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Article #74: Being a Veterinarian Today

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A veterinarian (from Latin veterinae, acceptance into either a medical school
"draught animals") is an animal doctor, a or a top Law School than to meet the GPA
practitioner of veterinary medicine. requirements for most veterinary schools.
Although veterinarians hold doctoral This situation occurs mostly because
degrees in veterinary medicine, not all there are far fewer schools, allowing the
veterinarians enter clinical practice. schools to be much more selective.
Those that work in clinical settings According to the US Department of Labor,
practice medicine in specific fields, only 1 in 3 applicants were accepted into
such as companion animal or "pet" a veterinary program in 2002.
medicine, reptile medicine, ratite Prerequisites for admission include the
medicine, livestock medicine, equine undergraduate studies listed under
medicine (e.g. sports, race track, show, veterinary medicine and extensive
rodeo), or laboratory animal medicine. veterinary experience (typically about
Other veterinarians research areas of 500 or more hours) in private practice or
human medicine, veterinary medicine, and other veterinary environment. The average
pharmacology. Research veterinarians were veterinary medical student has an
the first to isolate oncoviruses, undergraduate GPA of 3.5 and a GRE score
Salmonella species, Brucella species, and of approximately 1800. US graduates are
various other pathogenic agents. They awarded either a Doctor of Veterinary
also helped conquer malaria and yellow Medicine (DVM) or the less common
fever; solved the mystery of botulism; Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD) degree,
produced an anticoagulant used to treat depending upon the traditions of the
human heart disease; and developed veterinary school.
surgical techniques for humans, such as Public health medicine is another option
hip-joint replacement, and limb and organ for veterinarians. Veterinarians in
transplants. government and private laboratories
Like all physicians, veterinarians must provide diagnostic and testing services.
make serious ethical decisions about Some veterinarians serve as state
their patients' care. There is ongoing epidemiologists, directors of
debate over the ethics of performing environmental health, and directors of
certain controversial procedures, like state or city public health departments.
declawing cats and docking tails, Veterinarians are also employed by the US
cropping ears, and debarking dogs. In Agriculture Research Service, Fish and
some countries, these procedures are Wildlife Service, Environmental
illegal, and therefore their practice is Protection Agency, National Library of
contentious. The Veterinarian's Oath was Medicine, and National Institutes of
adopted by the American Veterinary Health. The military also employs
Medical Association's House of Delegates veterinarians in a number of capacities -
July 1969, and amended by the AVMA caring for pets on military bases, caring
Executive Board, November 1999. It goes for military working animals, and
as follows: controlling various arthropod-borne
"Being admitted to the profession of diseases or other such things.
veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to Veterinary medicine is the application of
use my scientific knowledge and skills medical, diagnostic, and therapeutic
for the benefit of society through the principles to companion, domestic,
protection of animal health, the relief exotic, wildlife, and production animals.
of animal suffering, the conservation of Veterinary Science is concerned with the
animal resources, the promotion of public scientific basis of animal production,
health, and the advancement of medical health and disease. It requires the
knowledge. acquisition and application of scientific
I will practice my profession knowledge in several disciplines and uses
conscientiously, with dignity, and in technical skills towards the solution of
keeping with the principles of veterinary animal production, health, management and
medical ethics." welfare problems.
Some veterinarians work in a field called Veterinary medicine is informally as old
regulatory medicine - ensuring the as the human/animal bond but in recent
nation's food safety by working with the years has expanded exponentially because
USDA FSIS, or work by protecting us from of the availability of advanced
imported exotic animal diseases by diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for
working for the USDA APHIS. The emerging most species. Animals nowadays often
field of conservation medicine involves receive advanced medical, dental, and
veterinarians even more directly with surgical care including insulin
human health care, providing a injections, root canals, hip
multidisciplinary approach to medical replacements, cataract extractions, and
research that also involves environmental pacemakers.
scientists. Veterinarians assist in ensuring the
More than 3,800 veterinarians in the USA quality, quantity, and security of food
currently work at veterinary schools supplies by working to maintain the
where they teach student vets what they health of livestock and inspecting the
need to know to graduate - teaching is meat itself. Veterinary scientists are
another career path for a veterinarian. very important in chemical, biological,
Veterinary school is a tertiary and pharmacological research.
educational institution, or part of such In many countries, equine veterinary
an institution, which is involved in the medicine is also a specialized field.
education of future veterinary Clinical work with horses involves mainly
practitioners (veterinarians). The entry locomotor and orthopaedic problems,
criteria, structure, teaching methodology digestive tract conditions (including
and nature of veterinary programs offered equine colic, which is a major cause of
at veterinary schools vary considerably death among domesticated horses), and
around the world. In the U.S., a respiratory tract infections and
doctorate of veterinary medicine degree disorders.
(D.V.M.) (Or in the Veterinary Medical As in the human medical field, veterinary
School at the University of Pennsylvania, medicine (in practice) requires a diverse
a degree of veterinary medical doctor group of individuals to meet the need of
(V.M.D.) is awarded) is a four-year patients. In addition to veterinarians,
program. The program generally consists many veterinary hospitals utilize a team
of 21/2 to 3 years of mostly traditional of veterinary nurses and veterinary
classroom coursework followed by the assistants to completely care for
clinical rotations. Currently, unlike healing, critical and well animals.
human medical school, a subsequent Veterinary nurses are generally
internship and/or residency are not registered as "veterinary technicians" in
required, but are optional to those who most states and are legally qualified to
choose to seek further education and assist veterinarians in many medical
possible accreditation. Unsurprisingly, procedures. Veterinary assistants, who
the number of veterinarians pursuing are not licensed by most states, but can
internships and/or residencies will be well-trained at facilities such as The
continue to increase as the understanding School for Veterinary Assistants, are
of veterinary medicine continues to grow also becoming increasingly in-demand in
greater. A good veterinarian enjoys the veterinary industry due to a wide
working with animals and their owners. range of treatments and services being
Admission into veterinary medical school offered to meet the higher expectations
is so competitive that in the United of pet owners in the United States.
States it is far easier to gain






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