Veterinarian

Elena MartinezWest Los Angeles College

Job Description

Veterinarians care for health of animals by diagnosing, treating, and researching medical conditions.

This includes: pets, livestock, and animals in zoos, racetracks, and laboratories.

Common Vets Companion animal- treats pets and generally work

in private clinics -Work with dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, and rabbits Equine- work with horses Food animal- work with farm animals such as pigs,

cattle, and sheep Food safety and inspection- inspect livestock and

animal products and enforce government food safety regulations

Research- Work in laboratories, conducting clinical research on human and animal health problems

Duties&Tasks

Examine animals to diagnose their health problems

Treat and dress wounds Perform surgery on animals Test for and vaccinate

against diseases Collect body tissue, feces,

blood, urine, and other body fluids for examination and analysis

Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans

Operate medical equipment such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment

Advise animal owners about general care, medical conditions, ad treatments

Prescribe medication Euthanize animals Attend lectures,

conferences, or continuing education courses

Work Environment

Work long hours Some work nights or

weekends and may have to respond to emergencies

About 1 in 4 veterinarians worked more than 50 hours per week in 2010

Work conditions may be outdoors or indoors (not always sanitary)

Work Environment Cont’d

Can be emotionally stressful dealing with sick animals and their owners

Workplace is noisy because of the animal that are sick or being handled

Risk of being kicked, bitten, or scratched while working with animals that are frightened or in pain

Expected Earnings

Employment Mean hourly wage

Mean Annual Wage

50% (Median)Wages

55,410 $43.87 $91,250

Hourly: $39.86Annual:$82,900

Top Paid States

Outlook increase 36% from 2010-

2020 (faster than avg) Advances in medicine

allow this including; but not limited to, cancer treatments and kidney transplants

28 accredited veterinary programs in the US

Limited number of graduates (~2,500/yr)

Fewer job opportunities in companion animal care Employment is expected t

Education Required

Must complete a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M or V.M.D) at an accredited college of veterinary medicine

28 colleges with accredited programs (UC Davis, Purdue, Kansas State, Oregon State) Takes 4 years to complete and includes classroom,

laboratory, and clinical components Bachelor’s Degree not required, but many have one Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, Animal Science,

Zoology, Microbiology, Physiology Physics, Calculus, Statistics, Algebra 2, Geometry Admission into program is competitive (In 2010 less

than half were accepted

Training Required 3 years of classroom, laboratory, and clinical work 4th year spent doing clinical rotations in a medical center or

hospital 1 year of internship program to gain exp for competitive pay

or to prep for certification course License is required (must complete an accredited program

and pass the Northern American Veterinary Licensing Exam, and state exam)

Certification in 40 different specialties (surgery, microbiology, and internal medicine)

Certification not required (must have certain number of years of exp in field, complete additional ed, or complete residency program)

Skills Required Must be compassionate with animals and their

owners Must have great decision making skills for treating

injuries and illnesses of animals Strong communication skills to be able to explain

treatment options and give instructions to staff Management skills Manual dexterity when treating injuries and

performing surgery Problem-solving skills to figure out what is ailng

animals ( excellent diagnostic skills for those who test animals to determine the effects of drug therapies )

Associations&Organizations

There are over 100 organizations&associations for vets

ASPCA (The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty of Animals) their mission is to promote humane principles, prevent cruelty, and alleviate fear, pain, and suffering in animals http://aspca.org/

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) http://www.peta2.com/

AAV Annual Conference&Expo http://www.conferenceoffice.com/aav/

Works Cited

http://www.bls.gov/k12/nature04.htm

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/veterinarians.htm#tab-4

http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1131.00#WorkActivities

http://www.vspn.org/library/wwwdirectory/Organizations.htm