Board-certified veterinary radiologists use advanced imaging technology to diagnose animal diseases.
A veterinary radiologist is a veterinarian who is board certified in imaging technologies used to scan and diagnose animals' internal organs, tissues and bones for disease or other anomalies. The radiologist is trained to use X-ray, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear scans and other non-invasive imaging technologies. The average annual salary for vets is about $90,000. With the additional radiology expertise, the annual income can be significantly more.
High School Prep
High schools students planning to be veterinarians need to take as much science and math as possible.
Becoming a veterinarian is a long journey that generally includes four years of undergraduate study, five or six semesters of veterinary school and a three-year residency requirement. It is a significant commitment and one that should not be entered into lightly. According to a pre-veterinary advisor at Colorado State University, high school students should take as much science and math as possible. CSU suggests two or three years of high school chemistry, biology or physics, three or four years of math and four years of English, all of which form the foundation of pre-veterinary studies in college.
Pre-Veterinary Studies
Pre-veterinary programs are rigorous and heavily weighted with science and math.
As with many universities, North Dakota State University pre-veterinary medicine program is not a degree program; however, students in the three-year program are encouraged to seek degrees in areas related to veterinary medicine such as animal science, veterinary technology, zoology and other science-based studies. NDSU's recommended curriculum for pre-vet students is weighted with biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics with a good cross-section of other areas such as biochemistry, zoology and microbiology. The university has contractual agreements with seven states to allow North Dakota pre-veterinary students to enroll in the vet schools at in-state tuition rates.
Veterinary School
Veterinary school lays the ground work for veterinary radiology.
Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, which only accepts 12 percent of its applicants annually, has a prescribed curriculum for students seeking to become veterinarians. During five semesters, students study two semesters of animal normality, two semesters of animal abnormality and a semester of intervention and prevention. All veterinary coursework lends itself to veterinary radiology since understanding of animal anatomy, physiology and the diseases that impact them is absolutely essential to radiology coursework.
Residency Programs
Radiology residency programs are generally three years long and require a great deal of time and effort to complete.
Colorado State University's fully-accredited, three-year residency program for veterinary radiologists covers large and small animal radiology and five forms of radiology including ultrasound, radiation therapy, magnetic resonance, tomography and nuclear medicine. Residents must enroll in a graduate program to earn a master's degree and the college covers tuition for nine credits per semester and requires residents to publish two papers on their specialty while in residence. Residents research, teach and fulfill clinical duties that rotate between large and small animal radiology while using all forms of available radiology technologies. The residents earn $32,500 annually.
Radiological Continuing Education
Veterinary radiologists need to continue their education given the rapidly changing technology with which they work.
While veterinary radiologists are skilled and well-trained, the technology with which they work is rapidly evolving in all aspects of radiology. Consequently, ongoing education is a must. The American Association of Veterinary Radiologists urges its members to stay abreast of the latest imaging protocols and many universities, veterinary conferences and online sites offer radiology continuing education courses to help keep radiologists' skills current.
Tags: State University, four years, science math, animal radiology, Colorado State, Colorado State University, five semesters
