What are the educational requirements to become a veterinary surgeon?

Question

I want to know what courses in high school you would have to take, what degrees you need to get into college, and what degrees you need to graduate from college. It would be nice if it was to MSU's qualifications - I'd look through the website but it's poorly constructed. I need this information for a project we're doing in gifted - my teacher is clueless himself as to how to get this information and was surprised the website of such a great school is so poorly done. Thank you!

It would be nice if my question was just answered and I wasn't thrown a website...I'm only in 8th grade, I don't understand most of the stuff put on college websites.

Answer 1

vet schools won't look at your highschool grades so they are only important to get you into a good undergraduate program. The more science and math the better.

During your undergraduate years you will have to fullfil vet school requirements. Most want a year of physics, biology, chemistry and organic chemistry. You will also need arts and humanities but very likeley this will be required for your major as well. Grades are very very important. If your state does not have a vet school then you need like a 3.6 to be considered competative for out of state schools. The more biology courses the better. As far as majors go many major in animal science or some biologic science. Join a prevet club if possible or any other animal related clubs. Try to hold leadership positions, get involved with communtiy activites, do undergraduate research. All of these will look good on an application. It sounds like a lot, but once in college your advisor will be able to help out.

once you apply to vet school, assuming you get in you are there for 4 years. The first year you take classes about normal animals (physiology, anatomy, ect). The second year you normally take classes on what can go wrong (pathology). Third year is specific treatments and surgery (such as equine medicine and surgery). Then your 4th year you do rotations in the clinics (some weeks in large animal surgery, some weeks in small animal medicine, some weeks in radiology ect). After you graduate vet school you can practice medicine and do surgery. However if you want to do the complex surgeries and be a boarded surgeon then you will have to do an internship. this is usually 1 year at a vet school or large vet hospital (often you would not just do surgery, but also cardiology, neurology and other stuff). then you would need to do a residency-usually 3 years. This is where you would just do surguries, again at a vet school or large hospital. You can choose large animal or small animal surgery.
then after your residency you take a huge, very hard exam and you pass you are a boarded veterinary surgeon.

From the aavmc.org here is what MSU (michigan) requires for admission:
http://aavmc.org/vmcas/documents/Michigan2008_000.pdf

And if you are interested here are other websites:
http://aavmc.org/vmcas/college_requirement.htm
http://www.acvs.org/flash.html

Answer 2

http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/index.pl/employment

This site will answer any question you could possibly have.