Being a vet is hard, but satisfying work. You might have to work for free or for measly pay, you will have to work hard for up to 8 years to just learn the basics and to get your license. Not only this but the education of a vet is never complete and you will have to continue learning and work hard all through your career life. If you are ready to do all this or if its just that you simply love animals then congrats this job is perfect for you. So here are some steps that will help you get started on the path to be a vet someday.

• You need to get yourself some experience. This will help you make sure that your chosen career path is the right one. It will also demonstrate your determination and dedication to the school you will eventually go to. It is important for a vet to get hands on experience and hence is a good idea to volunteer on farms and animal shelters.
• Excel in your school and your college years to get into a reputed and good vet school. The field you have chosen is extremely competitive and hence colleges can afford to pick what they like so you will need to top your grades. If you manage to get great grades and have some work experience as well it shows your ability and will to work and makes you a bright candidate. Doing extra work during college days is impressive but wont excuse you from getting low grades so study hard.
• Score well on GRE. Go for preparation classes if necessary to achieve higher scores. But remember being a vet is not just getting high scores in GRE and tests, it is about your ability to be able to work well with animals and deal with pet owners. To get a hang of this try signing up for groups like RSPCA or speak with your college professor. You could also find a pet owner with a dying pet and convince him to let you help him take care of his pet.
• Involve yourself in research work when in undergraduate school. Veterinary schools survive on the grants they get for research and are more likely to pick you if you are a potential candidate to stay and conduct research after college.
• Find people who have completed vet school or make friends with your seniors. Their experiences and stories will often help you achieve your own goals. They might also know about local jobs available for experience.
• Keep yourself updated about vet related news, eg bird flu, BSE, foot and mouth diseases. Keep a pet yourself and take care of it. You will need to be well informed if you are a vet. Keep searching and reading and strive for knowledge.
• Work along with experienced vets and help them perform simple tasks. Also do research on latest diseases and make logs and keep a track of them. Keep your interest burning. Be open minded as you will have to treat a range of different species and not just one like normal doctors.
• Remember, you not only need to deal with animals but also co-workers and pet owners so its important to have great people skills. You can try working ppart time as a receptionist at an animal hospital or a vet clinic.
• Make sure you have something to fall back on. Not everyone wanting to be a vet gets to be one. There are a lot of other careers which work with animal health or animals in general such as veterinary scientists, veterinary nurses and pathologists.
• Lastly remember if you are scared of open wounds or blood this aint a job for you. A vet will have to see a lot of violence related problems during his career. Also never be nervous or scared to tell people about bad news, it can be hard, but it has to be done.