Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

"In the space of a couple of weeks I went from a placement on a salmon farm in one of the most southerly parts of Tasmania (and indeed Australia), to doing yoga at 2:00am on a highway on the tropical Cape York Peninsula, which is just about as far north as you can go in Australia. The latter was while waiting for a critically endangered bat, never before captured in Australia, to fly into traps. The aim of trapping and then releasing these elusive bats was to attach radio trackers. These miniature devices will enable researchers to start answering some fundamental questions about the bats’ ecology and biology, and so better guide decisions about their conservation. This really highlights the diversity of species you can work with if you’re keen and up for a challenge!"

– Jessica Whinfield (Australia), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

"I am thoroughly enjoying the many hands-on practical classes as well as conversing with some of the most friendly professors I have ever met. Although veterinary school can be very challenging at times, you make great friends with your fellow classmates and we get each other through the tough times (trust me, there are many). The first two years of the program can be challenging, learning all the background information with lots of memorisation, but once you reach third year, everything seems to fall together nicely and you start feeling like an actual veterinarian."

– Abby Tu (Canada), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

"As a local student, I think I under-utilised the student clubs that were available at the university during my undergraduate degree due to my existing friends in Melbourne. Going into the DVM, I decided I would use this opportunity to become more involved and expand my social circle through the Veterinary Students Society of Victoria (VSSV)… Since my first year in the course, I have attended many different VSSV events. These events helped me to make friends within the cohort, as well as stimulate my own ideas for what the club can provide."

– Lachlan Pollock (Australia), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Do you want to know more?
Find out more about what life in this course is like at Frequently asked questions about the student experience.