| A veterinarian (from Latin veterinae, "draught | | | | school or a top Law School than to meet the |
| animals") is an animal doctor, a practitioner of | | | | GPA requirements for most veterinary schools. |
| veterinary medicine. Although veterinarians hold | | | | This situation occurs mostly because there are |
| doctoral degrees in veterinary medicine, not all | | | | far fewer schools, allowing the schools to be |
| veterinarians enter clinical practice. Those that | | | | much more selective. According to the US |
| work in clinical settings practice medicine in specific | | | | Department of Labor, only 1 in 3 applicants were |
| fields, such as companion animal or "pet" medicine, | | | | accepted into a veterinary program in 2002. |
| reptile medicine, ratite medicine, livestock medicine, | | | | Prerequisites for admission include the |
| equine medicine (e.g. sports, race track, show, | | | | undergraduate studies listed under veterinary |
| rodeo), or laboratory animal medicine. Other | | | | medicine and extensive veterinary experience |
| veterinarians research areas of human medicine, | | | | (typically about 500 or more hours) in private |
| veterinary medicine, and pharmacology. Research | | | | practice or other veterinary environment. The |
| veterinarians were the first to isolate oncoviruses, | | | | average veterinary medical student has an |
| Salmonella species, Brucella species, and various | | | | undergraduate GPA of 3.5 and a GRE score of |
| other pathogenic agents. They also helped | | | | approximately 1800. US graduates are awarded |
| conquer malaria and yellow fever; solved the | | | | either a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or |
| mystery of botulism; produced an anticoagulant | | | | the less common Veterinary Medical Doctor |
| used to treat human heart disease; and | | | | (VMD) degree, depending upon the traditions of |
| developed surgical techniques for humans, such as | | | | the veterinary school. |
| hip-joint replacement, and limb and organ | | | | Public health medicine is another option for |
| transplants. | | | | veterinarians. Veterinarians in government and |
| Like all physicians, veterinarians must make | | | | private laboratories provide diagnostic and testing |
| serious ethical decisions about their patients' care. | | | | services. Some veterinarians serve as state |
| There is ongoing debate over the ethics of | | | | epidemiologists, directors of environmental health, |
| performing certain controversial procedures, like | | | | and directors of state or city public health |
| declawing cats and docking tails, cropping ears, | | | | departments. Veterinarians are also employed by |
| and debarking dogs. In some countries, these | | | | the US Agriculture Research Service, Fish and |
| procedures are illegal, and therefore their practice | | | | Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, |
| is contentious. The Veterinarian's Oath was | | | | National Library of Medicine, and National Institutes |
| adopted by the American Veterinary Medical | | | | of Health. The military also employs veterinarians |
| Association's House of Delegates July 1969, and | | | | in a number of capacities - caring for pets on |
| amended by the AVMA Executive Board, | | | | military bases, caring for military working animals, |
| November 1999. It goes as follows: | | | | and controlling various arthropod-borne diseases |
| "Being admitted to the profession of veterinary | | | | or other such things. |
| medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific | | | | Veterinary medicine is the application of medical, |
| knowledge and skills for the benefit of society | | | | diagnostic, and therapeutic principles to companion, |
| through the protection of animal health, the relief | | | | domestic, exotic, wildlife, and production animals. |
| of animal suffering, the conservation of animal | | | | Veterinary Science is concerned with the scientific |
| resources, the promotion of public health, and the | | | | basis of animal production, health and disease. It |
| advancement of medical knowledge. | | | | requires the acquisition and application of scientific |
| I will practice my profession conscientiously, with | | | | knowledge in several disciplines and uses technical |
| dignity, and in keeping with the principles of | | | | skills towards the solution of animal production, |
| veterinary medical ethics." | | | | health, management and welfare problems. |
| Some veterinarians work in a field called | | | | Veterinary medicine is informally as old as the |
| regulatory medicine - ensuring the nation's food | | | | human/animal bond but in recent years has |
| safety by working with the USDA FSIS, or work | | | | expanded exponentially because of the availability |
| by protecting us from imported exotic animal | | | | of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques |
| diseases by working for the USDA APHIS. The | | | | for most species. Animals nowadays often |
| emerging field of conservation medicine involves | | | | receive advanced medical, dental, and surgical care |
| veterinarians even more directly with human | | | | including insulin injections, root canals, hip |
| health care, providing a multidisciplinary approach | | | | replacements, cataract extractions, and |
| to medical research that also involves | | | | pacemakers. |
| environmental scientists. | | | | Veterinarians assist in ensuring the quality, |
| More than 3,800 veterinarians in the USA | | | | quantity, and security of food supplies by working |
| currently work at veterinary schools where they | | | | to maintain the health of livestock and inspecting |
| teach student vets what they need to know to | | | | the meat itself. Veterinary scientists are very |
| graduate - teaching is another career path for a | | | | important in chemical, biological, and |
| veterinarian. | | | | pharmacological research. |
| Veterinary school is a tertiary educational | | | | In many countries, equine veterinary medicine is |
| institution, or part of such an institution, which is | | | | also a specialized field. Clinical work with horses |
| involved in the education of future veterinary | | | | involves mainly locomotor and orthopaedic |
| practitioners (veterinarians). The entry criteria, | | | | problems, digestive tract conditions (including |
| structure, teaching methodology and nature of | | | | equine colic, which is a major cause of death |
| veterinary programs offered at veterinary | | | | among domesticated horses), and respiratory |
| schools vary considerably around the world. In the | | | | tract infections and disorders. |
| U.S., a doctorate of veterinary medicine degree | | | | As in the human medical field, veterinary medicine |
| (D.V.M.) (Or in the Veterinary Medical School at | | | | (in practice) requires a diverse group of individuals |
| the University of Pennsylvania, a degree of | | | | to meet the need of patients. In addition to |
| veterinary medical doctor (V.M.D.) is awarded) is a | | | | veterinarians, many veterinary hospitals utilize a |
| four-year program. The program generally | | | | team of veterinary nurses and veterinary |
| consists of 21D2 to 3 years of mostly traditional | | | | assistants to completely care for healing, critical |
| classroom coursework followed by the clinical | | | | and well animals. Veterinary nurses are generally |
| rotations. Currently, unlike human medical school, a | | | | registered as "veterinary technicians" in most |
| subsequent internship and/or residency are not | | | | states and are legally qualified to assist |
| required, but are optional to those who choose to | | | | veterinarians in many medical procedures. |
| seek further education and possible accreditation. | | | | Veterinary assistants, who are not licensed by |
| Unsurprisingly, the number of veterinarians | | | | most states, but can be well-trained at facilities |
| pursuing internships and/or residencies will continue | | | | such as The School for Veterinary Assistants, are |
| to increase as the understanding of veterinary | | | | also becoming increasingly in-demand in the |
| medicine continues to grow greater. A good | | | | veterinary industry due to a wide range of |
| veterinarian enjoys working with animals and their | | | | treatments and services being offered to meet |
| owners. Admission into veterinary medical school | | | | the higher expectations of pet owners in the |
| is so competitive that in the United States it is far | | | | United States. |
| easier to gain acceptance into either a medical | | | | |