VeterinariansDo you love animals and science? Maybe the right profession for you is veterinary medicine! Some important things you need to know if you are interested in becoming a veterinarian are school, the different types of veterinarians, and the logistics of being a veterinarian. Education Becoming a veterinarian requires years of schooling. By planning ahead, some courses that should have already been taken before college include many science classes such as biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, zoology, microbiology, and animal science. Most of them are required by veterinary medicine programs. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college is also strongly recommended (Employment Outlook Handbook). Another thing to consider is taking pre-veterinary courses. These courses typically emphasize science, but also business management and career development. These are especially useful for veterinarians interested in running their own practice (College Grad). Something to keep in mind is that admission to veterinary medicine programs is very competitive. In 2012, less than half of applicants were accepted into the program. A good thing to have in your application is experience, which carries a very high weight. In particular, formal experience such as having worked with scientists in the health sciences is helpful, but less formal experience such as working in an animal shelter (Employment Outlook Handbook). Those who are admitted will follow a veterinary medicine program which, if completed and passed, results in the title of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine which, in addition to the state license, qualifies you to practice as a veterinarian! The program usually lasts about four years. The first three years are spent doing classroom, lab, and clinic work, then…half of paper…and more beyond caring for animals. The most common things for which animals regularly come to veterinarians to take care of are: • Spaying and neutering animals • Examining animals to diagnose their health problems • Diagnosing and treating animals for medical conditions • Treating and medicating wounds • Perform surgery on animals • Test for and vaccinate against diseases • Use medical equipment such as In addition to helping sick animals, another option for veterinarians is to do scientific research and try to create new medicines (Fact Monster). So, does the veterinary profession sound fun to you? It requires a lot of hard work during school, but the daily work with the animals makes up for this!