Veterinary Requirements

Veterinarians are trained to care for all types of animals including pets, zoo animals and livestock. Their duties are to determine why animals are sick and to treat their illnesses. They may also be employed as animal researchers or assist in controlling diseases given to humans through food, especially meat.

Pre-Veterinary Degree
To have a career as a veterinarian, one must first obtain a bachelor's degree. There is no specific degree that is required, but it is suggested that students take courses in biology, chemistry, genetics and microbiology.

Veterinary School
There are currently 28 schools throughout the United States that are accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Education. It is estimated that one in three applicants who apply to veterinary school actually are accepted. As part of the application process, students must take the GRE, or Graduate Record Examination. 

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree
Once a student is admitted, they will attend the veterinary school for four years. Once completed, the student receives a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. During their time at veterinary school, the students will learn the basics of science education during the first two years in a classroom setting. The last two years of schooling are focused on clinical instruction where the students use hands-on experience in diagnosing and treating animals while being supervised by a trained veterinarian. 

Licensing
In the United States, all veterinarians must be licensed by their state licensing board. Requirements for getting a license will vary from state to state, but every state does require veterinarians to have a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree as well as passing the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam. This test lasts eight hours and has 360 questions that are all multiple choice, testing your overall knowleft of US veterinary practice.