A starting point for your veterinary career
Exciting career options and experiences await you outside the classroom. These essential tools will help you navigate the beginning of your successful veterinary career.
Career Choices for Veterinarians
There are many paths that you can take in your veterinary career. Take a moment to explore all of the available career opportunities!
Get to know about veterinary career options from people who have already been there. From forensics to epidemiology, there’s more than one place to use your veterinary skills.
AVMA's My Veterinary Life podcast series offers a personal glimpse into the lives of your peers. Tune in for inspiring stories from fellow veterinarians about the journeys, challenges – and often hilarious anecdotes – that got them to where they are today. This new series is brought to you by the AVMA, in partnership with Hill's Pet Nutrition.
There are a breadth of careers open to you when you begin your career as a veterinarian. Use the information here to start creating a plan to achieve your goals.
Do you want to explore federal government career options? Here's the complete guide to working for the government as a veterinarian.
This one-hour webinar covers federal government veterinary jobs from A to Z!
Find the future career path that’s best for you with the help of these self-assessment tools.
Externships and Internships
Get hands-on experience with an externship or additional training with an internship.
Search our extensive database of externships to find an interesting experience to build your veterinary medical knowledge or meet graduation requirements.
Here’s your complete guide to veterinary internships – from finding the perfect internship for you, to learning the application process and understanding the financial implications.
Equine Medicine Internships
Interested in an equine internship? Watch this 20-minute webinar, and learn what you can expect, how you choose the right fit and more. Requires AVMA login.
Here’s an opportunity to learn about an area of veterinary medicine that you won't find in school—and make a difference in shaping the profession’s future.
Private Practice Internships
It can be difficult to decide if an internship is right for you. Dr. Emily Tincher shares insights in this 11-minute webinar based on her own private practice internships—along with advice to help you make your decisions. Requires AVMA login.
Go International
Why limit your experience to your home state or even your home country? Go explore the planet!
Explore student exchange opportunities across the globe with this great resource compiled by your SAVMA officers and volunteers.
NAVLE: Helping You Pass the Test
We get it. You're in the middle of clinics, and you have to study for The Test.
Learn about NAVLE, and pick up tips on study habits from former students.
The International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA) is the place to go for all information about NAVLE, state licensing boards and species-specific examinations.
Communication Skills: Essentials You Can't Ignore
Clients and coworkers won't care how much you know…until they know how much you care. Start learning the “soft” skills of veterinary medicine—they’re important for any career path.
Sometimes the toughest part of a patient’s diagnosis is telling the client. The good news: client communication is a procedure you can master! Learn how to use your words as medical tools and bond-builders.
View short videos that demonstrate effective and ineffective ways to discuss preventive healthcare topics with pet owners.
Learn the essentials of effective client communication in this one-hour webinar, with topics ranging from active listening to building and maintaining credibility.
Market Yourself
You do great work. Let the world know it!
Learn the tips and tricks on how to hit it off with your new coworkers from the get-go!
Learn why keeping your resume current is as important as fulfilling your continuing education requirements.
Check out the essential guide to defining who you are, where you want to go and how to get there. It all starts with your personal brand!
Money Management
The “m” word. Not macrolide, muscle or mastitis. It's MONEY. Track your expenses, invest in your future and get on the road to financial health.
Start off your veterinary career on the right foot with these financial tips for upcoming graduates.
Use the free Mint mobile app to create a budget that both works for you today and sets you up for success tomorrow.
Learn why it's important to stay motivated with your budget during school. This article, written by a veterinary student, explores the impact of debt after graduation.
Elizabeth Johnson, one of the authors of this article, was an extern in the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Veterinary Economics Division. Check out the AVMA Student Externship Locator to learn about the many externship opportunities at the AVMA!
Do you want to learn about personal finance and practice business while you’re IN vet school? A Student AVMA (SAVMA) survey shows that financial literacy and business know-how are more in-demand than you might expect.
Don’t overlook your financial wellbeing! Check out veterinarian and attorney Dr. Lance Roasa’s 20-minute video to learn ways to improve your financial know-how.
Check out the 20-minute video from Dr. Jess Trichel of Live Oak Bank to learn all you need to know about running a successful business—from owning a practice to managing your individual career!