Pre-Vet Help

[PrettyRicki]

I am a recent high school graduate and I am going to be attending community college for a year or two. I am wanting to become a vet but I am so lost on what steps I should take to do that. What courses should I take in community college? Would it be a waste of time to receive a degree as a veterinary technician and then go into vet school? Please help me with some guidance on what I should do. Thank you!

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[Ashgirl]

I am a recent high school graduate and I am going to be attending community college for a year or two. I am wanting to become a vet but I am so lost on what steps I should take to do that. What courses should I take in community college? Would it be a waste of time to receive a degree as a veterinary technician and then go into vet school? Please help me with some guidance on what I should do. Thank you!

Hello there, and welcome to SDN!

During college, regardless of what you major in, you'll need to make sure you take all of the "pre-reqs." This can be looked up on each school's websites, and can vary a little with each school. The common ones are general bio I + II, gen chem I + II, physics I + II, humanities, biochemistry, organic chem I + II, speech and/or composition, cell bio, genetics, etc. Keep in mind that a few schools may require some of the upper division science classes (like biochemistry and microbiology) to be taken at a 4 yr university.

In general, if the end goal for you is to become a vet, it is not recommended to become a vet tech first. Yes, you'll get some good experience, but a lot of the classes that you take will not count as a pre-req and you'll simply have to spend more time and money to take more classes.

 

[Frozenshades]

Hello there, and welcome to SDN!

During college, regardless of what you major in, you'll need to make sure you take all of the "pre-reqs." This can be looked up on each school's websites, and can vary a little with each school. The common ones are general bio I + II, gen chem I + II, physics I + II, humanities, biochemistry, organic chem I + II, speech and/or composition, cell bio, genetics, etc. Keep in mind that a few schools may require some of the upper division science classes (like biochemistry and microbiology) to be taken at a 4 yr university.

In general, if the end goal for you is to become a vet, it is not recommended to become a vet tech first. Yes, you'll get some good experience, but a lot of the classes that you take will not count as a pre-req and you'll simply have to spend more time and money to take more classes.

And it depends on the state laws where you are, as there are varying levels of technician work that non-certified people can do anyway.

 

[aspirevet]

I would find a vet near you and ask if you can shadow/observe them! See if you like the idea of being a vet or going into vetmed in general.