| Veterinarians - or vets for short - are physicians | | | | a veterinarian; as was the anticoagulant which is used |
| specializing in animals. The word is derived from Latin | | | | to treat heart disease in humans. Many human |
| "veterinae" which means "draft animal". The term | | | | surgical techniques were first perfected on animals, |
| veterinarian was used for the first time in the year | | | | such as organ and limb transplants, and hip joint |
| 1646 by Thomas Browne. Today veterinary medicine | | | | replacement. |
| embraces many different careers. Some veterinarians | | | | Because in the U.S. veterinary schools are often |
| work in a clinical setting and practice pet medicine on | | | | state-supported, preference for candidates is |
| small animals such as dogs, cats, and pocket pets. | | | | frequently given to students from in state, and out |
| Other veterinary scrubs workers specialize in | | | | of state students face a restricted quota. Admissions |
| livestock or production medicine, which includes beef | | | | criteria vary considerably from state to state |
| and dairy cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry as well as | | | | depending upon how many positions are available and |
| equine medicine (race track, rodeo, show medicine). | | | | how many in state applicants there are. As a result, |
| Other specialties include laboratory medicine on | | | | in some states admission to veterinary school can be |
| reptiles and rats; as well as animal surgery, internal | | | | considerably more competitive than admission to |
| medicine, and dermatology. These latter specialties | | | | medical school. Even between schools in the same |
| require post graduate training. The demographics of | | | | state, the ratio of student applications to admissions |
| veterinarians has changed dramatically in the past 25 | | | | can vary tremendously. Study abroad is possible, but |
| years: until the 1980's the ratio of male to female | | | | overseas graduates are often handicapped in applying |
| veterinarians was tilted significantly towards men, but | | | | for post-graduate training. In the U.S. admission to |
| in the past few years women are the predominate | | | | veterinary school usually requires submitting scores |
| veterinary school graduates. | | | | on the GRE and MCAT or VCAT tests. The average |
| Advanced veterinary certification enables some vets | | | | GRE score for veterinary students in the U.S. is 1350; |
| to pursue careers in research, and many important | | | | and the average grade point average is 3.5. |
| medical discoveries have been made by veterinarians | | | | Additionally, specific undergraduate studies are |
| including the isolation of oncovirus, and species of | | | | required by the different veterinary schools; as well |
| salmonella and brucella, as well as other pathogenic | | | | as extensive animal related experience (on the order |
| species. Researchers in vet scrubs were in the | | | | of a thousand hours or more). In North America |
| forefront of the fights against yellow fever and | | | | veterinary school lasts four years, with one year |
| malaria in the U.S.; and it was a veterinarian who first | | | | dedicated to a clinical rotation. After passing a national |
| noticed the appearance of West Nile disease in | | | | board exam it is possible to pursue an internship or |
| animals in the New York zoo. The identity of the | | | | residency in white scrub jackets in advanced fields. |
| agent which causes botulism was first discovered by | | | | |