  Information for Pre-Veterinary Medicine StudentsUWM offers all of the prerequisite coursework necessary for application to schools of veterinary medicine. Generally, students complete three or more years of pre-professional work before admittance to veterinary college/school. Veterinarians complete a minimum of six years of college and an average of eight to practice veterinary medicine. There are 28 schools of veterinary medicine in the United States and four in Canada. Requirements vary significantly from one institution to another; therefore it is critical for students to work closely with the Pre-Professional advising office from the beginning of their studies at UWM. Hands-on experience is a very important factor of the admissions decision at most schools of veterinary medicine. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in voluntary or paid vet-related activities. Working with a veterinarian also will help you decide if veterinary medicine is the career for you. To assist with planning your undergraduate experience, the pre-professional advising office has developed a Timeline of Suggested Activities for students who will complete a bachelor's degree prior to entering veterinary school. Applicants to most schools of veterinary medicine must complete a minimum of 60 credits of college course work prior to the start of their first semester in veterinary school. These 60 credits must include the required courses listed below and 17-20 elective credits. The elective credits allow students to meet personal and academic goals and objectives while preparing for admission to veterinary school. All coursework must be completed no later than the end of the spring term prior to admission to veterinary school.
Currently the UWM College of Letters and Science offers a limited number of internships with the Milwaukee County Zoo. Given the limited availability of these prestigious internships, the application process is very competitive and the work is quite demanding in terms of time commitment. Often these voluntary internships are completed during the summer months. The Office of Pre-Professional Advising is also actively developing additional internship and mentoring experiences for pre-vet students. Employment OutlookAccording to the 2008-09 edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, veterinarians held about 62,000 jobs in 2006. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, about 3 out of 4 veterinarians were employed in a solo or group practice. Most others were salaried employees of another veterinary practice. The Federal Government employs civilian veterinarians, chiefly in the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. Other employers of veterinarians are State and local governments, colleges of veterinary medicine, medical schools, research laboratories, animal food companies, and pharmaceutical companies. A few veterinarians work for zoos, but most veterinarians caring for zoo animals are private practitioners who contract with zoos to provide services, usually on a part-time basis. In addition, many veterinarians hold veterinary faculty positions in colleges and universities. Employment of veterinarians is expected to increase 35 percent over the 2006-16 decade, much faster than the average for all occupations. Veterinarians usually practice in animal hospitals or clinics and care primarily for companion animals. Recent trends indicate particularly strong interest in cats as pets. Faster growth of the cat population is expected to increase the demand for feline medicine and veterinary services, while demand for veterinary care for dogs should continue to grow at a more modest pace. Excellent job opportunities are expected because there are only 28 accredited schools of veterinary medicine in the United States, resulting in a limited number of graduates—about 2,700—each year. However, applicants face keen competition for admission to veterinary school. New graduates continue to be attracted to companion-animal medicine because they prefer to deal with pets and to live and work near heavily populated areas, where most pet owners live. Employment opportunities are good in cities and suburbs, but even better in rural areas because fewer veterinarians compete to work there. The number of jobs for large-animal veterinarians is likely to grow more slowly than jobs for companion-animal veterinarians. Nevertheless, job prospects should be better for veterinarians who specialize in farm animals because of lower earnings in the farm-animal specialty and because many veterinarians do not want to work in rural or isolated areas. Veterinarians with training in food safety and security, animal health and welfare, and public health and epidemiology should have the best opportunities for a career in the Federal Government. Median annual earnings of veterinarians were $71,990 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $56,450 and $94,880. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $43,530, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $133,150. The average annual salary for veterinarians in the Federal Government was $84,335 in 2007. According to a survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association, average starting salaries of veterinary medical college graduates in 2006 varied by type of practice as follows:
For more information about Pre-Veterinary Medicine studies at UWM, please contact Lori Fitzenberger (Pre-Vet Advisor) at (414) 229-6104 or email: lorifitz@uwm.edu. If you would like to make an appointment to see Ms. Fitzenberger, please call (414) 229-4654. Links to Veterinary Programs. |
