what is a better route to go these days if i wanted to become a veterinarian? Should i get a bachelors in animal science first or go to a trade school and become a vet tech first? what are the most efficient routes to go when the ultimate goal is a degree in veterinary medicine?
Need a little guidance..
- Thread starter Spintix
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Get a BS in something you enjoy that will give you an solid career should you not get accepted or decide later that vet med is not for you. You do not have to get a BS in a science related field, just take all the required courses (different schools require different things, so do research) and perhaps some additional upper level division science courses as a way to show you can handle the science courseload. If you dont get in or change your mind you can always go to school for vet technology, but being a vet tech program will not satisfy the academic requirements for veterinary school.
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Get your B.S. You probably don't need to become a registered vet tech...I know many people who worked at clinics without doing an extra "trade school". I don't know how true it is, but I've been told that being a registered vet tech is not super highly regarded if you want to get in to vet school. Again, I can't speak for admissions committees, but I've been told that it's better to show that you can be a good student so that the school can teach you 'their way' of doing things. Definitely get experience, but you really don't need an extra license/certification to get experience
but then how can i get "experience"? besides being a volunteer how else can you get an actual job at a veterinary clinic in order to get experience? if you aren't a vet or a vet tech then what job is there for people new to the field
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Kennel workers, vet assistants, receptionists, even vet technicians. You do not have to be certified/licensed to be a vet tech in most areas, although you may be limited in what you can do when it comes to the animals.
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"Vet assistant."
Different states have different rules regarding who can do what in a clinic - sometimes the duties of a LVT/RVT are very distinct and the assistant can only restrain animals and clean up poop, but other times the duties are basically identical.
Also, the importance of being in a vet clinic is to see what goes on, what being a vet is really like. You don't have to have special duties in order to observe, and really, you don't even have to work there - you can just shadow.
Keep in mind all the different sorts of places to get vet experience - small animal clinics, large animal clinics or farm calls, zoos, wildlife rehab places, shelters... and don't forget about animal experience, because that counts too.
No reason to worry yet - just figure out what sort of BS you want and look for experience along the way. 🙂
ETA: Oh, and there's research too!
Different states have different rules regarding who can do what in a clinic - sometimes the duties of a LVT/RVT are very distinct and the assistant can only restrain animals and clean up poop, but other times the duties are basically identical.
Also, the importance of being in a vet clinic is to see what goes on, what being a vet is really like. You don't have to have special duties in order to observe, and really, you don't even have to work there - you can just shadow.
Keep in mind all the different sorts of places to get vet experience - small animal clinics, large animal clinics or farm calls, zoos, wildlife rehab places, shelters... and don't forget about animal experience, because that counts too.
No reason to worry yet - just figure out what sort of BS you want and look for experience along the way. 🙂
ETA: Oh, and there's research too!
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I will second all of the above. Get experience, lots of it and in as many different areas as possible, even if you have no interest in actually doing that kind of medicine. It shows that you have indeed looked into a lot of options, and are serious and committed to the field as a whole. Also, few people I know who have gotten in actualy WORKED at a clinic, most just have 500 - 750+ hours of volunteer/shadowing hours. Particularly in areas where there is a vet school, actual paying jobs - even poop scooping jobs - are few and far between. Too much competition for the few places available.
Also again, get a BS in a field you are interested in/can use elsewhere if you do not go to vet school, and not all that many LVTs get accepted. Many do, but many also do not from what I have been told by insiders. LVTtoDVM is our favorite of those who have!
Also again, get a BS in a field you are interested in/can use elsewhere if you do not go to vet school, and not all that many LVTs get accepted. Many do, but many also do not from what I have been told by insiders. LVTtoDVM is our favorite of those who have!
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I second what others have said before, but a word of caution- those students who had non-science majors and just took pre-reqs to get in are truly struggling with the curriculum pretty much across the board in my class. A science based degree will not only give you the knowledge you need but also teach you how to handle a rigorous science curriculum in terms of time management, study skills, etc. Just another consideration you should make.
