How do I become a veterinary pathologist?

Hi Tori,

As long as you complete all of the required prerequisite courses for the vet schools you apply to, your undergraduate major doesn't matter terribly much. It might be advantageous to choose a major in some field of biology simply because you'd gain more exposure to relevant subjects, but I know successful vet students who majored in anything from music to anthropology. I studied Bio and Theatre, and based on the interest my interviewers showed in my artistic pursuits, I think pursuing diverse interests helped my application stand out. Undergrad is a great time to explore a variety of areas, so I would suggest you just pick whatever major you think you'll enjoy and excel in.

Your path through and beyond veterinary school could go any number of ways. A few people go right into a Pathology residency directly from veterinary school, but a majority work in private practice/do an internship/ have some other job for a few years prior to entering the residency program. Several pathologists I know highly recommend the latter course, as prior clinical experience can help you get more out of the residency. It can also give you an advantage while applying! For now, you should concentrate on just getting into vet school, gaining practical experience, and exploring different areas. Many vet students change their field of focus through the four-year program, and many of us end up in an area that was entirely unexpected! It's great to have a sense of where you're going, but flexibility and open-mindedness seem to be important values to embrace :-)

Good luck with your college studies and future vet school application! It's great that you seem so engaged and eager to prepare for your future in the field.

Feel free to be in touch if you have other questions I might help with.

Microbiology is a fine major for vet school. There are no specific requirements for your actual major as long as you take the pre-requisites.

Once you've got that DVM behind your name you can ALWAYS go back and work in private practice as a general practitioner no matter what your residency is in. But, working as a pathologist might make certain skills a little rusty and some practitioners might be a little hesitant to hire you. If that's something you're considering then keeping up with your skills by doing a little relief work or putting in Saturday shifts at a local clinic might not be a bad idea. Or volunteering with a local spay/neuter clinic or vet's without borders could be a good idea as well.

On a similar note, it's pretty common for people to work in practice for awhile and then go back and do a residency. Pathology is one of the less competitive residencies but people applying for more competitive specialties often spend a few years in private practice to get more experience before applying for a residency.