Veterinary Medicine Colleges

If you want to work with animals, a Veterinary Medicine program may be the way to go. In this major you’ll learn how to care for the health and welfare of a wide variety of animals. Whether you want to be a veterinarian, assistant or researcher, Veterinarian Medicine programs include courses in animal behavior, surgical procedures, nursing, laboratory testing, pharmacology and animal care.

Veterinary Medicine degrees are offered at all levels at technical schools, career colleges, community colleges, 4-year colleges and universities. Certificates and associate career training degrees are most common for students interested in veterinary technician careers. Bachelors degrees are best for veterinary technologist research careers. Veterinary Medicine majors who wish to be veterinarians pursue pre-veterinarian bachelors degrees and then go on to college and university Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine programs.

Compassionate animal lovers are the norm in Veterinarian Medicine programs. In this major you’ll work with all types of animals from ferrets to horses. You’ll also need to be a team player and possess great interpersonal skills for working with pet owners and coworkers. Being perceptive, attentive and patient helps, too.

Other Veterinary Medicine majors include Comparative and Laboratory Animal Medicine (Cert, MS, PhD); Laboratory Animal Medicine; Large Animal/Food Animal and Equine Surgery and Medicine (Cert, MS, PhD); Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine (Cert, MS, PhD); Theriogenology; Veterinary Anatomy (Cert, MS, PhD); Veterinary Anesthesiology; Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (Cert, MS. PhD); Veterinary Dentistry; Veterinary Dermatology; Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Medicine; Veterinary Infectious Diseases (Cert, MS, PhD); Veterinary Internal Medicine; Veterinary Medicine (DVM); Veterinary Microbiology; Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology (Cert, MS, PhD); Veterinary Nutrition; Veterinary Ophthalmology; Veterinary Pathology; Veterinary Pathology and Pathobiology (Cert, MS, PhD); Veterinary Physiology (Cert, MS, PhD); Veterinary Practice; Veterinary Preventive Medicine; Veterinary Preventive Medicine Epidemiology and Public Health (Cert, MS, PhD); Veterinary Radiology; Veterinary Residency Programs; Veterinary Sciences/Veterinary Clinical Sciences (Cert, MS, PhD); Veterinary Surgery; Veterinary Toxicology; Veterinary Toxicology and Pharmacology (Cert, MS, PhD); Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician and Veterinary Assistant and Zoological Medicine.

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Choosing a Veterinary Medicine School

Reputable technical schools, career colleges, community colleges, 4-year colleges and universities around the country offer Veterinary Medicine programs. Schools with on-campus animal facilities or partnerships with nearby vet clinics can offer valuable hands-on experience. If you’re interested in focusing on pets or farm animals, make sure the programs you’re considering offer the right type of instruction. Other possible specializations may include wildlife management, biotechnology or zoology. Pre-veterinary students may want to choose a college strong in sciences.

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Veterinary Medicine Degree Programs

Certificate and associate career training degrees in Veterinary Medicine prepare students for veterinary technician careers assisting vets in clinical offices. These 1 to 2-year programs are offered at technical schools, career colleges, community colleges, 4-year colleges and universities. Students can expect classes in animal nursing care techniques, dentistry, parasitology, anesthesiology, hospital procedures, applied biochemistry, immunology, radiology and preventative health care.

Technical school, college and university bachelors degree programs in Veterinary Medicine typically lead graduates to higher-paying careers as research veterinary technologists. Four-year programs include core liberal arts courses, extensive laboratory animal science coursework and often a built in internship.

Some Veterinary Medicine bachelors degree students choose a pre-veterinary path to prepare for a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, which is a must if you want a high-paying career as a veterinarian. Competition to get into these programs can be fierce because there are less than 30 available.

Veterinary Medicine Degree Programs:

Online Veterinary Medicine Degree Programs at Online Schools

Online Veterinary Medicine Schools:

High School Preparation

If you want to major in Veterinary Medicine in college, focus on math and science classes during high school, especially biology. Volunteer or part time work at a zoo, farm, animal shelter or vet’s office can give you hands-on experience and will impress college admissions officers. If you have a pet, ask your vet if you can job shadow him or her for a day to learn more.

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Popular Careers in the Field of Veterinary Medicine

Usually a Veterinary Medicine degree leads to a career as a veterinarian, veterinary technician or veterinary technologist. Most Veterinary Medicine degree-holders work in private medical clinics and hospitals treating pets, but some work with farm animals, aquariums, zoos or horses. Some choose careers in research working in diagnostic labs, food and drug manufacturing companies or biomedical facilities. Veterinarians with expertise in food safety, public health and animal welfare can find career opportunities with the Federal Government.

Employment opportunities for Veterinary Medicine majors are expected to grow much faster than average so jobs shouldn’t be hard to find. However, jobs in zoos and aquariums are always competitive. The job outlook is especially good for research positions for veterinary technologists who’ve graduated from a 4-year program.

Veterinarians see salaries between $61,000 and $104,000 on average. Those working with horses, large animals and farm animals exclusively earn salaries on the low end of the spectrum. Veterinary technologists and technicians earn between $24,000 and $35,000 on average, but usually research-oriented veterinary technologists earn salaries on the high end of the spectrum.

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