I wish that I could say that everyone who works hard and is passionate about animals could follow their dreams of becoming a veterinarian. However, that is simply not the reality of the world we live in. Each year thousands of students apply to the very limited number of veterinary schools in the United States and approximately 7-12% of those students are accepted. Veterinary school is one of the most competitive professional/graduate programs out there as the requirements are high, the number of seats is low, and the number of students applying is high. As a result, most students do not get admitted during their first, second, or even third application cycles. It can take many students additional education, such as a masters program, and several more years before they are accepted into a veterinary program. Even with that additional time, money, and experience many will never be admitted into a program and will have to fall back on their secondary career option. I don’t mean to seem harsh about the prospects of getting into veterinary school, but this is the reality of choosing this career path. There is a very good chance that you will have to apply multiple times and potentially never get in.

 

Much of the difficulty of getting into veterinary school lies in the very high and competitive requirements for admissions. Frankly, if you aren’t getting A’s and B’s in your core science classes then your likelihood of getting in is very slim and you should probably look at other career option. I’m not saying this to dash your dreams or convince you that you aren’t good enough, but I have just seen too many students get through their entire undergraduate career as a pre-veterinary student and then not get in because they didn’t take their studies seriously enough or were unable to reach the veterinary school requirements. Being a pre-veterinary student isn’t just a college pathway, it is basically a way of life because it is so demanding in and out of school.

 

Before you head down this pathway any further, you need to make sure that you are fully committed. For the duration of your undergraduate career you need to put your academics before your social life. When your friends want to go out the night before you have a test, you are going to need to stay home in your pajamas studying. Instead of getting a job that probably pays, you are going to need to volunteer your time for free at rescue centers and shadowing at veterinary clinics. This isn’t to say that you can’t enjoy your college years, but your responsibilities and expectations as a pre-veterinary student are a lot different than that of other majors. If you want go out every week with your friends, skate by in your classes with average grades, and not study all of the time then I would suggest you figure out a new career goal.

 

In addition to working hard in your undergraduate career, you have to remember that once you get into veterinary school it is another 4 years of even harder and more intensive learning. I’ve been told by quite a few vets that veterinary school is going to be the worst four years of your life, but not one of them regrets going through it. During this time in your life you are going to be in class from 8am to 5pm every day and then you will go home to study until you go to sleep. You need to be prepared that you will not have a social life for four years and that school will encompass everything. However, the good thing about finally making it to veterinary school is that once you are in they will do anything to help keep you there. Veterinary school is no longer about being at the top of your class because your new goal is just to simply pass your classes in order to get your DVM.

 

The last reality that I want to mention is about the profession itself. A lot of students go into this profession thinking they are going to be making a lot of money working a 9-to-5 job and live comfortably right after school. Yes, the average salary of a veterinarian is $93,250, but the average debt of a veterinary student is in excess of $162,000. Depending on where you live and what type of job you get after school it can take years, even decades, before you are able to pay off your student loans. You absolutely cannot go into this profession for the money because if that is what you are after then you should become a human doctor. This is a really demanding profession, but if it your passion then it will be very rewarding.

 

I wish you all the best of luck in achieving this very hard to reach dream. I hope that you take what I have said into consideration and make the right choice for your circumstance. This harsh reality check wasn’t meant to deter you, but to instead help you understand what you are signing yourself up for when you chose this profession and what you will need to do to succeed.