Question 24: It seems like most of the veterinarians I hear about work with
pets. What other career opportunities are available to
veterinarians?
Answer:
It is true that a large percentage of veterinarians work with
pets in exclusively small animal practices. However, there is
a wide variety of career opportunities available to
individuals with degrees in veterinary medicine. Many of these
career fields are summarized below. For more
information,
click here.
Private Practice
Small Animal Exclusive - dogs, cats, pocket
pets, birds, ferrets, reptiles, exotics, fish
Large Animal Exclusive – cows, sheep, goats, pigs,
chickens, turkeys, elk, bison, llamas
Equine Exclusive - horses
Mixed - Small, Large, Equine
Humane Societies, Animal Shelters, Rescue Groups,
Refuges, Sanctuaries
Wildlife
Zoos, Circuses
Private Business
Research and testing for drugs or medical device
companies
Sales Representative for drug or medical device
companies
Zoos, Circuses
Government
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS)
U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Agricultural Research Service
Fish and Wildlife Service
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary
Medicine (FDA)
National Aeronautical and Space Administration
(NASA)
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Boards of Veterinary Medicine
Military
Police – canine, equine
Animal Control
Zoos
Academia
University hospital
practitioner
University hospital administrator
Teaching
Research
