Becoming a veterinarian: What students really need to know

Abstract

Teachers and professors face the challenge of preparing high school and college students for their future career plans; they have the potential to be very influential figures in a student's decisions. While some students know what profession they want to pursue, other students may be undecided during high school, or even after entering college. Students who are unsure about their future career path can benefit from activities like the one included in this paper. This paper is focused on the veterinary field; teachers and professors can use the information provided to teach students about various aspects of veterinary medicine, such as getting into vet school, what a career in veterinary medicine entails, and the different opportunities in veterinary medicine. Many students interested in veterinary medicine don't know any specific details about the field before deciding that they want to become a vet, so this information can be very beneficial to potential veterinary students. At the end of the paper, I have included an interactive activity sheet where students may use smartphones and computers to answer some common questions about different aspects of the veterinary field. After having a class discussion about the information provided in the paper and completing the interactive activity, students will have a more realistic idea about the process of becoming a veterinarian.