Vet

You'll need to complete a veterinary degree approved by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Full-time veterinary degrees usually take 5 years.

If you already have a degree in a related subject, you may be able to take a 4-year graduate entry veterinary degree course.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
• 3 A levels, or equivalent, including biology and chemistry

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements
• student finance for fees and living costs
• university courses and entry requirements

You'll need to get experience of working in a veterinary practice, plus experience of handling different animals from small domestic pets to larger livestock.

You could volunteer with a vet, a local kennel or animal welfare centre, or with animal charities like the PDSA or RSPCA.

Registration

• you'll need to register with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the British Veterinary Association and British Small Animals Veterinary Association for professional development and networking opportunities.

You could join the British Equine Veterinary Association if you work with horses.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a vet from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and British Veterinary Association.

You'll need:

• knowledge of animal medicine and dentistry
• knowledge of biology
• customer service skills
• excellent verbal communication skills
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• the ability to work well with your hands
• the ability to use your judgement and make decisions
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

You may need a driving licence for some jobs.

In general veterinary practice you could:

• diagnose and treat sick and injured animals
• perform operations
• carry out tests such as blood analysis, X-rays and scans
• provide care for an animal in veterinary hospitals
• carry out regular health checks and give vaccinations
• check farm animals and advise how to stop diseases spreading
• supervise veterinary nurses and support staff
• keep records of treatments
• communicate with pet owners and insurers
• neuter animals to stop them breeding
• put severely injured or terminally ill animals to sleep
• follow public health and hygiene laws

You could work at a veterinary practice, in remote rural areas or in a laboratory.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and outdoors some of the time.

You may need to wear a uniform and protective clothing.