VETERINARY MEDICINE AS A CAREER
Working with animals has been a dream of mine since childhood. I was raised next door to the town veterinarian, Dr. Murphy. He specialized in farm animals, which my family raised, so he visited our house on a regular basis. He knew I loved to hear stories about his patients and always entertained me, no matter how busy he was. When I was 10, Dr. Murphy gave me a copy of “All Creatures Great and Small” by James Herriot. The book told the story of a country veterinarian and his daily work. To this day, that book remains one of my favorites and always renews my interest in animals.
I recently spoke with Dr. Murphy, who is now retired, about his experience in the field of veterinary medicine. He
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Veterinarians who seek specialty certification in a field such as opthalmology, pathology, surgery, radiology, or laboratory animal medicine must complete a 3-year residency program, and pass an examination. In addition to academic instruction, training includes clinical experience in diagnosing and treating animal diseases, performing surgery, and performing laboratory work in anatomy, biochemistry, and other scientific and medical subjects. (The Veterinary Profession n. pag.).
The veterinary profession is a stable career because animals, like humans, will always need to be cared for. Today veterinarians have the option to choose between several areas of practice. Private clinical practice remains the highest for percentage of total veterinarians and annual earnings. Large animal practices earn $79,600 on average while small animal practices earn $75,000. There are also opportunities within public education systems, federal and state government agencies, and the uniformed services. However, these practices earn a considerable about less. The average salary is $60,000 - 65,000 per year. (AVMA n. pag.).
Today’s veterinarians also have the option to specialize in a number of areas such as radiology, pathology, toxicology, and oncology. These veterinarians will perform general duties like dressing wounds, setting broken bones, and prescribing medication, but will utilize their additional training when
When I think of veterinary medicine I think of an essential part of being a responsible pet owner. Veterinary medicine, much like human medicine, is necessary for the well being of not only us but our companions as well. In the case of zoonotic disease, early detection is key to ensure that the other members of the household don't fall ill. Veterinary professionals have the potential to have a highly rewarding career by improving the lives of pets and the people that love them. Veterinary facilities see dozens of patients a day of all shapes, sizes, and temperaments. Whether it be for simple routine checkups in a veterinary general practice clinic or saving a severely injured non-human member of the family at the emergency clinic, the entire veterinary team is essential to a smooth running facility. Doctors can tell what is wrong with your pet and prescribe treatment and medicine to make them feel better. Veterinary Technicians can help give your pet what he needs to feel better and explain the care of your pet in depth so it
To become a vet tech you have to go through the proper education and training required. An associate’s degree in veterinary technology is required to become a vet tech and takes about two years to accomplish (Exploring Medical
1. The Rose Diagram proved that mass deaths can be avoided through sanitation and clean water. It showed that the British government can stop epidemic diseases. 2. Completely changed the British armies attitude towards medical care, changing attitude is the first step towards change.
From a very young, becoming a veterinarian has been a dream of mine. The love of animals coupled with the thought of helping those animals through suffering and having the opportunity to actually save one's life has been a motivator for the future. A veterinarian changes an animal’s life in more ways than one. They care for the health of animals. Veterinarians are also able to diagnose, treat, and research medical conditions and diseases of not just pets but also livestock and wildlife ("Summary" U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). It goes beyond the annual vaccinations.
There is a lot of hard work put into this job, maintaining the health of all the animal patients. The overall job description of a veterinarian is a doctor who, “care[s] for the health of animals and work[s] to improve public health. They diagnose, treat, and research medical conditions and diseases of pets, livestock, and other animals” (Veterinarian). Vets also provide emergency care for injured animals as well as provide euthanization for animals unable to be treated effectively. There are several different kinds of vets, each with different daily tasks and patients to work on. The type of vet everyone usually first thinks of is a Clinical Vet, also known as a Companion animal Veterinarian. They treat regular household pets such as dogs, cats, rabbits, pigs, etc. This type of vet’s work environment usually includes being in private clinics and animal hospitals most of the time but can travel to farms and homes if needed. This is the most common field veterinarian students pursue. Another type is Equine Veterinarian. This type of vet focuses just on treating and caring for horses. They spend most of their times on ranches, and also at places like horse racing tracks and shows. Large Animal Veterinarians treat large farm animals such as horses, cows, sheep and pigs. A branch of this type of veterinarian is a Food Animal Veterinarian, who work towards improving public health by treating animals that
Becoming a veterinarian takes a lot of hard work and many years of schooling, but it is an immensely satisfying job for those that are comfortable with and passionate about working with animals as well as people. Veterinarians offer medical care to by diagnosing and treating sick animals, which are often household pets, farm animals, and zoo animals. While looking into becoming a veterinarian, many factors of the job need to be taken into consideration: education and experience requirements, working facilities, job outlook, advancement opportunities, salary and wages, tasks performed, and advantages and disadvantages.
A good career to go into is veterinarian. Veterinarians diagnose and treat sick and injured animals. They work with many types of animals, including dogs, cats, horses, and cows. Before you apply to a veterinary school, you need to complete 2 to 4 years of college. Also it’s a good idea to get a Bachelor’s of Science degree, but you definitely have to get a professional degree to become a vet. You need a total of 4 years of vet school, when you finish your 4 years you earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. In general, vets can earn between $52,000 and $161,000 a year. The median salary for all vets is around $89,000 a year. Most vets receive benefits as well as a salary, theses often include health, dental plans, paid vacations and sick
Department of Labor ). Employment for vet technicians are also expected to grow over the next five to ten years by about 15 to 20%. For veterinarians working full-time, they typically dedicate anywhere from forty to fifty hours each week and average a mean salary of $95,000 a year. Vets fresh out of school average a starting salary of $65,000, and can reach up to $200,000 per year with qualified experience and specialization. Those who work in the national economy that is not under direct government control the national economy that is not under direct government control the national economy that is not under direct government control, as opposed to the government or schools, tend to make higher wages, especially if they have ownership in the practice.Prospective veterinarians must have at least two years of undergraduate training at a college or university before applying for admission to a veterinary college Veterinarians, also called doctors of veterinary medicine, study, treat, and control animal injuries and diseases. Much of the research currently being conducted by veterinarians involves studying the relationship between animal and human disease and how animal diseases are transmitted to
They get paid on average of $91,250 but pay can range from $50,480 to $141,680 annually. You must be of optimum health to do this job and fit because of the animals you must handle. To work in this field you need to love pets and animals and get along well with others because some things you will have to work as a team on. Experience in this field is key to do the proper job. Many unexpected things happen with animals as they can't communicate so they are extremely unpredictable so you must be prepared for the worst or best outcome.
Veterinarians earn a median salary of $88,490 per year. The salaries typically start from $53,210 and rise to $158,260. If one is a starting veterinarian they would get paid less than what a top end veterinarian would make. Veterinarians with board certification in a specialty area can earn the highest salaries. A veterinarian’s average hourly wage is $47.59. Those who are employed by the federal government averaged a salary of $93,398 per year. The average veterinarian’s salary increases at a rate of nearly 6% each year, overtaking both inflation and cost of living increases. While most veterinarians aren’t choosing this career merely for the money, this is a very stable profession that has a great outlook for salary growth in the future. ("How Much Can a Veterinarian Expect to Get Paid?").
Since this is something I enjoy to do I would like to learn more about animals than I may not learn from the career center. Over the summer I worked at a dog kennel and it was ok something I wasn’t crazy about because I liked the little dogs mostly rather than the big dogs. I’m more comfortable at the career center because i’ve been there so many times and with the dog place I wasn’t there but only once. So pretty much I knew the teachers there in the animal care class. But yes I did love spending time with the animals because dogs are cute and at the career center I love petting the animals because some of them are really friendly. I really get along with the animals there at the career center because I basically know what to do there. All they had at the dog kennel was dog’s and they have so many pets at the career center from dogs to medium to small animals. They also even have reptiles which are pretty cool animals. They had a grooming station at the dog kennel a small one wasn’t very big but at the career center had bigger grooming stations. They also had laundry at the dog kennel which the animal care class has there
The Amount of money you make depends on how much experience you have in the work area. “Earnings for veterinarians depend on experience, responsibilities, location, and employer” (John). When getting in to the work force of a veterinarian the amount of money you earn depends on what you can and cannot do. If you do not know as much as everyone else that just started out then you do not make as much money. Going to school and learning as much as you can then you can make a bunch of money. If at first school does not help you then keep on going at it and you can learn more then you ever thought you would. There is nothing wrong with needing more help when it comes to school if it helps you later in life to make more money. When first going in you can make $74,820 annually, median wage $96,260 and experienced wage is $123,500. The more you know the better chance of making more money. The amount of money you make depend on the amount of experience.
After high school, it is recommended to complete 2 to 4 years of college before applying to veterinary school. It takes 4 years to complete vet school. A professional degree from a veterinary school is necessary before becoming a veterinarian. People must have licenses to practice as a vet. In order to obtain a license, a DVM degree and one must pass a national board exam. It is a good idea to get some experience working with animals before becoming a vet. Strong people skills are recommended in this field. The salary earned is based upon education
Employment opportunities for veterinarians are expected to grow for all veterinary related occupations. Rising incomes, education, and the movement of baby boomers is expected to raise the percent of household pets. Single adults and senior citizens have come to appreciate animal companionship more than in the past. Pet owners are more willing to pay for more elective and intensive care than before. Emphasis on scientific methods of breeding and raising livestock, poultry, and fish, and continued support for public health and disease control programs will contribute to the demand for veterinarians. The employment outlook is especially good for veterinarians with specialty training such as equine medicine and surgery.
At a glance Veterinarians diagnose and treat sick and injured animals, including dogs, cats, horses, and cows. They earn up to 50K to 145K