Veterinarian

__Veterinarian[[image:cns-1150-winter-2012/kit.jpg width="290" height="220" align="right"]]__
Whether you're a dog person, cat person or anything in between, you're going to need someone who you can count on to make sure that your loving animal companion will stay healthy enough to love you for as long as possible. Why shouldn't that person be you? Being a veterinarian can be a very rewarding career, and since people always have and always will love animals, you can be sure that there will always be job opportunities in this field. Below is a chart showing the 2007 statistics of households in the United States relating to household companion animals (cats and dogs)

chart courtesy of the //2007 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographic Sourcebook//
 * Percent of households owning || 37.2% || 32.4% || 3.9% || 1.8% ||
 * Number of households owning || 43,021,000 || 37,460,000 || 4,453,000 || 2,087,000 ||
 * Average number owned per household || 1.7 || 2.2 || 2.5 || 3.5 ||
 * Total number in United States || 72,114,000 || 81,721,000 || 11,199,000 || 7,295,000 ||
 * Veterinary visits per household per year (mean) || 2.6 || 1.7 || 0.3 || 2.2 ||
 * Veterinary expenditure per household per year (mean) || $356 || $190 || $25 || $360 ||
 * Veterinary expenditure per animal (mean) || $200 || $81 || $9 || $92 ||

__Career Description__
Veterinarians are like doctors for animals; they diagnose sick animals, treat them, and send them on their way home. In reality, this is just the prototype of a typical veterinarian. Veterinarians also use their skills to study animal diseases and prevent them from spreading to humans. Other veterinarians work for different companies creating treats that only a dog would enjoy, or food designed to raise a healthy cat. Veterinarians tend to work indoors with noisy animals, and they run the risk of getting injured by an animal who isn't willing to get jabbed with a needle. Just like hospitals, veterinarian offices can have long hours because and deal with last minute emergencies, and don't forget, a lot of animals have to be euthenized. Veterinarians specialize in every aspect of an animals life from breeding to feeding, and judging by how large of a role animals play in our society, we will always need veterinarians.

__Skills Needed__
In order to be a well rounded veterinarian, you will need to have a specially crafted set of skills. A lot of these skills will be taught through a college or university through reading and lectures, while others are skills you will need to practice yourself through first hand experience. Some of the required skills a veterinarian should have are:
 * an absolute love for the safety and well being of animals
 * caution and understanding of the unpredictable nature of animals
 * ambition to work and help animals of all kinds
 * ability to get along with the animals owner who may have a strong bond with the animal
 * manual dexterity or a steady hand to keep precision when performing operations, especially on smaller animals
 * communication and business skills
 * a positive attitude that will transfer to the animal at need
 * 80% of vets work in a private practice, so business skills may also apply

beyond these skills, there are also a number of educational requirements in order to go into the veterinary field

__Education Requirements__
In order to become a veterinarian you must have attend an accredited 4-year college of veterinary medicine and graduate with a D.V.M. (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine), as well as obtain a license from the state in order to practice. Competition to enter an accredited university is tough, and even if you get into the school, and pass the 60-90 credit hours required for the degree, you must then pass the north american veterinary license exam before you can legally treat animals. Some of the courses you might take while working towards your degree may include: these are just a few of the required classes. This field of work requires individuals who are strong critical thinkers and have a passion for pursuing science. Experience in dealing with animals or science clinics will give a person a good lead on the competition when applying for jobs in this field.
 * organic chemistry
 * physics
 * biochemistry
 * biology
 * animal biology
 * animal nutrition
 * genetics
 * vertebrate embryology
 * cellular biology
 * microbiology
 * zoology
 * systemic physiology

__<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Salary Information __
Veterinarians annual earnings can range depening on location, and level of education. The median average veterinarian earns around $79,000. The middle 50% made between $61,000 and $104,000 with the top 10% making more than $143,000. The average salary for a veterinarian is also dependant on what type of animal you specialize in. Below is a chart of average starting salaries of college graduates in the veterinary field courtesy of the //American Veterinary Medical Association.// [|Click Here]for a link to their website.


 * Small animals, exclusively || $64,744 ||
 * Large animals, exclusively || 62,424 ||
 * Small animals, predominantly || 61,753 ||
 * Mixed animals || 58,522 ||
 * Large animals, predominantly || 57,745 ||
 * Equine (horses) || 41,636 ||

__Job Outlook__
In 2008, there were about 59,700 veterinary jobs, 80% of which, were in solo or group practices. There are opportunities to work in large practices, start your own practice, or even work for the government. Between 2008 and 2018, job opportunities for veterinarians are expected to increase by around 33%. With the growing concern for public health and food safety, and the increasing number of people buying pet insurance, there is sure to be an increase in the demand for individuals with veterinary degrees.

__Related Careers__
Being a veterinarian isn't for everyone. Some people aren't particularly fond of animals, but have a knack or passion for biology or epidemiological studies. If you are one of those people, here are a few careers related to the veterinarian.
 * anesthesiologist
 * animal breeder
 * animal caretaker
 * animal services worker
 * animal trainer
 * aquaculturist
 * dermatologist
 * doctor
 * farmer
 * marine biologist
 * osteopathic physician
 * pet groomer
 * radiologist
 * veterinary technician
 * zookeeper
 * zoologist

Page by: John Sheehan