Veterinarian
Have you always enjoyed working with animals? Do you want to combine your interest of animals with your interest in science? Then perhaps Veterinary Medicine is the route for you. Veterinarians practice around the world, working with a wide range of animals from domestic house cats to Siberian tigers. Veterinarians may use their education in a variety of ways, such as teaching and research, private practice, biomedical and pharmaceutical research, protecting public health, regulatory medicine, environmental health, zoologic medicine, animal-assisted therapy, wildlife management, aquatic animal medicine, and agribusiness.
Degrees
Prospective veterinarians must graduate from a 4-year program at an accredited college of veterinary medicine with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M. or V.M.D.) degree and obtain a license in order to practice. There are 28 colleges in the U.S. that meet accreditation standards. Although many of these colleges do not require a bachelor's degree for entrance, most admitted students have completed an undergraduate degree. Vets may specialize in areas such as molecular biology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, immunology, diagnostic pathology, or environmental medicine with additional post-graduate education.
Cornell Courses and Other Requirements
Cornell provides excellent preparation for students interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. Veterinary schools are highly competitive and seek students with strong science backgrounds, as well as backgrounds in the social sciences. Please note that the prerequisite course requirements vary from school to school. As such, it is essential that you review the specific requirements at the schools where you plan to apply.
Most schools require the following coursework:
- English/writing/comparative literature courses (2 courses)
- General Biology (2 courses)
- General Chemistry (2 courses)
- Organic Chemistry I and II (2 courses)
- Physics (2 courses)
- Mathematics (2 courses—either Calculus I or II and Statistics)
Several schools also require:
- Biochemistry (1 course)
- Microbiology (1 course)
- Genetics (1 course)
- Public speaking (1 course)
The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) provides a summary of vet school prerequisite requirements for each of their member institutions.
- Undergraduate degree demonstrating language and communication skills, and completion of courses in the social sciences, humanities, math, biology, chemistry, and physics.
- Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) application.
- Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). (A few schools require the MCAT, so be sure to thoroughly research your schools of choice early on!)
To apply to Veterinary Medicine programs, visit:
Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS)