| A veterinarian (from Latin veterinae, | | | | either a medical school or a top Law |
| "draught animals") is an animal doctor, | | | | School than to meet the GPA requirements |
| a practitioner of veterinary medicine. | | | | for most veterinary schools. This |
| Although veterinarians hold doctoral | | | | situation occurs mostly because there |
| degrees in veterinary medicine, not all | | | | 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 |
| such as companion animal or "pet" | | | | into 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 |
| human medicine, veterinary medicine, and | | | | or other veterinary environment. The |
| pharmacology. Research veterinarians | | | | average veterinary medical student has |
| were the first to isolate oncoviruses, | | | | an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 and a GRE |
| Salmonella species, Brucella species, | | | | score of approximately 1800. US |
| and various other pathogenic agents. | | | | graduates are awarded either a Doctor of |
| They also helped conquer malaria and | | | | Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or the less |
| yellow fever; solved the mystery of | | | | common Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD) |
| botulism; produced an anticoagulant used | | | | degree, depending upon the traditions of |
| to treat human heart disease; and | | | | the veterinary school. |
| developed surgical techniques for | | | | Public health medicine is another option |
| humans, such as hip-joint replacement, | | | | for veterinarians. Veterinarians in |
| and limb and organ 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 |
| cropping ears, and debarking dogs. In | | | | US Agriculture Research Service, Fish |
| some countries, these procedures are | | | | and 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, |
| Executive Board, November 1999. It goes | | | | caring 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 |
| use my scientific knowledge and skills | | | | of 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 |
| of animal suffering, the conservation of | | | | animals. Veterinary Science is concerned |
| animal resources, the promotion of | | | | with the scientific basis of animal |
| public health, and the advancement of | | | | production, health and disease. It |
| medical knowledge. | | | | requires the acquisition and application |
| I will practice my profession | | | | of scientific knowledge in several |
| conscientiously, with dignity, and in | | | | disciplines and uses technical skills |
| keeping with the principles of | | | | towards the solution of animal |
| veterinary medical ethics." | | | | production, health, management and |
| Some veterinarians work in a field | | | | welfare problems. |
| called regulatory medicine - ensuring | | | | Veterinary medicine is informally as old |
| the nation's food safety by working with | | | | as the human/animal bond but in recent |
| the USDA FSIS, or work by protecting us | | | | years has expanded exponentially because |
| from imported exotic animal diseases by | | | | of the availability of advanced |
| working for the USDA APHIS. The emerging | | | | diagnostic and therapeutic techniques |
| field of conservation medicine involves | | | | for most species. Animals nowadays often |
| veterinarians even more directly with | | | | receive advanced medical, dental, and |
| human health care, providing a | | | | surgical care including insulin |
| multidisciplinary approach to medical | | | | injections, root canals, hip |
| research that also involves | | | | replacements, cataract extractions, and |
| environmental scientists. | | | | pacemakers. |
| More than 3,800 veterinarians in the USA | | | | Veterinarians assist in ensuring the |
| currently work at veterinary schools | | | | quality, quantity, and security of food |
| where they teach student vets what they | | | | supplies by working to maintain the |
| need to know to graduate - teaching is | | | | health of livestock and inspecting the |
| another career path for a veterinarian. | | | | meat itself. Veterinary scientists are |
| Veterinary school is a tertiary | | | | very important in chemical, biological, |
| educational institution, or part of such | | | | and pharmacological research. |
| an institution, which is involved in the | | | | In many countries, equine veterinary |
| education of future veterinary | | | | medicine is also a specialized field. |
| practitioners (veterinarians). The entry | | | | Clinical work with horses involves |
| criteria, structure, teaching | | | | mainly locomotor and orthopaedic |
| methodology and nature of veterinary | | | | problems, digestive tract conditions |
| programs offered at veterinary schools | | | | (including equine colic, which is a |
| vary considerably around the world. In | | | | major cause of death among domesticated |
| the U.S., a doctorate of veterinary | | | | horses), and respiratory tract |
| medicine degree (D.V.M.) (Or in the | | | | infections and disorders. |
| Veterinary Medical School at the | | | | As in the human medical field, |
| University of Pennsylvania, a degree of | | | | veterinary medicine (in practice) |
| veterinary medical doctor (V.M.D.) is | | | | requires a diverse group of individuals |
| awarded) is a four-year program. The | | | | to meet the need of patients. In |
| program generally consists of 21D2 to 3 | | | | addition to veterinarians, many |
| years of mostly traditional classroom | | | | veterinary hospitals utilize a team of |
| coursework followed by the clinical | | | | veterinary nurses and veterinary |
| rotations. Currently, unlike human | | | | assistants to completely care for |
| medical school, a subsequent internship | | | | healing, critical and well animals. |
| and/or residency are not required, but | | | | Veterinary nurses are generally |
| are optional to those who choose to seek | | | | registered as "veterinary technicians" |
| further education and possible | | | | in most states and are legally qualified |
| accreditation. Unsurprisingly, the | | | | to assist veterinarians in many medical |
| number of veterinarians pursuing | | | | procedures. Veterinary assistants, who |
| internships and/or residencies will | | | | are not licensed by most states, but can |
| continue to increase as the | | | | be well-trained at facilities such as |
| understanding of veterinary medicine | | | | The School for Veterinary Assistants, |
| continues to grow greater. A good | | | | are also becoming increasingly in-demand |
| veterinarian enjoys working with animals | | | | in the veterinary industry due to a wide |
| and their owners. Admission into | | | | range of treatments and services being |
| veterinary medical school is so | | | | offered to meet the higher expectations |
| competitive that in the United States it | | | | of pet owners in the United States. |
| is far easier to gain acceptance into | | | | |