Veterinarians
Veterinarians are caring professionals who are responsible for the medical care of animals. A career as a veterinarian can be very rewarding for people who like animals. Good communication skills are required to talk to owners of animals. Most veterinarians work with household pets; however, veterinarians are needed to care for livestock animals like dairy cattle, swine, sheep, poultry at farms and ranches. Veterinarians can also choose to specialize in veterinary surgery, dermatology, or internal medicine after receiving their veterinarian’s degree and certification.
Becoming a Veterinarian in the United States and Canada is highly professionalized. Prospective veterinarians who attend veterinary school matriculate at the post-graduate level. All students who wish to attend veterinary schools must get their graduate education and take the VCAT (Veterinary College Admissions Test) before applying to veterinary schools. A degree in veterinary medicine is called a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). The program to get a degree in veterinary medicine usually takes four years and some veterinary schools are quite competitive. The Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association accredidates 28 schools in 26 different states. Prerequisites and qualifications to be accepted into veterinary programs vary from university to university. Every veterinary program requires a large amount of credit hours, approximately 45 to 90 credit hours per semester in courses pertaining to the pre-veterinary medicine curriculum at the undergraduate level.
Most pre-veterinary programs at universities require students to take math and science oriented courses. Many veterinary schools require that students take inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, animal biology, vertebrate embryology, cellular biology, zoology, microbiology, and systemic physiology. Most schools require college algebra but some require students to take calculus. Humanities may also be prerequisite. Increasingly, schools are requiring entry level business courses to prepare veterinarians for running a practice. Veterinarians students should also take the GREs, the Veterinary College Admission test (VCAT) and the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Admission to veterinary school is competitive; only roughly a third of all applicants are admitted every year.
Veterinarians should love animals and have the ability to get along with owners. Owners can be attached to their animals; therefore, good communication skills are required for success as a veterinarian. Veterinarians who are thinking of running their own practice require better communication skills and the business skills necessary to run a successful clinic. The job outlook for new veterinarians is rather good despite increasing costs and debts associated with all medical educations. Most new veterinarians make their start in group practices. Once the debts are paid off, many experienced veterinarians wind up opening their own facility despite the cost of office space, equipment, and staff. There is also an increasing demand for research veterinarians and veterinarians that work for government regulatory organizations like the Food and Drug Administration, the Center for Disease Control, and the United States Department of Agriculture. Most veterinarians care for pets but the profession offers opportunities in a variety of related venues. Veterinarians have rewarding careers that make a difference in the health of animals and humans alike.
