Becoming a Veterinarian?

Question

I am hoping to become a veterinarian later in life.
I am currently attending High School in Illinois.
If anyone can answer at least some of these questions, that would be great.


+What is the average Vet. salary for 2006 & is it expecting to increase or decrease in the next 5 to10 years?
+How many more years of schooling will i need after high school?
+What colleges/univ. would you recommend in or around Illinois?
+How many different types/fields are there?
+Is the employment rate & need of veterinarians increasing or decreasing in America right now?
+What subjects should i focus on the most during my years in high school?
+How much experience would you need?


Btw, anyone from Chicago..
Do you know any good places for volunteering with animals?
I've tried asking a few shelters but they all need people 18 or over.
It would be very much appreciated.

Thanks everyone!

Answer 1

Good questions that show you are really thinking!! Concentrate on math and science, and keep those grades UP!! That's true for HS and college. You need a fair amount of college, at least 3 years and usually 4, to get into vet school, and US vet schools are another 4 yrs (there is one in St Kitts where you have a 3 yr option, but get no summer breaks, and have to qualify to practice in the US as a foreign graduate.) The demand for vets is increasing and expected to continue to increase. There is a shortage right now. In college, most courses are common for pre med and pre vet. Keep your first two years of college general ed requirements, in case you change your mind- you will have more options than if you take all Animal Science courses. Look for a univ w/ a pre vet program, and they will have counselors there that can help you w/course selection and applying to vet schools- for instance, they will know if there are any other states that offer you in state tuition rates. As far as starting salaries, I don't know off the top of my head, but JAVMA magazine (Journal of the American Vet Med Assn) publishes that info annually. If you call the AVMA they might be able to help you get that info, or contact them on line (AVMA.org). There are many different fields--small animal, large animal, equine, avian, exotics, research and gov't for starters. Vets are responsible for ensuring the safety of our food supply, too, and there is a demand for them in the military. As far as animal experience, get as much as you can w/as many species as you can. Vet school doesn't teach you about dogs, cats, cows, and horses, they teach you the illnesses and the medicine. If you don't know what it takes to keep a horse (or pig, or cow, etc) alive and happy before you go to school, it makes it harder, and you still won't know after you graduate. If you have to examine and treat a horse or cow, and you don't know how to put a halter on or pick up a hoof, it's hard to do your exam. Be sure to be well rounded as a person, and be active in your community through your church or after school groups or whatever. Volunteer at soup kitchens or where ever you like, but do it (volunteering at a shelter will count towards your animal requirements, but not necessarily your community service requirements). Call large animal vets in your area and ask if you can ride with them for a day, and be prepared for a long day!! Learn to ride horses if you can, get involved in 4H if you can, etc. Clean stalls, pick up poop, and work for a vet for minimum wage if need be. Being involved in athletics and being fit helps, and is part of a well rounded personality. Good Luck!!

Answer 2

Im in vet school right now in river falls wisconsin. I believe the last time I looked the salary for a new vet was $25,000-30,000. I was told you need to be in school for 8 years after high school and 98% of the students dont make it because the classes are so difficult and the demand for vets is very low. Focus on human anatomy, biology, chemistry, physiology, and psychology and you also need to be in a high level algebra or trigonomitry class. Good luck. Write me an e-mail at [e-mail] if you need some more help. I might be able to find some more stuff out for you.

Answer 3

i like your fave answer. Yeah, human beings think of the money is large. Vets have price and coverage themes merely like extensive-unfold medical doctors, yet maximum do no longer have confidence that. I had a chum who "performed" with this concept. I had to be the superb chum i could and asked him to respond to some no longer common questions like: are you able to take being bitten? are you able to deal with blood? How do you cope with an emergency w/an proprietor who would be distraught? are you able to take having to tell people who their animal is heavily ill or dying? are you able to place an animal to sleep? tell me the way you will tell a man or woman that there is not any longer something you're able to do for thier animal and it should be positioned down? How do you convenience the owner? Afterall, the animal isn't your purely shopper. needless to say, my chum did no longer exchange right into a vet.

Answer 4

I do not know any of your answers however I am interested in finding some of your answers out as well :]

Answer 5

http://www.ehow.com/how_7976_become-veterinarian.html