This experience will help the student determine if this is really the career path they want to pursue. Veterinary schools want their incoming students to have at least some idea of the challenges ahead, so that they are better prepared to be successful. The first two years are primarily lectures and laboratory work. The final two years are more clinically oriented, with exposure to the actual caseload of the teaching hospital. Veterinary school is a study in extremes.
Hours are long, stress is high, and burnout is a constant threat.
However, it is important to enjoy and appreciate the process of meeting your goals. As graduation nears, a cold fear grips the heart. At the beginning of this column, I said that a veterinary education begins in high school. With respect to schoolwork that is true. However, the education of a veterinarian continues long past graduation day, and truly never stops.