What major is most helpful when going into the veterinary field?
Hello, I'm a rising senior and want to become a veterinary surgeon. My only issue is that I don't know for certain if Animal Science is the very best major to graduate with if I plan on going to veterinary school. I've eliminated so many college choices because they didn't offer Animal Science as a major, and I want to confirm that it's the most helpful. Thanks! #college-majors #major #college
3 answers
Beth Jacintho
Beth’s Answer
Hello Carolina,
You asked a great question. There may be more than one route into the program of your choice, so weighing options is a good idea.
In the article entitled " Veterinary School Admission 101," the American Veterinary Medical Association said the following:
You don't have to be a pre-vet major to get into vet school – you just need to get the prerequisite coursework completed and do well. We've seen vet students whose undergraduate majors were math, engineering, English, and many others. Once you're in vet school, the playing field is equal. It's important to enjoy your undergrad studies by picking a major that you are passionate about—not simply the "best one" for getting into vet school.
I suggest starting with the researching career pathways with the AVMA website at: https://www.avma.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/Education/Pages/default.aspx.Professional
Under "Veterinary Education", you will find more information about education requirements and schools offering programs.
A generally a degree in biology, biomedical, or biological sciences is usually does the trick to meet prerequisites to get into to vet school.
Take some time to investigate the schools offered by the AVMA to help you plan.
I hope this helps! Good Luck!
Beth recommends the following next steps:
Ken’s Answer
The choice of a career and a major area of study depends upon your personality traits as compared with those who are successful in your area of interesting as a vet. Also, what is equally important, is getting to know successful vets to see how you relate to them on a personal level and how you relate to the inside view of being a vet.
Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .
Ken recommends the following next steps: