So You Want to Be a Vet

Lots of people who love animals talk about becoming a vet.

Dr. Steve Rosenthal, written up in Ranger Rick magazine, did more than talk about becoming a vet. He actually did the hard work to become one—and then put in more work to become a doctor skilled in treating animal hearts!

Suppose you want to be a vet, where should you start? 

1. First, it’s smart to volunteer whenever and wherever you can to work with animals. You may have to wait until you’re a little older, but here are some ideas.

• Neighbors with pets might need you to take care of their animals from time to time. 
• Nearby horse farms might need volunteers to clean out stalls or help exercise or groom the animals. 
• Animal shelters and wildlife rescue places may welcome your lending a hand, too. 

2. When you get a little older and enter high school, it’s a good idea to study biology, chemistry, and math and to get good grades in those (and all other) subjects.

3. When looking into college, try and find ones that have sent a lot of their graduates to vet school. 

4. After college, you’ll need to attend a vet school for four more years. 

5. If, like Dr. Rosenthal, you want to work in a special area of animal medicine, then you’ll need several more years of training.

So if your heart is set on becoming a vet, be prepared for many years of schooling and training. Good luck!