at the Pre-Professional
Services Office, regarding the admissions and residency requirements
of out-of-state veterinary schools. Further information may also
be obtained on the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
website: www.aavmc.org.
For
a list of U.S. schools and colleges of veterinary medicine, send
a letter sized self addressed stamped envelope to:
American
Veterinary Medical Association
1931 N. Meacham Rd., Suite 100
Schaumburg, IL 60173
www.avma.org
For
further information on veterinary education, write to:
Association of American Veterinary Colleges
1101 Vermont Ave. NW, Suite 710
Washington, DC 20005
All
programs at schools of veterinary medicine lead to a Doctorate
in Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.). They require four years of post-baccalaureate
work and, following graduation, students must pass the required
tests and/or practical examinations of the state in which they
wish to practice.
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ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
HOW
CAN THE UCLA CAREER CENTER HELP?
The Career Center offers a wide range of workshops to
assist you in preparing for graduate and professional school. Workshop
topics range from Graduate School Planning to Resume Writing and
Mock Interviewing. In addition, a number of special programs and
panels related to the healthcare/veterinary field are planned for
Career Week to be held in January. A list of workshops and special
programs can be found on the Career Center's web site: career.ucla.edu
PERSONAL
STATEMENT
For assistance with developing the personal statement, the Career
Center Resources Library houses several publications on this topic.
In addition, the Career Center will be conducting workshops on Developing
a Winning Personal Statement in conjunction with
Academics in the Commons. For assistance in developing your personal
statement, Composition tutors are able to assist students in the
writing process, contact Academics in the Commons (228 Covel Commons)
at 310.206.1493. Once your personal statement has been critiqued,
you may also want to have a final review by a Career Counselor
at the UCLA Career Center. The first step would be to arrange a
drop-in counseling appointment. Consult the Career Centers' web
site listed above for more information about drop-in counseling
hours and personal statement workshops.
HEALTH
CARE RELATED INTERNSHIPS
Experiential educational and volunteer programs are an excellent
way to expand your knowledge of the health professions beyond the
classroom. Participation in health related internships will strengthen
your application to professional schools and provide exposure experiences
that can be highlighted in the personal statement. A select number
of health care internships focusing on research, legislation and
public policy are available through the Career Center's internship
office on a local, national and international basis. A sampling
of internship opportunities include (but are not limited to) the
National Institute of Health, the Surgeon General's Office, Cedar
Sinai, AIDS Action, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
and the American Heart Association. Visit the Career Center's Internship
and Study Abroad Services Office for a resource sheet handout providing
an overview of health related internships. Please visit career.ucla.edu
for more information.
LETTERS
OF RECOMMENDATION
Most veterinary schools require three to four letters of recommendation,
with a minimum of two from science professors and one from a person
for whom you have worked, such as a veterinarian. The Career Center
offers UCLA students and alumni a service which stores and sends
letters of recommendation to graduate schools. To open a PPS letter
file, visit career.ucla.edu.
All letters should be forwarded directly to the career center by
the author, as these are confidential documents.
VETERINARY
RELATED BOOKS
(Available in the UCLA Career Center
Resource Lab)
Opportunities
in Veterinary Medicine Careers, Swope,Robert E. (VGM Career Horizons)
Pre-Veterinary Planning Guide, Crawford, Jane Diehl (Betz Publishing
Company)
Veterinary Medical Schools Admissions Requirements in the U.S.
American Assoc. of Veterinary Colleges (Purdue University Press)
VETERINARY
RELATED WEB SITES
American
Veterinary Medical Association www.avma.org
FDA
site: Center for Veterinary Medicine www.fda.gov/cvm/default.htm
CAREER
INFORMATION
For
information on Federal agencies that employ veterinarians, write
to:
National Association of Federal Veterinarians
1101 Vermont Ave. NW, Suite 710
Washington DC 20005