Veterinary Courses in College

When pursuing a career as a veterinarian, it is important to make sure you get the necessary education.  Students need to take pre-veterinary classes in undergrad school and apply to veterinary school in their senior year.  It is much easier to do well in classes when you know what classes to prepare for.

Prerequisites

• English - Proper English is needed in order to accurately write reports and communicate with clients and other professionals.


• Chemistry - General chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry are all necessary prerequisites for a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.


• Biology - Biology, molecular genetics and microbiology are studies a student must master in order to become a DVM.


• Mathematics - Algebra, trigonometry and general physics are important classes for veterinarians to do well in as part of their prerequisite curriculum.

Major Program

• Anatomy - Canine, equine and food animal anatomy are required courses at the Ohio State University veterinary college.  These courses teach scholars the parts of an animal to examine when examining and checking for injury.


• Body systems - The endocrine, respiratory, urinary, musculoskeletal, digestive, reproductive and integumentary systems must all be understood for a veterinarian to accurately diagnose and treat animals and pets.


• Techniques - Medical and surgical techniques for equine, food animal and small animal species are studied so that future veterinarians can perform safe and effective surgeries on all their patients.


• Professional development classes - These classes include basic life skills, ethics and jurisprudence, career strategies, leadership success, communications, career development and practice success to prepare scholars for the interpersonal and business aspects of a veterinary practice.


• Clinicals - In the fourth year of veterinary school, clinical rotations are required so that veterinary students can put all that they learned in lecture into practice.  Students have a chance to prove they are ready for the responsibility of being a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.