If you’re dreaming of being a veterinarian, you’ve probably heard about getting a pre-vet degree first. You’ve also probably wondered what that even means, so this article is here to answer your many questions about the pre-vet degree. Read on to see how this degree can prepare you for veterinary school.
What Pre-Vet Really Means
Most veterinary schools don’t actually require a specific undergraduate degree to get into the program. Instead, they have prerequisite courses for you to pass before you can be accepted. With a major in pre-vet, however, you take those courses as part of your degree.
Veterinary schools also want to see experience from outside the classroom. They look for research in the lab and out in the field with real animals. In a pre-vet program, you’ll get the experience in nutrition, breeding, and caring for animals that you need for graduate school.
While the pre-vet degree gives you a head start in your vet program application, it does narrow your options if you decide you don’t want to be a veterinarian. If you focus your elective credits towards a broader scope, you can still work as a biologist, zoologist, ecologist, or any number of similar fields. But this is important to keep in mind as you pursue your pre-vet degree.
Pre-Vet Coursework
Veterinary schools require a whole list of prerequisites. When you start looking at your dream veterinary program, make sure to check those out. But with a pre-vet degree, you’ll get those prerequisites included in your education. Some of these courses are:
- Biology: This includes general biology and labs, microbiology, anatomy, and physiology
- Animal Science: Including animal nutrition, genetics, and behavior
- English Composition: This will mean writing and composition courses
- Chemistry: Including general, organic, and biochemistry with labs
- Physics: This includes the basic physics courses and labs
- Mathematics: Meaning statistics, biostatistics, and calculus
Outside the Classroom
A pre-vet degree has plenty of academic focus, coupled with experience in animal handling. Working with animals is an essential part of being a veterinarian, so you’ll need plenty of hands-on work with real animals. At BYU-Idaho, students with a pre-vet degree get to work at the Agricultural Science Center as part of their degree!
At BYU-Idaho and other pre-vet programs, you’ll have an internship where you can get real-world experience from a seasoned professional. You’ll apply all that you learn inside the classroom, and learn even more outside of it! If you get an internship at a veterinary clinic, it can give you the experience and credibility for veterinary school.
Veterinary schools don’t just look at classes and coursework; they want to see you outside the classroom, working with animals, and making a difference in your internship. You need to have some veterinary experience to qualify for most vet programs. When you’re considering pre-vet programs, check out what they offer outside the classroom.
The Bottom Line
If you want to be a veterinarian, you don’t need to get a pre-vet degree, but earning one will really give you a leg up in the application process! The degree will check off all the prerequisites in biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. And it will give you hands-on work with animals and quality experience in internships that graduate schools are looking for. With a pre-vet degree, you’ll be ready for whatever veterinary school throws at you!
Citations:
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine — Academic Preparation and Prerequisite Courses
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine — Prerequisite Credits and Courses
BYU–Idaho — Animal Science Facilities
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine — Criteria for Admission