Gaining Pre-Veterinary Experience

A key component of your veterinary school application is gaining a variety of experiences inside and outside of the field, as well as giving back to your community. This experience is gained through shadowing, animal care volunteering and/or animal care experiences, and community engagement. Explore the ways to get experience in and out of the veterinary field before you attend veterinary school. 

Check out some of these resource guides to get some ideas before exploring further:

• Shadowing, Volunteering, and Patient Experiences
• Summer & Abroad Programs

Direct Care Experience

Most competitive applicants for veterinary school have some kind of direct experience in the field or direct animal care experience. Obtaining your veterinary technician certification or becoming a veterinary assistant can help you achieve this experience. It can also open doors for shadowing opportunities and is a good option to explore if you are considering applying to veterinary school.  

• Learn more about Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Assistants from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• American Association of Veterinary State Boards, Pathway Options for Veterinary Technicians
• American Association of Veterinary State Boards, Veterinary Technician National Exam
• National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America, Approved Veterinary Assistant Program

Volunteering

Competitive applicants will have both animal care related volunteering and general community engagement in their application. They both serve different purposes. Animal care volunteering allows you to learn about the veterinary system as a whole and what it means to be a part of that system. Whether you are volunteering supporting adoption efforts or doing on the job veterinary assistant training, these experiences are vital to understand the multiple roles that make up the system. General volunteering shows your dedication and involvement in your community, as veterinary professionals ultimately serve the community they work in.

Check out some of the opportunities below for recommendations to get started. This isn't an exhaustive list, and we encourage you to do your own research in your local community.