Veterinarian

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Work Tasks

• Diagnose and treat animal disease, injury, and illness
• Dress wounds, set broken bones, and do surgery
• Give animals medicine and vaccinations
• Give pet owners advice on how to take care of animals
• Work for the government, the military, colleges of veterinary medicine, medical schools, research labs, livestock farms, animal food companies, drug companies, zoos, aquariums, and in private practice
• Work with all types of animals, thermometers, stethoscopes, x-ray and ultrasound machines, microscopes, syringes, needles, surgical instruments, lab equipment, drugs, medicines, vaccines, food and drug samples, animal records, statistics, books, and other reference materials

Salary, Size & Growth

• $91,500 average per year ($44.00 per hour)
• A medium occupation (54,500 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (3.3% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A 4-year program at an accredited college of veterinary medicine with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M. or V.M.D.) degree and a license to practice.
• Employers Prefer: An additional 1-year internship and board certification in a specialty such as pathology, surgery, radiology, or laboratory animal medicine.
• Skills/Courses: College courses include chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, genetics, physiology, and zoology, as well as specialty courses in internal medicine, oncology, radiology, surgery, dermatology, neurology, cardiology, ophthalmology, anesthesiology, or exotic small animal medicine.
• Certification/Licensing: All states require veterinarians to be licensed.