How do I become a vet?
Veterinary school consists of 5½ years of perseverance, plus some preparation....
What you need:
- passed matura
- passed aptitude test ("Numerus Clausus")
What else can help:
- good knowledge of German (lectures are mostly in German)
- Interest in natural sciences
- Fun in learning
- Willingness to persevere
- Initiative
- Commitment
- Social skills
- an Emotional Support Animal ;)
How the study program is structured:
1st to 3rd year: Bachelor of veterinary medicine
4th and 5th year: master of veterinary medicine
after the 5th year: state examination
1st year
- Natural science basics (chemistry, physics, radiation physics, general radiology)
- Morphological basics I (anatomy, histology/cytology, embryology, comparative morphology)
- Functional basics I (pathology, biochemistry, genetics, molecular genetics, physiology, cell and molecular biology)
- Animal welfare, animal ethology and animal husbandry
- Practical skills I (general surgery, hospital hygiene/safety aspects, teamwork/communication, handling of different animal species, clinical case demonstrations)
- Scientific work (literature research, evidence-based medicine)
- Elective (digitalization or sustainability)
2nd year
- Organ block: musculoskeletal system
- Organ block: blood, immune organs, laboratory medicine,
- Organ block: respiration, cardiovascular system
- Organ block skin
- Functional Basics II (general pharmacology/toxicology, general animal nutrition, biology, physiology/nutritional physiology, animal breeding)
- Immunology and general infection biology
- Bacteriology
- Practical Skills II (general surgery, clinic days/practicum days/para-clinic days, communication, propaedeutics, night and emergency deeinste, skills lab)
- Population and population medicine I
3rd year
- Organ block: digestive tract, endocrinology and metabolism
- Organ block: kidney, salt, water balance
- Organ block: reproduction and mammary gland
- Organ block: nervous system, sensory organs
- Virology
- Epidemiology and biostatistics
- Food safety
- Practical Skills III (applied anatomy, professional skills, clinic days/practicum days/para-clinic days, communication basis 2, night and emergency services, propaedeutics, skills lab)
- Herd and population medicine II
- Parasitology
- Elective
4th year
- Clinical topics
- Leading Symptoms
- Elective focus (biomedical research, small animals, farm animals, pathobiology, equine, veterinary public health).
- Paraclinical topics
- Veterinary public health II, animal diseases, animal welfare
- Herd and population medicine III
- Practical skills IV (bacteriology internship, clinic days/practice days, communication III, emergency and night services, parasitology internship, pathology internship).
- Elective
5th year
- Rotations: Small animal, ruminant/pig, equine and pathology
- Master's thesis