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Veterinary Medicine

What Does a Veterinarian Do?

Whether they’re pets, livestock or working animals, animals matter to individuals and society. Every community needs veterinary professionals to provide animal health care, but veterinarians also do many other kinds of jobs. They make sure the nation’s food supply is safe. They work to control the spread of diseases. They conduct research that helps both animals and humans. Veterinarians are at the forefront of protecting the public’s health and welfare.
 
Besides medical skills, veterinarians often take a holistic approach to human well-being and animal welfare that, combined with communications and problem-solving skills, makes veterinarians uniquely qualified to fulfill a variety of roles. Many veterinarians, of course, provide care for companion animals through private medical practices, but veterinarians are also involved in promoting the health and welfare of farm animals, exotic animals, working animals (like those in the equine industry), and those that need a healthy environment in which to thrive, whether that environment is a rain forest, a desert or even the ocean.
 

What should I major in?

Although the majority of Vet-Med Schools do not require a specific undergraduate major, due to the academic preparation required for the MCAT and Vet-Med School application, the most common Pre-Vet majors at NMSU are: Animal Science (Science Option), Biology

Required Courses:

Public Speaking (COMM 1130G)
General Biology (BIOL 2610G/2610L and BIOL 2110G/2110L)
General Chemistry (CHEM 1215G and CHEM 1225G)
Trigonometry and Precalculus (MATH 1250G)
English Composition (ENGL 1110G and ENGL 2210G)
Physics (PHYS 1230G/1230L or PHYS 2230G/2230L & PHYS 1240G/1240L or 2240G/2240L)
Animal Physiology (BIOL 381)
Organic Chemistry (CHEM 313, 314 and 315L)
General Microbiology (BIOL 311/311L)
Animal Nutrition (ANSC 442)
Genetics (BIOL 305 or ANSC 305)

Recommended Courses:

Zoology Statistics Calculus I Calculus II Cell Biology Organic Chemistry II Humanities and Social Sciences Foreign Language Psychology Sociology Philosophy Anthropology Economic

*Although coursework listed is recommended by most Veterinary Schools, admissions requirements may vary from school to school. Please check specific veterinary school admission websites for detailed prerequisite requirements

Career Opportunities

Companion animal veterinarians diagnose and provide treatment for animal health problems, consult with owners of animals about preventative health care, and carry out medical and surgical procedures, such as vaccinations, dental work, and setting fractures.
Equine veterinarians work with horses.
Food animal veterinarians work with farm animals such as pigs, cattle, and sheep. They spend much of their time at farms and ranches treating illnesses and injuries and testing for and vaccinating against disease.
Food safety and inspection veterinarians inspect and test livestock and animal products for major animal diseases, provide vaccines to treat animals, enhance animal welfare, conduct research to improve animal health, and enforce government food safety regulations.
Research veterinarians work in laboratories, conducting clinical research on human and animal health problems, illnesses and diseases.

Salary and Job Outlook

Median Salary: $84,460 per year/$40.61 per hour
Projected 12% growth from 2012 to 2022

Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine
Glendale, Arizona
Seats: 100
Average GPA (Science): Inaugural class, Fall 2014
Average GPA (Overall): Inaugural class, Fall 2014
Average MCAT Score: Inaugural class, Fall 2014

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Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Fort Collins, Colorado
Seats: 138
Average GPA (Science): n/a
Average GPA (Overall): 3.60
Average GRE Score: 155 (V) 150 (Q)

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Western University of Health Sciences
Pomona, California
Seats: 105
Average GPA (Science): 3.26
Average GPA (Overall): 3.29
Average GRE Score: 153 (V) 153 (Q)

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University of California—Davis School of Veterinary Med.
Davis, California
Seats: 138
Average GPA (Science): 3.54
Average GPA (Overall): 3.63
Average GRE Score: 574 (V) 701 (Q)

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