Veterinarian

by

Jessica W.

The career that I have chosen to be is a veterinarian. Basically, a veterinarian is an animal doctor. They deal with many different things dealing with the health, care, and maintenance of animals. Veterinarians treat injuries, identify medical problems, prescribe medicines and vaccinations, and perform surgery. Veterinarians also help with the prevention of diseases carried through animals. A veterinarian can work inside or outside. It depends on the nature of their particular field. They are constantly seeing people throughout the day. Many different patients come in and out and a veterinarian needs to be someone with very good people skills. Right now, the job outlook for veterinarians is good. It's said that jobs in his field will be higher than normal. When a veterinarian first gets out of college, they can make up to $30,000 a year working inside an office with other veterinarians. When a veterinarian becomes established in his/her own office, they can expect to make anywhere from $60,000-$70,000 a year.

There are many different types of veterinarians, but the most common type of veterinarian, is a small animal vet. This type of veterinarian deals with the care of animals such as dogs and cats. Two-thirds of all veterinarians are small animal veterinarians. The other third deals with large animals and other branches. The large animal veterinarian deals with the care of livestock and horses. Some of the other branches of veterinary medicine are: Zoo veterinarian, Livestock Inspectors, Veterinary Researches, Farm Veterinarians and Veterinary Specialists.

Zoo Veterinarians care for the animals found in a zoo. This type of veterinarian is much like a small animal veterinarian, but zoo veterinarians have to have a broader range of animal knowledge. Livestock Inspectors work with the animals that are going to be used for human use. They test the animal for diseases or illnesses that may harm a human. They also provide advice for livestock owners on how to properly care for their animals. A Veterinary Researcher works inside a laboratory looking for diseases and other ailments found in animals. Their job is to find the causes and cures for these particular diseases. Farm Veterinarians do just what it sound like they would do. They give advice on the care of farm animals, help with births, and treat illness. Veterinary Specialists deal with specific animal medical problems. These veterinarians may specialize in ophthamology (vision), dermatology (skin), radiology (x-rays), and pathology (diseases).

In order to become a veterinarian, you must go to eight years of post- secondary school, and two years of a science undergraduate degree. You will have a better chance a getting into veterinarian school if you start with a bachelor's degree and a B or higher average. After going through veterinarian school, you can get your D.V.M. license. That is, your Doctor of Veterinary Medicine license. There are less than fifty veterinary schools in America. In the state of Florida, there's only one veterinary school. It can be found in Gainesville at the University of Florida. Their College of Veterinary Medicine is one of the best in the country. Usually, every one out of five students that apply to this veterinarian school are accepted. This means that there are about eighty people that are accepted. The field of veterinary medicine is one that is interesting, exciting, and extremely rewarding. I will probably end up going to the University of Florida. There's also a great veterinary college at the University of Cornell in Ithaca, New York. Where ever I go, my main goal is to become a veterinarian and nothing is going to stand in my way.