New York State students should earn a NYS Regents Diploma. Yes, students should start at an early age working or volunteering for a veterinarian, zoo or local animal shelter. Try to work with many animal species and not just cats and dogs. Keep track of the hours of experience you gain, and ask each supervisor for a letter of recommendation. When you apply to veterinary college, you will need letters of recommendation from each experience you list on your application.
Veterinary college comes after a general undergraduate four-year college program.
Veterinary college is also a four-year program, so most veterinarians graduate with eight years of college education. Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Take your time and research your choices. Use a college guide and apply to the most competitive colleges into which you believe you can gain acceptance. Do not choose your college based on its athletic competitions or its social atmosphere if you want to go to veterinary college.