My love for repties

[Leosrule]

I would love to be able to help repties always. I would like to know the requirements to becoming a herp vet. Any advice? Thank you everyone

 

[acpart]

As far as I know, you have to do the following:
--go to college and major in something in the sciences
--apply to vet school and get in (this can take several years)
--specialize in reptiles

Good luck.

Aliza

 

[Leosrule]

O

As far as I know, you have to do the following:
--go to college and major in something in the sciences
--apply to vet school and get in (this can take several years)
--specialize in reptiles

Good luck.

Aliza

What type of science? Why does it take years. I saw a guy in his twenties as a vet

 

[Sunset]

Basically Im going to school for zoology. You would have to go into school with animal - related sciences. Along with taking mainly micro / anatomy related classes along with many maths and chemistry.

He may have been a vet tech. As you have to get your bachalors first, then once you get into vet school that take an additional 4 years along with a year or 2 of intership.

 

[latshki]

becoming a vet is known to be very competitive and often not that cracked to what many think it was, I know about a dozen animal lovers that went to become a vet but just couldn't due to the stress of the business, they went on to become a biologist or other careers
so look around at what options there are

 

[Leosrule]

U

becoming a vet is known to be very competitive and often not that cracked to what many think it was, I know about a dozen animal lovers that went to become a vet but just couldn't due to the stress of the business, they went on to become a biologist or other careers
so look around at what options there are

What's zoology like? Same preference?

 

[latshki]

zoolology is just a degree, its what you do with it from there that is in question, it could be anything from an animal rehabilitator or zoo keeper

 

[Leosrule]

zoolology is just a degree, its what you do with it from there that is in question, it could be anything from an animal rehabilitator or zoo keeper

So I can major in that or do I major in something completely different

 

[Sunset]

Depends on what you want to do. Zoology is a good feild to get into if you love working with animals. You also have herpetology, the study of reptiles. Look into that as well.

 

[BGalloway]

As far as I know, you have to do the following:
--go to college and major in something in the sciences
--apply to vet school and get in (this can take several years)
--specialize in reptiles

Good luck.

Aliza

So I can major in that or do I major in something completely different

Ok, so here's my 2 cents.
Aliza got it right for the overall process, although you don't have to get a college degree in sciences. Some vet students come from business or arts or other completely unrelated fields of study, the catch is these are usually the older vet students who went out into the real world and changed their mind about what they wanted to do. Regardless, you can have whatever degree you want, you just need to meet ALL of your vet schools required classes; the easiest way to do that is get an animal science, biology, zoology, or other related science-y degree, this works because a lot of your classes required to graduate are required for vet school. Talk to your schools councilor/adviser and they can help you work up a plan and schedule of classes to take. I know it isn't that helpful saying take whatever major you want, but that really has to be your choice, look into your options and ask a school guidance councilor for advice. It might even help to e-mail college admissions with questions about different majors, sometimes they can put you in touch with faculty members from different departments.

--apply to vet school and get in (this can take several years)
--specialize in reptiles

Good luck.

Aliza

O

What type of science? Why does it take years. I saw a guy in his twenties as a vet

As for sometimes taking years to get in...that's true...I applied last year and got rejections and waitlisted. But if at first you don't succeed, go out and keep working with animals, improve yourself as a candidate, and apply again. I did and got several acceptances. Even with not getting in last year, essentially taking a year off, I'll be in my 20's when I graduate. You'd have to wait a couple of years to be out of your 20's by the time you graduate; and there is nothing wrong with that, older students who have been "out in the real world" for a while have perspective on things and bring a different and valuable point of view to the veterinary industry. Even just taking one year off after college can give you a bit of perspective on how veterinary medicine relates to everyday life.

Oh, and a bit of advice about classes etc. Focus on the sciences, but always keep a well rounded education. Yes you really do need to take organic chemistry, but you can still take some fun non science classes like scuba diving, basket weaving, the history of magic in ancient greece/rome, etc. Vet schools will require you to take some non science courses as prerequisites to ensure you are well rounded, so keep an open mind and take classes you'll enjoy.

It is a good idea to try and find a school where getting hands on animal experience will be easy, but even if you don't go to a school like that, remember that college is what you make of it. Look around and talk to professors to find out about classes, research opportunities, etc that you might not have known existed.

Good luck.

 

[Leosrule]

Ok, so here's my 2 cents.
Aliza got it right for the overall process, although you don't have to get a college degree in sciences. Some vet students come from business or arts or other completely unrelated fields of study, the catch is these are usually the older vet students who went out into the real world and changed their mind about what they wanted to do. Regardless, you can have whatever degree you want, you just need to meet ALL of your vet schools required classes; the easiest way to do that is get an animal science, biology, zoology, or other related science-y degree, this works because a lot of your classes required to graduate are required for vet school. Talk to your schools councilor/adviser and they can help you work up a plan and schedule of classes to take. I know it isn't that helpful saying take whatever major you want, but that really has to be your choice, look into your options and ask a school guidance councilor for advice. It might even help to e-mail college admissions with questions about different majors, sometimes they can put you in touch with faculty members from different departments.





As for sometimes taking years to get in...that's true...I applied last year and got rejections and waitlisted. But if at first you don't succeed, go out and keep working with animals, improve yourself as a candidate, and apply again. I did and got several acceptances. Even with not getting in last year, essentially taking a year off, I'll be in my 20's when I graduate. You'd have to wait a couple of years to be out of your 20's by the time you graduate; and there is nothing wrong with that, older students who have been "out in the real world" for a while have perspective on things and bring a different and valuable point of view to the veterinary industry. Even just taking one year off after college can give you a bit of perspective on how veterinary medicine relates to everyday life.

Oh, and a bit of advice about classes etc. Focus on the sciences, but always keep a well rounded education. Yes you really do need to take organic chemistry, but you can still take some fun non science classes like scuba diving, basket weaving, the history of magic in ancient greece/rome, etc. Vet schools will require you to take some non science courses as prerequisites to ensure you are well rounded, so keep an open mind and take classes you'll enjoy.

It is a good idea to try and find a school where getting hands on animal experience will be easy, but even if you don't go to a school like that, remember that college is what you make of it. Look around and talk to professors to find out about classes, research opportunities, etc that you might not have known existed.

Good luck.

So I specialize in reptiles when I get to vet school? Sorry for the short reply for your amazing reply but you answered all my questions already lol

 

[BGalloway]

I forgot to mention something about when you get into vet school. Some schools do tracking, this means that at some point you pick an area to focus your studies on, ie small, large, wildlife/zoo, food/public health, etc. The exact names vary from school to school. In this case you pick whatever track fits closest to your preferred specialty. Other schools do not do tracking and you have a core curriculum and elective courses. the elective courses are in all sorts of specialty topics and you pick whatever electives interest you and will work toward the specialty you want.

You can and should get as much reptile exposure as you can before vet school. Volunteer when you can and once you're in a college ask around about research and internship positions. Just remember that you want to be a well rounded candidate and get experience working with a variety of animals, at least cats, dogs and some large animal species.

You will need a letter of recommendation from at least one veterinarian, try to have two you can ask for letters of recommendation; also have a couple of professors from your college that know you well enough to write you letters of recommendation, preferably have one of them be from your major's department.

Again, good luck with your studies.

 

[Leosrule]

I forgot to mention something about when you get into vet school. Some schools do tracking, this means that at some point you pick an area to focus your studies on, ie small, large, wildlife/zoo, food/public health, etc. The exact names vary from school to school. In this case you pick whatever track fits closest to your preferred specialty. Other schools do not do tracking and you have a core curriculum and elective courses. the elective courses are in all sorts of specialty topics and you pick whatever electives interest you and will work toward the specialty you want.

You can and should get as much reptile exposure as you can before vet school. Volunteer when you can and once you're in a college ask around about research and internship positions. Just remember that you want to be a well rounded candidate and get experience working with a variety of animals, at least cats, dogs and some large animal species.

You will need a letter of recommendation from at least one veterinarian, try to have two you can ask for letters of recommendation; also have a couple of professors from your college that know you well enough to write you letters of recommendation, preferably have one of them be from your major's department.

Again, good luck with your studies.

Thanks so much. Also how can I find a vet school in my area or state?

 

[Leosrule]

Thanks so much. Also how can I find a vet school in my area or state?

I found a college
Bcan someone tell me where I can find a vet school around my area

 

[Jestre]

The AVMA website has a list of accredited veterinary schools in the US: http://bit.ly/bISnn1