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Question 24:
I am interested in becoming a
veterinarian. Can you tell me what veterinarians do, what
career opportunities are available to veterinarians, what a
typical day is like for a small animal veterinarian, the pros
and cons of being a small animal veterinarian and what sort of
salary veterinarians make?
Answer:
The job description of a veterinarian can vary widely
depending on what branch of veterinary medicine they pursue.
While a large percentage of veterinarians work with
pets in exclusively small animal practices, 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
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Small Animal Exclusive (Pets) - dogs, cats,
rabbits, rodents, birds, ferrets, reptiles, exotics, fish
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Large Animal Exclusive (Production) - cows, sheep, goats, pigs,
chickens, turkeys, elk, bison, llamas
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Equine Exclusive - horses
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Mixed - Small, Large, Equine
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Humane Societies, Animal Shelters, Rescue Groups,
Refuges, Sanctuaries, Wildlife
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Zoos, Circuses
Private Business
Government
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U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS)
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U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
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Agricultural Research Service
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Fish and Wildlife Service
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
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National Institutes of Health (NIH)
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Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary
Medicine (FDA)
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National Aeronautical and Space Administration
(NASA)
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Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
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Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
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Board of Veterinary Medicine
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Military
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Police
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Animal Control
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Zoos
Academia
Areas of Veterinary Specialization
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Alternative Medicine/Holistic Medicine
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Anesthesiology
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Behavior
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Cardiology
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Dentistry
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Dermatology
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Emergency / Critical Care
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Internal Medicine
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Laboratory Animal Medicine
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Microbiology
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Neurology
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Nutrition
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Oncology
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Ophthalmology
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Pathology
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Pharmacology
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Private Practice
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Public Health
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Radiology
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Reproduction
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Surgery
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Toxicology
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Click here for links to the various specialty organizations.
The duties of a small animal
private practice veterinarian include, but are not necessarily limited to:
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See
appointments for both healthy and sick or injured pets
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Examine
pets
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Communicate
with pets’ owners
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Interpret
results of diagnostic tests – blood, urine, feces, skin,
radiographs, ultrasound, etc.
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Diagnose
medical, surgical and behavioral conditions
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Formulate
treatment plans for sick or injured pets
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Determine
routine preventative care for healthy pets
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Prescribe
medications
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Perform
surgery
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Document
everything in the patient record
A typical day for a veterinarian at
WBAH:
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HIGHLY
variable depending on season, emergencies, moon phase, etc.
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Monday
– Friday 8 am to 6 pm, Saturday 8 am – 1 pm rotated between
veterinarians, closed Sunday
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Appointments
scheduled from 9 am to 1:30 pm and 3 pm to 6 pm Monday through Friday and from 9am to 1 pm on Saturday, closed Sunday.
Saturday duty rotates between three veterinarians
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Surgeries
usually performed between 11 am and 2 pm
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Typical
appointments include: vaccinations, new puppies/kittens, sick
or injured pets, rechecks, behavioral problems, manage chronic problems
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Routine
surgeries performed by WBAH veterinarians include: dog/cat
spay/neuter, cat declaw, dental cleanings and extractions, tumor removal
(internal/external), gastric/intestinal foreign body removal, bladder stone
removal
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Specialized
surgeries performed by veterinarians from outside WBAH or at
referral veterinary hospitals include: orthopedics – fracture,
ACL, luxation; intrathoracic – heart, lungs; CNS – brain, spinal cord, intervertebral
discs
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The
Pros:
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Wide variety of career opportunities
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Work with animals
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Work as part of a team
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Help people/clients
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Problem solving
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Continuing education
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Relieve pets' suffering
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Make a good living
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No insurance hassles
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Can own your own business
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Can learn business management
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Public
outreach opportunities
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Respected by the public
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See many interesting things
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Work days can vary widely
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Develop leadership/supervisory skills
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Develop relationships with clients
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The
Cons:
- Educational and financial commitment
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Injuries, allergies, animals can't talk
- Work with a variety of personalities
- Deal with difficult clients
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Decisions made when uncertain
- Continually challenged to learn
- Performing euthanasias
- Probably won't get rich
- Deal with clients’ financial issues
- Owning your own business
- Must learn business management
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Public speaking
- Always "on call," answering questions
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Some things are really unpleasant
- Difficult to predict schedule
- Supervising others
- Emotional aspect of relationships
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Salary Overview and Statistics
The exact salary a veterinarian will earn will depend
a number of factors including the number of years of
experience, their specific field, whether they are a
generalist or a specialist, what part of the country
they work in, whether they work in an urban,
metropolitan or rural area and whether they are an
associate or a partner/owner.
AVMA* New Graduates' Average Starting
Salaries (2008):
- small animal, exclusive
- small animal, predominant
- large animal, exclusive
- large animal, predominant
- mixed animal
- equine
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- $64,744
- $61,753
- $62,424
- $57,745
- $58,522
- $41,636
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Salary Statistics from the BLS/OES** (May 2009):
- median annual wages
- middle 50%
- lowest 10%
- highest 10%
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- $80,150
- $62,770 - $105,190
- < $47,670
- > $142,910
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Top Earning Industries from the BLS/OES** (May
2009):
- Medical and Diagnostic Labs
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing
- Scientific Research and Development Services
- Other Professional, Scientific, Technical
Services
- State Government
- Federal Government
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- $114,590
- $107,200
- $97,620
- $90,470
- $88,820
- $84,200
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* American Veterinary Medical Association
** Bureau of Labor Statistics/Occupational Employment
Statistics at
www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291131.htm for
information on salaries, top states,
top cities, etc.
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