Any Vets OUT THERE?

i would love to be a vet but what do you need to do in order to be one?
Answers:
For a start, in order to become a veterinarian, you need great grades in high school. It takes years of study and lots of memorizing facts so generally, to qualify you will need to be pretty brainy to get a head start. Naturally a love for animals helps - after all, you will be looking after them all your life. There are other things that selectors will look at eg previous experience with animals, background situations but there usually is a requirement for good grades in subjects like biology and science. If you live in America, then to become a veterinarian, you will need to do 4 years of college, and then another 4 years in veterinary school and then pass a veterinary medical board examination before you qualify. There are also requirements for you to take state board examinations if you are planning to practice in another state aside from the one you took your board examination in. Once you become a veterinarian, you will treat all different types of animals, but because most of what you study in the veterinary course covers domestic species eg dogs, cats, pocket pets, cows, sheep, horses, birds/poultry, if your heart is set on more exotic animals like dolphins, seals and lions, then generally what happens is that you would go on further to take a diploma course in zoo medicine or marine biology. These places are few and far between as they often require you to be 'attached' to a particular zoo or ocean park to qualify. You will need to continually keep up with the new techniques and medical treatments available and drug therapies available. These change quite often and you will need to go on 'continuing education' courses. Generally what happens is that you decide which areas within the veterinary field you are most interested in and focus on those eg you may have an interest in pocket pets like hamsters or rabbits, so you would keep up to date on the various treatments and diseases discovered in that area and attend conferences that focus on this. If you decide that you want to become a veterinary specialist eg dermatology (skin), cardiology (heart) then you will have to take further examinations which if you pass will then qualify you as a specialist in that area.

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First, better be sure you like all types of animals. you'll be surprised what you have to deal with. Yes, the normal dogs and cats, bunnies and ferrets and parakeets, but you also have snakes, lizards, giraffes, horses, elephants, and whatever else happens to get hurt sick or injured.
And you'd better not be squeamish. Animals make messes, even when they're not sick. Sick and injured critters make a lot of mess. blood, pus, vomit, scat, slobber, booger and any combination tend to get all over you.
Do well in school. Take lots of science classes, especially biology and anatomy. College'll be about 10 years, lots of money, and you might get a lucky break when you get out.