Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist

Also called: Veterinary Internist, DACVIM

Diagnoses complex illnesses in animals, like kidney disease, diabetes, and cancer.

A day in the life

Uses an endoscope to find a sock in a Labrador's stomach, runs ultrasound on a cat with liver problems, and solves medical mysteries that stumped the family vet.

Pay over a career

Starting
$140k
Typical
$200k
High
$290k

Estimate; BLS veterinarians overall median about $130k (May 2025), specialists earn more.

Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.

Training

Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 12 years after high school. Bachelor's, 4-year DVM, 1-year internship, then a 3-year specialty residency and board exam.

Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school. Training cost: Over $150k.

Majors to look at: Animal Science, Biology, Pre-Veterinary Studies.

Outlook

Growing much faster than average. Veterinarians grow faster than average; specialists are in short supply.

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk for 10 years. AI suggests diagnoses from lab patterns; endoscopy, ultrasound and untangling medical mysteries stay with the specialist.

Start now, in high school

Classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Statistics, Microbiology.

Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1131.

More Veterinary Medicine careers

Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.