The Profession
Who They Are
Veterinarians are healthcare professionals that care for both companion and food animals. They also work closely with the owners of the animals they care for, discussing treatment plans, budgeting, and handling times of difficult emotion. Some veterinarians own their own businesses.
What They Do
Veterinarians attend to the health of pets, livestock, zoo, sporting, and laboratory animals. Additional opportunities include careers in research, education, industry and government. Veterinarians may also be employed in public health positions.
Where They Work
Most graduates enter private veterinary practice at the conclusion of their program. Other opportunities include careers in research, education, industry and government. Veterinarians are also employed in lab animal medicine, zoo and wildlife medicine and in public health and regulatory medicine.
Outlook
Veterinarian careers are growing much faster than average. In the next ten years, the number of veterinarians in the United States is expected to increase by 18%. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Preparing to Apply
To apply to the program, students must complete the application requirements and forms. Prerequisite courses include biology, zoology, microbiology, chemistry, physics, english, and more. Complete details and information can be found on the College of Veterinary Medicine’s application procedures page.
To gain experience in advance, students should try to find experiences with veterinarians or scientists in clinics, agribusiness, research or some other area of health science or with animals on a farm, ranch, stable or animal shelter.
The UMN College of Veterinary Medicine discontinued use of GRE scores in applicant evaluation starting with the Class of 2026 (admit term fall 2022). Learn more about application requirements on the UMN CVM website linked below. Always make sure to check the websites of other veterinary medicine programs you’re planning to apply to, as they may require GRE scores. More information about taking and preparing for the GRE can be found here.