Medical Training of a Dog Doctor
A dog doctor, or veterinarian, trains for four years after college in veterinary school. During this training, the student must learn to treat all animals including dogs, cats, horses, cows, other farm animals and exotic animals. Once a veterinarian completes his or her initial medical training, he can choose to become a doctor for a specific type of animal, or he can choose to treat several types of animals.
Pre Veterinary Preparation
Because the veterinary curriculum is intense, a thorough grounding in basic sciences is an absolute necessity for students entering veterinary school. All United States veterinary schools require undergraduate coursework including basic and upper level biology with laboratories, organic and inorganic chemistry with laboratories, physics and other classes in the sciences, social sciences and humanities. Specific requirements, however, vary between schools. In addition to academic training in the sciences, veterinary schools require applicants to have substantial experience with animals, preferably in a medical setting.
Veterinary School
The veterinary curriculum in the United States varies from to school in exact details, but it includes instruction in the basic and clinical sciences. Courses cover anatomy, microbiology, embryology, radiology, histology, nutrition, neuroscience, physiology, pharmacology, animal behavior, genetics, medicine, surgery, anesthesia, epidemiology, animal reproduction and other critical subjects for future veterinarians. Course work also includes laboratory sessions and supervised clinical practice.
Clinical Training
Typically during the third and fourth years of the veterinary curriculum, students transition from the classroom to the clinic. Upper level veterinary students work in teaching or private hospitals under the supervision of qualified specialists. These students see appointments, perform procedures, treat patients and learn how to put classroom knowledge into practice. Those who will practice small animal medicine and become dog doctors, spend the majority of their time working in small animal practice, developing the clinical skills needed to provide high quality medical care to cats and dogs.