If some of your best friends are animals or you love helping animals, then a career as a veterinarian may be right for you. Veterinarians are highly educated professionals dedicated to animal health. Though the public is most familiar with those who diagnose and treat their pets, medical veterinarians also specialize in:
- Farm animals
- Wild animals
- Marine animals
- Zoo animals
- Animal research field
No matter which specialization is most appealing, the job outlook is extremely strong as pet ownership continues to grow and Americans spend increasing amounts on their companion animals. Additionally, all veterinarian positions earn a generous income, with a median salary of $99,250, and many specialist positions earning substantially more.
What Does A Veterinarian Do?
Veterinary responsibilities vary based on the career. Companion animal and food animal veterinarians focus on direct care for the animals that they see, conducting well checkups, administering protective vaccines, diagnosing and treating illnesses, and performing surgery when needed. They prescribe medication, perform and order diagnostic tests, perform dental procedures, and euthanize animals.
By contrast, food safety and inspection veterinarians focused on protecting the human food chain from major animal diseases through inspection, testing, and research. They develop and provide medications, vaccines, and programs that improve animal health and welfare and work to prevent and control diseases that can spread from humans to animals.
Veterinarian skills and tasks can include:
- Maintaining animal health by diagnosing and treating diseases or injury through a combination of examination, medication, therapy, or surgery.
- Preventing and treating diseases such as rabies and heartworm through testing, medication, and vaccination.
- Advising owners on care, feeding, exercise and sanitation to promote the health of their animals.
- Maintaining documentation regarding individual animals.
- Preparing and publishing information to update animal owners regarding infectious diseases, feed recalls, availability of new vaccines or treatments, and more.
- Reporting diseases to public health officials as appropriate.
Veterinarian Salary And Career Outlook
While veterinarian salaries vary depending upon the specialty that is chosen, the geographic area, and the specific work environment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that veterinarians earn a median annual income of $99,250.
According to Televet, an industry platform, veterinary specialists have the opportunity to earn substantially higher incomes, with Veterinary Ophthalmologists earning annual incomes of over $199,000, Veterinary Pathologists earning $157,000, and Lab Animal Specialists earning $169,000. Even the lowest-paid veterinary specialist, Veterinary Radiologists, earn an average annual salary of $121,000, though it is important to remember that these high salaries are accompanied by the need to work nights and weekends.
In addition to a generous salary, veterinarians and others involved in pet-related fields are able to feel extremely confident in their job stability. Though projections can’t be viewed as a guarantee, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is anticipating job growth of 17 percent from 2020-2030. This is largely driven by a 56% growth in pet ownership in 1988 to 70% in 2021, according to the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey.
How To Know If You Would Enjoy A Job As A Veterinarian
Though the most obvious trait for becoming a veterinarian is a love of animals, there is a lot more to the career than just spending time with dogs and cats. Veterinarians need to be mentally nimble enough to quickly access their extensive education, knowledge, and experience through an endless array of conditions and situations. You need to remain calm in emergent situations while at the same time reassuring your patient – and your patient’s owners. Excellent communication skills are a must.
The best veterinarians have empathy for the animals they’re treating and their owners. The job requires careful listening, the ability to ask probing questions, keen powers of observation, and deductive reasoning — after all, your patients can’t tell you what is hurting or why they are acting the way that they are.
Being a veterinarian also has certain physical requirements. You need to be physically strong enough to manage your patients and have the manual dexterity needed to perform surgery and other tasks.
How Long Does It Take To Become A Veterinarian?
As is true for doctors who treat human patients, becoming a doctor who treats animal patients represents a significant investment of time and effort. Earning a four-year undergraduate degree is just the start.
After earning a bachelor’s degree, prospective veterinarians then move on to veterinary school, which takes an additional four years. Those who are interested in pursuing a specialty like ophthalmology, radiology, dentistry, or surgery should anticipate another two years of training conducted in residency programs that expose them to the techniques necessary to their practice. All-in-all, most veterinarians spend between 8-11 years preparing for their careers.
How To Become A Veterinarian
Veterinarians are highly respected both for what they do and for the significant amount of knowledge and education that they possess. The minimum amount of education required to earn a DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) degree is eight years, with specialists spending additional time acquiring knowledge and experience. Those willing to put in the time and effort are rewarded by a career that is meaningful and fulfilling.
Best Degrees To Become A Veterinarian
There is only one degree path to becoming a veterinarian. Students must earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited undergraduate program and must earn a DVM degree from an accredited veterinary school.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s guide for aspiring veterinarians, having a deeply-held love for animals is far more important than what major a student chooses to pursue as an undergraduate degree. Still, majors like psychology that provide insight into pet owners’ personalities, or animal behavior to help interpret what is going on with their patients, may prove particularly useful to a veterinarian.
Similarly, those choosing to work in an area with a large immigrant population may benefit from studying the language that is most commonly spoken in their community. Degrees like biology and chemistry can also teach valuable skills.
Best Veterinarian Schools
There are 32 accredited or accreditation-pending veterinary medicine programs in the United States, and graduating from any of them will provide you with the education and knowledge you need to become a veterinarian. Of these 32, Universities.com has identified ten that have distinguished themselves. They are:
1. University of Pennsylvania
With locations in Philadelphia and Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, the University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1884 and is recognized internationally as a leader in veterinary education, research, and care. The school offers students the ability to work with animals ranging from companion animals to agricultural animals, as well as avian, exotic, and sport animals. Approximately 120 students graduate each year.
2. Texas A & M University College Station
The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences offers a professional DVM program that encompasses large and small animal clinical sciences, as well as integrative biosciences, veterinary pathobiology, and veterinary physiology and pharmacology. The program is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the country. Approximately 130 students graduate each year.
3. Washington State University
Established in 1899, the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine has its own veterinary teaching hospital and several campuses that provide its students the ability to work with companion animals, horses, livestock, and exotics, and to learn hands-on at primary-care veterinary clinics in the area. Their mission is to improve the lives of animals and people through enhancing health and wellbeing. Approximately 125 students graduate each year.
4. University of Florida
Based in Gainesville, Florida, the program’s goal is to provide graduates with both academic and clinical skills needed to work in clinical practice as well as industry, government, or biomedical research. The program also offers a unique veterinary public health program and degree that is a collaboration between the College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Public Health and Health Professionals. Approximately 111 students graduate each year.
5. Tufts University
The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University offers a professional DVM program, dual degree programs that combine practice with research, and master’s-level graduate programs in Animal and Public Policy, Conservation Medicine, and Infection Disease and Global Health. Approximately 100 students graduate each year.
6. University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Minnesota’s only veterinary school, the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine was established in 1947. It is nationally and internationally recognized for teaching and research excellence and its dedication to transforming knowledge into better health for animals, people, and the environment. It offers a DVM program as well as MS and PhD programs and dual degree programs. Approximately 100 students graduate each year.
7. Ohio State University Main Campus
Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine provides hands-on instruction from the first day of class and all the way through clinical rotations. Students spend most of their early training in a state-of-the-art educational space and move on to providing primary care training in the Frank Stanton Veterinary Spectrum of Care Clinic during their fourth year. They also participate in research and are offered invaluable education in business. Approximately 150 students graduate each year.
8. University of California Davis
Combining academic study with clinical skills training, the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis program begins with a broad foundation of knowledge and skills in comparative veterinary medicine, then asks students to choose a species-specific stream in small or large animals. Later they can narrow their focus further to small animal, large animal, equine, livestock, zoologic, or mixed animal practice, as well as poultry, laboratory animal, aquatic medicine, pathology, public health or research. Approximately 130 students graduate each year.
9. The University of Tennessee Knoxville
The College of Veterinary Medicine has three departments: Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences; Large Animal Clinical Sciences; and Small Animal Clinical Sciences. The program’s first year emphasizes basic science, while the second and third years emphasize the study of diseases, their causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The curriculum includes small group applied learning exercises, dedicated clinical experiences, and elective course opportunities focusing on specific educational and career goals. Approximately 85 students graduate each year.
10. University of Wisconsin Madison
The School of Veterinary Medicine’s program provides an understanding of the normal animal and instruction in recognition of disease conditions through academic and clinical experiences. Significant instruction is provided surrounding career specialties, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills to maximize effectiveness, as well as basic managerial skills, instruction in husbandry and management practices of food animal production, and the opportunity to understand the relationship of veterinary medicine to public health. Approximately 80 students graduate each year.
If you’re looking for other schools that offer Veterinarian programs, check out the Find Your Perfect “U” tool. You can search over 6,000 colleges and universities with 11 different filters to find the perfect school for you!
Where Can I Learn More About Becoming A Veterinarian?
Veterinarians play a key role in the quality of life of domestic animals and their owners, wild animals, marine animals, and others, as well as in the areas of public health, the food chain, and more. If you are interested in learning more about the profession from those in the know, contact any of these organizations:
- American Veterinary Medical Association
- American Animal Hospital Association
- American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges
- American Holistic Veterinary Medicine Association
Becoming A Veterinarian FAQs
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