Black Intelligentsia Libraries
The New Way Of Thinking
Veterinarian
Do you have a pet or pets? Ever been curious about your pet's health (diet and nutrition, injuries, diseases, shots, etc.)? How about working with exotic animals like big cats? If so and if Science (particularly Biology) and Math are among your favorite subjects, you absolutely love animals, and you have a strong stomach, then you should consider becoming a Veterinarian.
Veterinarians diagnose, treat, and research medical conditions, injuries, and diseases of pets, livestock, and animals in zoos, racetracks, laboratories, and in the wild, including those who inspect livestock and care for companion animals. Typically working in private clinical practices, they provide care for animals (ranging from pets to wild safari animals) that is similar to what a doctor would do to treat humans.
The duties of a Veterinarian include but are not limited to: examining animals to diagnose their health problems; treating and dressing wounds; performing surgery on animals; testing for and vaccinating against diseases; operating medical equipment such as x-ray machines; setting animals' bone fractures; advising animal owners about general care, medical conditions, and treatments; partnering, consulting, and working with physicians on zoonoses (diseases of animals communicable to humans); prescribing medication; helping to tranquilize and move/relocate wild animals; euthanizing (painlessly putting to death) animals; conducting research; and teaching at universities.
High school students interested in becoming a Veterinarian benefit from taking Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, Biology/Anatomy, Nutrition, Physical Science, Chemistry, and Physics. Students entering Veterinary school with no previous Veterinarian training should expect a period of 4 years to complete said program that includes classroom, laboratory, and clinical components. All candidates must complete a Bachelor's of Science degree to be eligible for Veterinary schools' Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Veterinary medical colleges typically require applicants to have taken the following college courses: Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, Zoology, Microbiology, and Animal Science.
Companion Animal Veterinarians work in private clinical practice, treating and caring for pets such as cats, dogs, birds, and rabbits. Equine Veterinarians work with horses. Food Animal Veterinarians work with farm animals such as pigs, cattle, and sheep, only making up about 8 percent of private-practice Veterinarians. They spend much of their time at farms and ranches treating illnesses and injuries and testing for and vaccinating against diseases. Food Safety and Inspection Veterinarians inspect livestock and animal products and enforce government food safety regulations, checking animals for E. coli and other transmittable diseases. They also inspect food products, animals, carcasses, and slaughtering and processing plants. Those in research work in laboratories, conducting clinical research on human and animal health problems and performing tests on animals. They also research how to prevent, control, or eliminate food- and animal-borne illnesses and diseases. Some Veterinarians teach at colleges and universities, while PhD Veterinarians partner with a university's Agriculture school to establish a new Veterinary school and hospital.
The growth rate for Veterinarians is nearly thrice the overall job growth rate, dictated by the demands of a growing pet population. However, the best job opportunities will be in large animal practice, public health, and government. Opportunities in farm animal care will be better because fewer Veterinarians compete to work with large animals, and Government Veterinarians in food safety, animal health, and public health will also prove to have excellent job demand.
Job Description
Median Salary & Range
Median Salary: $82,900
Salary Range: ~$50,480 - $141,680+
College Majors & Attainment Routes
The normal routes to becoming a Veterinarian have been to attain a Bachelor's of Science degree in Pre-Veterinary Science, Animal Science, Animal and Poultry Science, Zoology, Laboratory Animal Science, Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Pre-Medical (Veterinary Science concentration), Veterinary Technology, Biomedical Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, or Bioinformatics.
In Veterinary Medicine programs, students take courses on normal animal anatomy and physiology, as well as disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Most programs include 3 years of classroom, laboratory, and clinical work. Students typically spend the final year of the 4-year program doing clinical rotations in a veterinary medical center or hospital. Increasingly, courses also include general business management and career development classes to help new veterinarians learn how to effectively run a practice.
Colleges That Provide Above Majors
Colleges and universities that have a Veterinary School are: Tuskegee University (Tuskegee, Alabama).
Available Scholarships
