Veterinarians

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Veterinarians play a major role in the health care of pets, livestock, and zoo, sporting and laboratory animals. Some veterinarians use their skills to protect humans against diseases carried by animals and conduct clinical research on human and animal health problems. Others work in basic research, broadening the scope of fundamental theoretical knowledge, and in applied research, developing new ways to use knowledge.

Most veterinarians perform clinical work in private practices, more than one-half predominately or exclusively treating small animals. Small animal practitioners usually care for companion animals, such as dogs and cats, but also treat birds, reptiles, rabbits and other pets. Some veterinarians work in mixed animal practices where they also see pigs, goats, sheep and some non-domestic animals. Veterinarians in clinical practice diagnose animal health problems; vaccinate against diseases; medicate ill animals; treat and dress wounds; set fractures; perform surgery; and advise owners about animal feeding, behavior and breeding. They euthanize animals when necessary.

A small number of private practice veterinarians work exclusively with large animals, focusing mostly on horses or cows.

A number of veterinarians work with physicians and scientists as they research ways to prevent and treat human health problems, such as cancer, AIDS, and alcohol or drug abuse. Some determine the effects of drug therapies, antibiotics or new surgical techniques by testing them on animals.

Some veterinarians are involved in food safety. Livestock inspectors check animals for transmissible diseases, advise owners on treatment and may quarantine animals. Meat, poultry or egg product inspectors examine slaughtering and processing plants, check live animals and carcasses for disease, and enforce government regulations regarding food purity and sanitation.

Veterinarians often work long hours, with most spending 50 or more hours on the job a week. Those in group practices may take turns being on call for evening, night or weekend work. Veterinarians in large animal practice also spend time driving between their office and farms or ranches.

Training and qualifications

Prospective veterinarians must graduate from a four-year program at an accredited college of veterinary medicine with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M. or V.M.D.) degree and obtain a license to practice. Competition for admission to veterinary school is keen. All of the 27 accredited colleges require a significant number of credit hours — ranging from 45 to 90 semester hours — at the undergraduate level, but most of the students admitted have a bachelor's degree. Additionally, in the admissions process, veterinary medical colleges weigh heavily a candidate's veterinary and animal experience. Students must demonstrate ambition and an eagerness to work with animals.

Veterinary graduates who plan to work with specific types of animals or specialize in a clinical area, such as pathology, surgery, radiology or laboratory animal medicine, usually complete a one-year internship. Veterinarians who seek board certification in a specialty must complete a two- to three-year residency program that provides intensive training in specialties, such as internal medicine, oncology, radiology, surgery, dermatology, anesthesiology, neurology, cardiology, ophthalmology and exotic small animal medicine.

All states and the District of Columbia require that veterinarians be licensed before they can practice. The only exemptions are for veterinarians working for some federal agencies and some state governments.

Prospective veterinarians must have good manual dexterity. They should have an affinity for animals and the ability to get along with animal owners. Additionally, they should be able to quickly make decisions in emergencies.

Job outlook

Employment of veterinarians is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2010. The number of dogs as pets is expected to increase more slowly during the projection period than in the previous decade, but faster growth of the cat population is expected to increase the demand for feline medicine and veterinary services, offsetting any reduced demand for veterinary care for dogs.

The number of jobs for large animal veterinarians is expected to grow slowly. Veterinarians with training in public health and epidemiology should have the best opportunities for a career in the federal government as meat and poultry inspectors, disease-control workers, epidemiologists, research assistants or commissioned officers in the U.S. Public Health Service, Army or Air Force.

Earnings

Veterinarians held about 59,000 jobs in 2000. About 28% were self-employed in solo or group practices. Median annual earnings of veterinarians were $60,910 in 2000.

According to a survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association, average starting salaries of 2000 veterinary medical college graduates varied by type of practice as follows:

Small animal, predominant $42,918
Small animal, exclusive 42,640
Large animal, exclusive 41,629
Large animal, predominant 41,439
Mixed animal 40,358
Equine 28,526

Related links

For additional information on careers in veterinary medicine and a list of U.S. schools and colleges of veterinary medicine and accreditation policies, send a letter-size, self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

American Veterinary Medical Association, 1931 N. Meacham Rd., Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360.

For information on veterinary education:

Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, 1101 Vermont Ave. NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20005.

Adapted from the Labor Department's Occupational Outlook Handbook.