Preveterinary Medicine
Planning a Career in Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary medicine is a challenging field with diverse job opportunities. The majority of veterinarians find employment in the private sector as owners of a solo practice or, increasingly, as partners or associates in a group practice. Veterinarians can also specialize in areas like parasitology, nutrition, embryo transfer, surgery, avian medicine, and exotic animal care. About 35 percent of these professionals are active in research and/or teaching and make significant contributions to human as well as animal health care. Additionally, many government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels employ veterinarians in regulatory and public health work.
Admission Requirements
Admission to a veterinary school requires a strong background in biology, chemistry, physics, and math. In order to score high on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), strong reading comprehension skills, good critical thinking and problem solving skills, a comprehensive vocabulary and sound logic are essential. At Georgia College the preveterinary student is exposed to a rigorous liberal arts curriculum which fosters the development of these skills. Additionally, upper division courses such as Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, Comparative Animal Physiology, Parasitology, Microbiology, Organismal Physiology, and Immunology provide the basic science foundation that is essential for success in professional school.
Undergraduate grade point average is a critical factor in admission to veterinary school. Georgia College students have the advantage of small classes and individual attention from faculty members, which often results in better grades. Additionally, sound preprofessional advisement and guidance help students build a strong academic profile for their application to veterinary school. Important screening factors in admission to veterinary school are undergraduate GPA, scores on the GRE Biology Subject Test, and veterinary experience. Experience can be as a volunteer, intern, or veterinary assistant. Letters of recommendation are also an important consideration. Veterinary school admission committees like to see several letters from science faculty and one outside letter from a veterinarian who is familiar with the student's aptitude for veterinary work.
Curriculum
Veterinary medicine is one of the few preprofessional areas in which a particular major is strongly preferred. The usual preveterinary majors are biology. Chemistry is also an acceptable major. The preveterinary curriculum must include at least 63 semester hours to qualify students for any of the ten or so veterinary schools that will admit Georgia residents. However, most students have an undergraduate degree when they are admitted to veterinary school. Regardless of major area, the preveterinary curriculum must include the following:
- 8 hours General Chemistry
(CHEM 1211, 1212) - 8 hours Organic Chemistry
(CHEM 3361, 3362) - 3 hours Biochemistry (CHEM 3510)
- 8 hours Physics (PHYS 1111, 1112)
- 8 hours General Biology (BIOL 1107, 1108)
- 8 hours Advanced Biology Comparative
- Recommended: Vertebrate Anatomy and Microbiology
This work should be completed no earlier than eight years before the date of matriculation and no later than the spring semester before matriculation. All required courses must be completed with a grade of C or better.
Many veterinary schools have additional requirements, so students should consult the individual catalogs and the preveterinary adviser in planning their preveterinary curriculum. Application to veterinary school should apply a year before matriculation and schedule to take the GRE Biology Subject Test.
