Preparing for a Veterinary Career
What to Expect
If you’re interested in a rewarding career as a veterinarian or veterinary technician, you’ll need enthusiasm, dedication, and a lifelong love of animals and the people who care for them. You’ll also need the proper education and credentials.
The process varies depending on where you plan to practice. But, in general, an aspiring veterinary professional must:
- Graduate from an accredited program
- Pass a licensure exam
- Submit the documentation required for licensure
At the AAVSB, we don’t issue your license to practice as a veterinary professional. That process is handled by the regulatory body of the jurisdiction (state or province) in which you’ll practice, so we encourage you to use our Board and Agency Directory to find details specific to your jurisdiction. But we can provide an overview of those high-level steps.
Regulatory Board Look-Up
Use our search tool to find licensure requirements for each state or province. Learn more here.
Graduate From an Accredited Program
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) provide accreditation for programs in their respective countries.
The AAVSB doesn’t endorse or recommend any specific program.
Graduates from international veterinary programs not accredited by the AVMA who want to practice in the United States or Canada can use our Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE®) for assistance.
Pass a Licensure Exam: NAVLE
To become a licensed veterinarian in the United States or Canada, you must pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE).
Most jurisdictions allow you to take the NAVLE when you’re about six months away from graduating from your veterinary medicine program.
The International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA) develops and administers the NAVLE, not the AAVSB. You can find NAVLE qualifications on the ICVA website. Requirements may differ based on the jurisdiction in which you wish to obtain your initial licensure.
If you’ve passed the NAVLE and need to send your score to a different jurisdiction, the AAVSB offers the VAULT® First License Application Service to help with that process.
Pass a Licensure Exam: VTNE®
To become a licensed veterinary technician, most jurisdictions require a passing score on the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE).
The AAVSB owns and administers the VTNE. We have an entire section of our website devoted to understanding the VTNE process, but, at a high level, you’ll need to:
- Make sure you’re eligible to take the test
- Apply to take the test and pay an exam fee
- Schedule and take the test
- Receive your score and have it provided to your jurisdiction
If you’ve passed the VTNE and need to send your score to a different jurisdiction, the AAVSB offers the VAULT® First License Application Service to help with that process.
Submit Documentation for Licensure
Passing the NAVLE or the VTNE® is an important part of getting licensed, but it’s not the only part. Passing the test does not equal getting licensed.
Each jurisdiction has very specific requirements for licensure. Use our Board and Agency Directory to find information specific to the jurisdiction in which you’d like to practice and see our Getting Your License page for an overview of the licensure process.
Recommended: Create a MyAAVSB Account
If you’re planning a career as a veterinary professional, your MyAAVSB account will serve as your career record and the repository for the information and documents you’ll need for licensure throughout your career.
Create a MyAAVSB Account