Education · 1 of 5

The path

Long, expensive and extremely competitive. Go in with your eyes open.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Grade 12 biology, chemistry, physics, math and English with top marks.

2. 2

   University prerequisites

   2 to 4 years

   Schools require at least 2 years of science courses. In practice most successful applicants finish a full degree first, with a high average and hundreds of hours of animal and veterinary experience.

3. 3

   DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) degree

   4 years

   Four years at one of only five colleges in Canada. Every species: dogs, cats, horses, cattle, pigs, poultry, exotics. The final year is clinical rotations.

4. 4

   Write the NAVLE (North American Veterinary Licensing Exam)

   Final year

   The same exam used in the US. Written in the final year of the degree.

5. 5

   Get your provincial licence

   A few weeks

   For example from the CVO (College of Veterinarians of Ontario). Then you can practise.