Veterinary Medicine in Australia

What you can expect from undergraduate study in Veterinary science

Specialisations you can do
Veterinary medicine, Veterinary surgery
What you're in for
Lovely, fluffy animals aside, one of the best things about being a vet must surely be the ability to treat and cure disease and sickness and increase quality of life. If you have a passion for animals and a desire to help, along with a strong stomach that will no doubt be necessary at times, then a career in vet science could be for you.
Courses in vet science are extremely competitive to get into and demand near perfect TER scores. They may also require prerequisite subjects (typically in one or more of maths, physics, biology and chemistry) but these should be checked with individual institutions as they do vary.
Part of the reason for the tough entry requirements of vet science courses is that they are offered at a limited number of institutions. Until fairly recently only four universities offered courses in this field, all in metropolitan areas. But the recognition of a skills gap in the rural industries led the profession to accredit two new courses that are based in and focused on, rural areas and practice. Courses are now offered at institutions in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. Each course is recognised throughout the country as well as in certain countries overseas.
Almost all vet science courses, which involve either five or six years of full-time study, insist on the same broad-based training that aims to prepare graduates for all areas of practice. Courses place a strong emphasis on practical work, with students working under supervision in external or university-operated veterinary clinics, often in a farm setting. Courses also require students to undertake professional practical work in semester breaks and between academic years.
Australian vets must abide by the code of practice dictated by the Australian Veterinary Association. They are required to register each year with the Veterinary Surgeons Board or Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of the State/Territory in which they intend to practice.
While the vast majority of veterinary science graduates (around 90 per cent) work as vets in private practice (the majority of these are in suburban general practice) there is a range of alternative career destinations available to graduates. A number of graduates each year find employment in government services (in livestock disease control, diagnostic service work, disease research, animal export/import, for example), in research, higher education or industry. Opportunities for veterinary science graduates are also beginning to emerge in additional areas such as genetic technologies, food safety, animal welfare and urban animal management.
Other fields of study that may interest you include agriculture, environmental studies, dentistry, health services and support, rehabilitation, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and some of the sciences, especially the life sciences.
For more information about careers in this field visit the Australian Veterinary Association website: www.ava.com.au .
What’s happening?
Compared with other professions, there is currently an above average proportion (80 per cent) of veterinarians in full-time (as opposed to part-time) jobs. Vets also typically work longer hours compared with many other occupations. On average, full-time vets work 47.9 hours each week compared to the average 39.7 hours each week across all occupations.
A new degree structure that has already been established in some fields at selected institutions has the potential to become more common in the future. The structure follows a US-style model where undergraduates enter a general pre-professional degree (perhaps in science or applied science for veterinary science) and then transfer to a postgraduate qualification.
On average, how tough is it to get into Veterinary science courses?
Very Tough
Who does undergraduate courses in Veterinary science?
Number of students: 2,037
Percent of students over 25 years: 21%
Percent of students from non-English speaking backgrounds: 19%
Number of international students: 444
Percent studying part time: 4%
Percent studying externally: 0%
Percent women: 77%
Tuition costs
Average tuition fees for international students $162,835 per annumAverage tuition fees for domestic fee-paying students $130,480 per annum
Graduates views of the course experience
Teaching quality: 5 stars
Development of generic skills: 5 stars
Overall satisfaction: 5 stars
Your prospects
Vet science graduates are very satisfied with all aspects of their course experience according to the national Course Experience Questionnaire. Job prospects in this field are very positive and graduate employment rates are excellent (currently around 96 per cent). Starting salaries are below average, beginning at the modest level of around $38 000, but can climb to in excess of $90 000.
What salary can I expect?
Graduate starting salary: $38,080
Will I get a job?
Percentage of graduates looking for job who did not find full time work four months after graduation: 4%
Where graduates go when they do get jobs:
Public sector: 5%
Private sector: 82%
Private practice: 8%
Overseas: 4%
Will I need to go on to further study?
How many graduates immediately go on to further study? 4%
How does Veterinary science compare with other fields of study?
Click here to compare Veterinary science with the other 29 fields of study.
How difficult is it to get into undergraduate courses in Veterinary science?
Click here for entry toughness to non-combined courses.
Do institutions differ in how they teach Veterinary science?
Yes. The following 6 campuses all provide Veterinary science courses. Click on the campus name to find out more about the individual campuses. Click on the University name to see how their Veterinary science courses rate and compare.
Charles Sturt University: Wagga Wagga
James Cook University: Townsville
Murdoch University: Murdoch
University of Melbourne: Parkville
University of Queensland: St Lucia
University of Sydney: Camperdown/Darlington