| Employment opportunities for veterinarians are | | | | Private clinical practitioners who own their own |
| expected to grow fast. Single adults have come to | | | | practices determine the nature of their practice and |
| appreciate animal companionship. Pet owners may be | | | | set their working hours. Because they are |
| willing to pay for more elective and intensive pet care | | | | self-employed, most private clinical practitioners |
| than they have in the past. | | | | choose to work beyond normal retirement age. |
| In addition, new scientific methods of breeding and | | | | Veterinarians in private practice serve a variety of |
| raising livestock, poultry, and fish as long as the | | | | animals. This is especially true in companion animal |
| continued support for public health and disease | | | | practice because of the increased popularity of pet |
| control programs will also contribute to the demand | | | | birds, small mammals (like hamsters and gerbils), and |
| for veterinarians. Demand for specialists in many | | | | fish. Today, a veterinarian may be treating llamas, |
| areas including toxicology, laboratory animal medicine, | | | | catfish, or ostriches as well as cats, dogs, horses, |
| and pathology is expected to increase. Most of these | | | | cows, hogs, sheep, and goats. |
| jobs for specialists will be in metropolitan areas. | | | | The chief risk for veterinarians is injury by animals; |
| Veterinarians have an inquiring mind and good powers | | | | however, modern tranquilizers and technology have |
| of observation. They generally have aptitude and | | | | made it much easier for veterinarians to work on all |
| interest in the biological sciences. Veterinarians also | | | | types of animals. |
| need an understanding of animals. Veterinarians should | | | | Large animal practitioners tend to work more irregular |
| be able to meet, talk, and work well with a variety | | | | hours than do those in small animal practice, industry, |
| of people. | | | | or government. |
| The primary reward for all veterinarians is the | | | | Students interested in a career in veterinary medicine |
| personal satisfaction in knowing that they are | | | | need to take a strong science, math, and biology |
| improving the quality of life for animals and people. | | | | program in high school. To be considered for |
| Depending on the stage of a veterinarian's career, | | | | admission to a college of veterinary medicine, a |
| the type of practice, and the veterinarian's likes and | | | | student must complete undergraduate preveterinary |
| dislikes, the pluses and minuses of a veterinary | | | | medical coursework, which usually includes three to |
| career may vary. | | | | four years of college study, with specific course |
| Veterinarians who are employed by government | | | | requirements. General requirements include basic |
| agencies, laboratories, colleges, and commercial firms | | | | language and communication skills, social sciences, |
| often have responsibility for large health programs | | | | humanities, mathematics, chemistry, and the biological |
| and may manage large numbers of people. | | | | and physical sciences. |
| Veterinarians who work for the U.S. Department of | | | | Preveterinary coursework can be completed at many |
| Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service | | | | colleges and universities, including those at which the |
| (FSIS) and for state and municipal food inspection | | | | veterinary medical schools are located.Admission to |
| services protect the public from diseased livestock | | | | veterinary school is highly competitive. |
| and unsafe meat and poultry. They ensure that food | | | | Applicants usually have grades of "B" or better, |
| products are safe and wholesome. To prevent the | | | | especially in the sciences. Applicants must take the |
| introduction of foreign diseases, veterinarians | | | | Veterinary Aptitude Test, Medical College Admission |
| employed by state and federal regulatory agencies | | | | Test, or the Graduate Record Examination. Most |
| quarantine and inspect animals brought into the United | | | | colleges give preference to candidates with animal or |
| States from other countries. | | | | veterinary related experience. |
| Veterinarians in research seek better ways to | | | | In most veterinary colleges the professional program |
| prevent and solve animal and human health problems. | | | | comprises two phases. In the first phase, preclinical |
| Many problems, such as cancer and cardiovascular | | | | sciences, such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, |
| disease, are studied through the use of laboratory | | | | pharmacology, and microbiology are emphasized. Most |
| animals, which are carefully bred, raised, and | | | | of the students' time is spent in classroom and |
| maintained under the supervision of veterinarians. | | | | laboratory study. |
| Laboratory animal veterinarians help select the best | | | | The second phase of professional study is principally |
| animal models for particular research projects and | | | | clinical. Students learn the principles of medicine and |
| ensure that the animals receive proper care. | | | | surgery in the classroom and through hands-on clinical |
| In addition to developing ways to reduce or eliminate | | | | experience. Students learn to apply their knowledge |
| the threat of animal diseases, veterinarians involved in | | | | in a clinical setting under the supervision of graduate |
| research have made many direct contributions to | | | | veterinarians on the faculty. Students treat animals, |
| human health. Veterinarians were the first to isolate | | | | perform surgery, and deal with owners who use the |
| filterable viruses, slow viruses, the first tumor-causing | | | | school's clinical services. |
| virus and other pathogenic agents. They also helped | | | | In conclusion, students learn about many different |
| conquer malaria and yellow fever, produced an | | | | animals and diseases, and become skilled in surgical |
| anticoagulant used to treat some people with heart | | | | techniques and many laboratory and diagnostic |
| disease, and defined and developed surgical | | | | procedures. |
| techniques for humans, such as hip-joint replacement | | | | After studies, veterinarians must acquire a license |
| and limb and organ transplants. | | | | issued by the state they wont to work in. In |
| Veterinarians working in pharmaceutical and biomedical | | | | research and teaching, a master's or Ph.D. degree is |
| research firms develop, test, and supervise the | | | | usually required. Veterinarians who seek specialty |
| production of drugs, chemicals, and biological | | | | board certification in one of the 20 specialty fields, |
| products, such as antibiotics and vaccines for human | | | | such as ophthalmology, pathology, surgery, radiology, |
| and animal use. These veterinarians usually have | | | | or laboratory animal medicine, must complete 2- to |
| specialized training in pharmacology, virology, | | | | 5-year residency programs and must pass an |
| bacteriology, pathology, parasitology, toxicology, | | | | examination. |
| nutrition, endocrinology, or laboratory animal medicine. | | | | Approximately half the states require veterinarians to |
| However, most veterinarians work in private clinical | | | | attend continuing education courses to maintain their |
| practice, which has its own set of advantages and | | | | licenses. New scientific knowledge and techniques are |
| disadvantages. Veterinarians in private clinical practice | | | | constantly being developed, and veterinarians must |
| gain satisfaction from helping owners keep their | | | | keep up to date by reading scientific journals and |
| animals well and from treating sick and injured animals. | | | | attending professional meetings and seminars. |