The study path to becoming a vet

Study by JSmith Photo, licensed under Creative commons 6

If you’re at school and have decided a career in the veterinary profession is for you, are you fully aware of the steps this decision involves? Of the things you can do now to help in realising your ambition?

No? Then let us help: here we offer a basic guide to the study path that you need to follow to become a vet, right from college level.

What you need to study

Core science subjects are extremely important areas of study for potential vets, with (as you might imagine) biology being the most important. However, chemistry is also highly relevant and is an area that we recommend you dedicate some of your A-level studies to.

Maths is also a useful one to go for as solid number skills will aid you in daily tasks with things like dosages and charging the correct amounts for treatments.

The skills learned studying subjects like these at A-level will equip you well for the task of completing your veterinary degree and will also count in your favour when applying for degree course places.

The degree

Once accepted on your degree course, your module choices are influenced by what your final ambition in the veterinary field is. For example, do you want to work in a surgery? Then focus on small animal study. If being a farm vet is your long-term ambition, your study focus should be on livestock and cattle.

All veterinary degrees carry a large amount of practical work and assessments to ensure that, once qualified, you are fully capable of handling the day-to-day tasks of treating the animals in your care. Obviously, you can’t just go out practising your treatments on animals, but spending lots of time studying the theory of treatments will be hugely beneficial when it comes to the real thing.

Following these steps during your study will help make your path to becoming a vet that little bit easier to complete because, as we know, you only get out what you put in.

Good luck!