What does a Veterinarian do?
Published 3 min read
A veterinarian is a medical professional who diagnoses and treats diseases and injuries in animals.
Veterinarian job duties include:
- Examining animals to diagnose their health problems
- Treating animals for medical conditions
- Performing surgery on animals
- Prescribing medication for animals
- Vaccinating animals against diseases
- Advising animal owners on how to care for their pets
- Conducting research on animal health and disease
- Teaching veterinary students
- Inspecting livestock
- Working with wildlife
Veterinarian Job Requirements
A veterinarian is a medical professional who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries in animals. In order to become a veterinarian, one must first complete a four-year veterinary medicine program at an accredited university. After completing the veterinary medicine program, veterinarians must then pass a national licensing exam in order to practice. In addition to completing an accredited veterinary medicine program and passing the national licensing exam, many veterinarians also choose to pursue additional certification in a specific area of interest such as surgery, internal medicine, or emergency and critical care.
Veterinarian Skills
- Communication
- Compassion
- Patience
- Organizational Skills
- Detail Oriented
- Multi-tasking
- Time Management
- Stress Management
- Physical Stamina
- Emotional Stability
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
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How to become a Veterinarian
In order to become a veterinarian, one must complete a four-year veterinary degree at an accredited university. There are only 30 accredited veterinary schools in the United States, so admission is highly competitive. The first two years of the veterinary degree are spent completing pre-veterinary coursework, which includes classes in biology, chemistry, physics, and other sciences. The last two years are spent completing clinical rotations at a veterinary hospital. After graduation, veterinarians must pass a national board exam in order to become licensed.
There are many different specialty areas that veterinarians can choose to pursue, such as small animal medicine, large animal medicine, equine medicine, emergency and critical care, and many others. Some veterinarians choose to open their own private practices, while others work for animal shelters or zoos. No matter what path you choose to take, becoming a veterinarian is a long and challenging process that requires dedication and passion for helping animals.
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