Educational Requirements
A student that is interested in becoming a veterinarian should select courses in science at the high school level. Science courses such as biology, chemistry and physics form a foundation upon which further education will rest, but optional courses in the humanities and social sciences are also recommended as well as a strong background in mathematics.
A student must also plan to gain practical experience by working with several animal species. Volunteer experience and employment with a veterinarian is very helpful in gaining insight into the profession, and references from these sources are part of the admission requirements for the Veterinary Colleges.
To obtain a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, a minimum of six years of university education is required. This includes two years of pre-veterinary studies at a regular university followed by four years of study in Veterinary Medicine at one of the five Veterinary Colleges in Canada.
For further details on the requirements for each Veterinary College in Canada, check out their websites:
Atlantic Veterinary College
University of Prince Edward Island
550 University Avenue
Charlottetown, PE
C1A 4P3
Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire
L'Université de Montréal
3200, rue Sicotte
Saint-Hyacinthe, QC
J2S 2M2
http://www.medvet.umontreal.ca/
Ontario Veterinary College
University Of Guelph
Guelph, ON
N1G 2W1
University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine
G#359
3330 Hospital Drive NW
Calgary, AB
T2N 4N1
Western College of Veterinary Medicine
University Of Saskatchewan
52 Campus Drive
Saskatoon, SK
S7N 5B4