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Once they graduate, veterinarians must meet state licensing requirements. With some exceptions for veterinarians working for certain federal agencies or state governments, all states and the District of Columbia require that veterinarians be licensed before they can practice. Requirements to become licensed include successful completion of the DVM/VMD degree or equivalent education and a passing grade on a national board examination. A board exam consists of hundreds of questions and takes a full day to complete. Most states also require a passing grade on an exam that covers related laws and regulations of that state, and some test clinical competency as well. And just because you’re licensed to practice in one state doesn’t mean you’re qualified to practice in another. Generally, you must first take and pass the new state’s examination before being allowed to practice there.

Graduation and licensing aren’t the end of education for veterinarians. There are frequent advances in veterinary medicine, and most states have continuing-education requirements for licensed veterinarians, which may involve attending classes or otherwise demonstrating knowledge of recent veterinary advances. For instance, state-licensed veterinarians in Oregon must earn at least thirty hours of continuing education every two years. Most veterinarians gain continuing-education credits when they attend seminars at local, regional, or national veterinary conferences. Veterinarians also spend a lot of time reading veterinary journals. In this career, the homework never ends.

With the assistance of one of her vet techs, oncology specialist Susan Ettinger, DVM, examines a Rottweiler.