How to Become a Vet

Do you have a passion for animals, or have you always dreamt of working with animals? Then securing a vet job could be the right career path for you. The role of a vet can be incredibly varied, and this rewarding position will see you support animals when they need that support the most. Becoming a vet can be challenging, with an extensive training programme involved, however, it is also a role that allows you to spend time with animals every day, gives you the satisfaction of helping others, and means that no two working days will ever be the same. If that sounds appealing, then becoming a vet could be the right career path for you.

Wondering what vet salary you could achieve? Or how easy it is to secure vet jobs? Here is everything you need to know about becoming a vet:

What is a Vet

A Vet is also referred to as a veterinary surgeon or a veterinarian, and as a vet your primary role will be to safeguard animals. Vets provide medical care to a range of animals, from domestic pets to those in farm and zoo settings and wild animals with injuries: generally, you will specialise in one field, rather than providing care for all of these types of animals in a single setting.

Your everyday role will require that you use your practical skills to diagnose illnesses, prescribe medicines and perform surgery on the animals under your care. The role of a vet can be incredibly varied, with a wide range of animals and working environments available to you. You could work in a busy veterinary practice, in a laboratory, or in a remote rural area. You could even find yourself working in a wildlife park or on location with larger animals. Working with animals in this way can be incredibly physically and emotionally demanding. You will spend some of your working hours outdoors, and you may need to wear both a uniform and protective clothing.

Your working hours will also vary depending on what kind of veterinary position you secure: in a veterinary practice you will be more likely to have regular working hours (depending on the opening hours of your surgery), but you should also expect to work varied hours depending on the needs of the animals under your care.

Personal Qualities of a Vet

If you have always dreamed of becoming a vet, then you will need to possess the following set of skills and personal qualities:

• Excellent customer service skills, in conjunction with good verbal communication skills You will need to communicate clearly with the owners of the animals under your care, ensuring that you adjust the language you use to suit their level of understanding
• You will need to have strong levels of attention to detail, in order to ensure that no element of a case is missed, and a thorough and methodical approach to everything that you do
• You will need to be patient and have the ability to remain calm under pressure: even when situations feel stressful or out of your control
• As much of your work as a vet will involve the examination and treatment of animals, you need to be able to work well with your hands. You will also need a good level of physical fitness to meet the demands of this work, particularly if you are working in a rural environment or with larger animals
• You should enjoy spending time with animals and be compassionate to their wants and needs
• You will need a strong knowledge of biology as well as of animal medicine and dentistry; you will gain this knowledge during your veterinary training, but any additional experience you have will also be beneficial
• You will need to be decisive and able to trust and use your own judgement at short notice. Often you won’t have time to second guess yourself or consult another professional, so your faith in your own decisions will be integral
• You will need to be computer literate and able to use all the main software packages available with competence
• In many roles, particularly in rural environments, you should be able to drive
• You will also have to pass enhanced background checks via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

What a Vet Does

One of the best things about being a vet is that no two days are the same: you never know when an exotic animal, or a dog with an unusual condition, will appear in your surgery. It is an incredibly rewarding role for an animal lover who is looking to experience something slightly different every day. However, there are some day-to-day tasks that you can expect to complete on a regular basis. These include;

• Diagnose and treat sick and injured animals. These could range from domestic pets to larger zoo animals, depending on the area of practice that you choose to work within
• Perform operations: these could be either routine, regularly scheduled surgeries or unplanned emergency cases
• Take blood from animals in order to carry out blood analysis. Other regular tests you could perform include x-rays and scans
• Provide general care to animals within a veterinary hospital environment, or overnight within your veterinary surgery
• Give vaccinations to animals, and carry out regular health checks, with any awareness that preventing poor health within an animal is the optimal long-term goal
• Check farm animals and help with the birthing and delivery of these animals if needed. Advise farmers on how they can prevent diseases from spreading within their livestock
• Supervise veterinary nurses and other support staff. Work as a key member of your veterinary team, providing support to other team members as and when this is needed
• Keep robust records of any treatment or vaccination administered to any animal under your care
• Work with both pet owners and insurers to communicate clearly the cost of any treatments administered, and to work with them to establish a payment plan
• Neuter animals to prevent unwanted breeding
• Put severely injured or terminal animals to sleep, working with their owners to ensure that you all agree that the time and location for this difficult procedure suits the needs of all parties
• Follow public health and hygiene laws to protect the health of both the animals under your care and the wider general public

How Much Does a Vet Earn

When working as a vet, you can expect your salary to vary depending on how much experience you have and where you choose to work. As a newly qualified vet, your salary will range from between £30,500 and £35,500 whilst as you gain experience and complete additional training, this will increase to a more generous average of between £40,000 and £70,000. The most experienced vet in the industry can earn up to £92,500.

When choosing the field of practice that will work best for you, it is worth considering that vets working in practices with large animals will earn more than those who choose to work with smaller animals. In addition to your salary, you will also be offered other benefits as part of your role: as well as a pension scheme, many veterinary positions will also include a car and accommodation as part of their package.

Qualifications Needed for a Vet

If you’ve always dreamt of becoming a vet, then it’s likely that you’ll want to know what qualifications you need to secure vet jobs. The first thing you need to know is that you can’t practice as a vet unless you are registered with the Royal College of  Veterinary Surgeons; you cannot register with this body without a degree in veterinary medicine from an accredited university. The route to securing this degree, however, can vary considerably leaving you with a wide range of different options. Places on veterinary training courses are competitive, and each university will have their own entry requirements.

• The most common route to university is to take A Levels in relevant subjects (if you live in Scotland you will take Highers or Advanced Highers). You will need to obtain at least five GCSES including the science subjects, and you will generally need to have obtained high grades in at least three subjects at A-level. These subjects should include Biology and preferably one or two other science-based subjects. The prospectus for your chosen university will give you a clearer idea of what grades you should expect to achieve
• If you are aged over 19 and don’t have the required A-Levels, then you can still access university by securing an Access to Higher Education (HE) qualification. These courses are easy to access and can often be completed on a part time basis so that you can continue to work at the same time. Most universities will expect a distinction and heavy focus on science subjects in this diploma, and not all vet schools will accept an Access to Higher Education qualification as part of their admissions policy, so you should check this first
• Another route to access a veterinary degree is to study vocational qualifications: in some cases, a vocational qualification such as a BTEC Level 3 extended diploma in a related science-focused subject, such as Animal Management or Applied Science, will give you access to the veterinary degree you need. Many universities see the benefits of BTEC qualifications because they involve so much practical work, meaning their holders have so much hands-on experience in their field of study
• Finally, if you have already secured another degree then you could use this to meet the entry requirement for a veterinary degree. Historically this should be in a science-related subject, but some universities offer change of career programmes to graduates from all subjects. You will, however, need to have secured at least a 2:1 in your initial degree

Securing a place on a veterinary university course is incredibly competitive, so gaining as much animal related work experience as you can enhance your application and make it look more attractive. Many local veterinary surgeries will offer work experience programmes, but experience of working with animals in general will also be beneficial. Cleaning out stables, working in a kennel or cattery, or spending time on a farm are all relevant kinds of animal experience that will enhance your university application.

Eight institutions currently offer veterinary degree qualifications. Those are:

• Royal Veterinary College, University of London
• University of Bristol
• University of Cambridge
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Glasgow
• University of Liverpool
• University of Nottingham
• University of Surrey

On the Job Training

On the job training will become a vital part of your career as a vet, with continued professional development (CPD) being considered integral to your continuing practice. In fact, to maintain your membership to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, you will need to complete a certain number of CPD hours each year. The type of on-the-job training courses you could pursue include gaining more in-depth understanding of the animals you specialise in, particularly if these are exotic animals with unusual physiology. Some examples of courses you could undertake include:

• Postgraduate certificates in small animal surgery
• Postgraduate certificates in animal dentistry
• Postgraduate certificates in diagnostic imaging
• Postgraduate certificates in emergency practice

Many of these courses can be conducted online, via remote learning, meaning that you won’t have to take time away from your practice to further your skills and enhance your career.

Professional Bodies

You cannot work as a vet unless you are a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Benefits of this membership also include access to lifelong learning training, career development programmes, and access to advice on professional conduct.

Other professional bodies that you may find it beneficial to join include the British Veterinary Association (BVA). Benefits of membership to this organisation include support throughout every stage of your career, exclusive member discounts, access to development opportunities to help you grow your skills and further your career, and a members-only area where you engage with other veterinary professionals and gain career advice and support from your peers.