Veterinary and animal experience

Veterinary experience

Before you apply, veterinary schools will expect that you have explored the profession through working and/or observing in a veterinary clinic. They will want to see that you have spent time assisting or shadowing a veterinarian.

Job shadowing is an excellent way to explore the daily life of a veterinarian and find out if a career in veterinary medicine is the right fit for you. Many students are able to arrange shadowing initially through a family veterinarian. If you do not know of any veterinarians you could ask to shadow, you may wish to send a letter of introduction to some local veterinarians asking for the opportunity to shadow. Ideally, you should try to shadow in different disciplines of veterinary medicine, such as companion animal, equine, food animal or exotics.

For more suggestions, consult the shadowing page.

Animal experience #

Animal care is central to this career so veterinary schools are expecting that their applicants have experience with animals. Examples of animal experience include participating in 4-H or county fair showing, farm or ranch work, animal training, or working in shelters or wildlife refuges. 

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