Turning a love of animals into a career is awesome. While many people dream of becoming veterinarians when they are young, usually if you are still serious about it when you get to high school that means you are committed to taking the next steps. While eventually, you’ll need to go to veterinary school, but first you have to go to college. Yes, there are a lot of steps to becoming a vet and your goals can feel very fall off. But there are many steps you can be taking now to set yourself up well. One of the biggest is taking the right classes in high school. What are those classes? Let’s break it down.
Chemistry, Biology, and Physics
You want to show that you are serious about science. You should take at least Chemistry, Biology, and Physics at a high level. Think AP, honors, or IB. If you have space in your course load, you can also add classes like AP Environmental Science, however, make sure you do the big 3 first. Most colleges don’t have a specific “pre-vet” major, instead students major in related fields such as zoology, biology, marine biology, or biochemistry. These are all scientific majors and showing that you are pushing yourself in the sciences will help you get in.
Mathematics
Any pre-med track (be it human or animal) is a part of STEM. So taking some higher-level STEM Classes in high school will serve you well. Part of that is taking higher-level math. We recommend taking at least AP, IB, or BC Calculus. However any other math AP or honors Math is not a bad call. AP Statistics is a great class that is often slept on when it comes to college planning but will help you if you plan to do research in college.
Anatomy
High school anatomy classes are usually about human anatomy, however, they can still be useful to hopeful vets. Many animals share similar systems to people and understanding those systems can be helpful later on.
Look for some volunteer opportunities
Ok, this isn’t a class, but most high schools don’t have specific classes about animals. However, there are many ways for high school students to volunteer or work with animals. These include working with originations like 4-H, the ASPCA, and the Human Society. You can also look into if local zoos, racetracks, animal shelters, or farms could use help. Most will have opportunities to help out. You can even reach out to local veterinarians. Some will let you job shadow or intern in their offices.
Consider summer programs
Many colleges offer summer programs for high school students. These pre-college programs are a great way to take a couple of more specialized courses and explore your intended majors more. Some schools do have programs that are specifically veterinary sciences. These schools include Cornell, U of Florida, Tuskegee University, and UCONN. However, you don’t need a specific veterinary program. Any program popular with pre-meds or that is STEM-based looks good on an application. Find the program that is right for you.
Tale an online course
Summer programs can be expensive and have set dates. If this doesn’t work out for you, you can take an online class. Honestly, even if you do a summer program, taking an online class is still a great idea. These classes are usually free or affordable and flexible. There are a lot of classes out there, but ones we love for hopeful vets include Equine Welfare and Management at UC Davis, Animals and Institutions at the University of Colorado, and the University of Edinburgh’s Animal Behaviour and Welfare.
Going to college is just the first step to becoming a vet. But going to the right college can set you up well for your future schooling and career. While you might not be a vet for years, starting to build your skill base and resume is something you can start in high school.
Need help planning for college? Let us help! Reach out here.