Medical Malpractice

I am determined to be a vet and own my own practice! Please read this and help if you can :)?

I am about to turn 14 and in a few months I will have to pick my high school classes.. I want to be a vet because I helped my aunt out at her practice in North Carolina "Graham Animal Hospital" and I fell in love with the idea of being a vet! I just cant stop thinking about it... I was wondering If you have any tips for classes to take in high school! Thank you so so much for any tips you can provide me with.. I love animals and this is my destiny... wait why didn't i just ask my aunt... well anyways any tips are well appreciated :) Oh since there is all this stuff about making good grades I have straight A's.. and I always have... and im willing to take a really hard course considering im already in honors..

Public Comments

1. BIOLOGY! And, while there won't be much in HS - business related courses (You might be able to take Economics?) You need to know how to work with the animals AND run a business. Best of luck! (Depending, if your school has a career center, talk to them - they may have some contacts in the community where you can work at a vet. And you can always volunteer at the SPCA - they always need people! Great experience. Finally, while it sounds like you know what you want, you may want to take a skills assessment test like Meyers-Briggs. It can help you focus your skills into a career. For instance, while you may be interested in being a vet - some are specialized surgeons, would that interest you?) BEST OF LUCK!
2. It is great to have such clear career goals at a young age! Of course, the first thing is to ensure good grades in all your classes. That's essential, since vet schools are tough to get into. Next, take as many science courses as you can, particularly biology. Take 'Honors' or 'AP' courses where possible. Last, start looking at vet schools. Find out what kind of credentials it takes to get admitted: What sort of undergraduate programs you need. From there, you can further refine your high school plans. Good luck!
3. Asking your aunt is the best idea of all, I'm sure! As far as classes go, go heavy on the science and math classes. See if your school has any technical or college prep courses that would help you get on your way. Probably the other top thing you can do is to see if you can volunteer or get an entry level position at a local animal clinic. If not, then see if you can volunteer at a local humane society. Let them (vet's office/humane society either) know that you have the ultimate goal of working as a vet & that this will help you out immensely. Don't be afraid to volunteer if a paid job isn't to be had...it's GREAT experience which is worth more than lots of money! Getting into veterinarian programs at colleges is a very competitive business. The extra classes you take and any volunteer or job experience in the field will help you get into the program. If at first you don't succeed in getting into a veterinary program, start with your core undergraduate classes at college when you're there (the ones that will be the same no matter your degree) and get excellent grades, take the advanced math and science courses that you'll need in the vet program. Reapply to veterinary schools and keep trying until you get in. Keep volunteering or working as a paid person in a vet's office, too, even in college. The experience will help you incredibly!
4. Science, math, and English will be your most important classes. Take as many APs - biology, chemistry calculus, etc as you can without letting your GPA drop. Start working in an animal hospital and get to know veterinarians and the veterinary field. Realistically, college is a much more critical time for a pre-vet student than high school. Getting a good start in high school will prepare you for college. The college you go to - provided it's a 4 year school with a good science program - really doesn't matter, as long as you attain stellar grades (3.6+) and put in many hundred of hours in veterinary/animal setting. (I had well over 2000 hours) Biological research is a plus! And remember - being a veterinarian is less about the pets than it is the owners! To be a successful veterinarian, the first and foremost requirement is that you have genuine desire to help PEOPLE.