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Step 1
Study hard and excel in high school. With only 30 veterinary colleges in the United States, the competition to get accepted is fierce. Approximately 1 out of every 500 students will be accepted. The things that you can do to earn one of those coveted spots is graduate from high school with a high GPA, get above average scores on your ACT/SAT tests, spend every spare moment interning with your local veterinarian, and take lots of science and biology classes. Applicants that were 4-H and FFA members are often given preference over applicants that haven't been involved with either organization.
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Step 2
Get yourself through vet school. Not only will you have to learn all the regular veterinary stuff, like several different types of anatomy, various diseases, diagnostics and advanced animal care, you will also have to spend a considerable amount of time studying the different diseases and fungi that affect the skin of several different types of animals. If you are thinking that you would like to work in Minnesota, the four years you spend studying veterinary medicine should also be spent making contacts that are already located in Minnesota. Seminars and veterinary conferences provide excellent opportunities to network.
Veterinarians tend to prefer to hire students that have completed their veterinary studies at the University of Minnesota. Not only does the U of M have an excellent veterinary program, you can continue to pursue your dream of becoming a veterinary dermatologist by enrolling in the school's graduate program. The university has a Veterinary Dermatology Graduate Fellowship to help students complete their education in veterinary dermatology. -
Step 3
Work with your professors and advisers on creating case studies. Draft your findings into a research paper and try to get it published in a veterinary publication. Students that are published might get more favorable opportunities from potential employers after graduation from vet school.
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Step 4
Submit your application to several different vet clinics in the state of Minnesota. At this point you aren't applying for a job, you are actually asking the vet clinic to let you intern at their facility. This internship will last for 1 year. While you are interning, you should make an effort to really get to know the people that regularly make use of the veterinarian, not only will you start to get an idea of the type of cases you can expect to see when you are ready to go out on you own, but you will also learn about the personality of the average Minnesota citizen.
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Step 5
Complete a 3-year residency program. This residency period is usually done at a veterinary college. During your residency you should plan on spending most of your time seeing cases and writing reports about the cases. At the end of your residency you will have to make a presentation to the American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology.
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Step 6
Make arrangements with the American College of Veterinary Medicine to take an examination that will test your knowledge of dermatology and allergies. After you complete the exam, the board will take a second look at your credentials and, hopefully, pass you. At the end of this process you will be a board certified Veterinary Dermatologist.
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Step 7
After receiving your certification you should go to the American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology and check out the job listings. If there are any veterinary clinics in Minnesota that are looking for a dermatologist, this is the place to find them. Veterinarians that went to school at the University of Minnesota can make use of the university's job placement service.
One of the veterinary clinics you may want to consider when you are looking for employment is the Veterinary Dermatology and Allergy Centre, which is located at 1615 Coon Rapids Blvd., Coon Rapids, MN 55433, (763) 754-5953. -
Step 8
Register as a member with Minnesota Veterinary Association. This organization will keep you informed about all the important things that every Minnesota veterinarian needs to know.
