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Get the inside scoop from practicing veterinarians and veterinary students.

Interview with Veterinarian Lydia Donaldson
Dr. Donaldson’s career has lead to a specialization in veterinary anesthesiology and work as a veterinary educator. Learn more about her unique career path in veterinary medicine.

Interview with Veterinary Student Andrea Winkel
A top-notch education and many extracurricular activities are helping Andrea advance her education in veterinary medicine.

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Veterinarians and veterinary technologists can pursue a range of career paths. But all start as either veterinarians or veterinary technologists/technicians.

Veterinarians provide care to animals of all sorts — small household pets (dogs, cats, rabbits and even pet snakes), domestic farm animals such as pigs and sheep, larger animals like livestock and horses, or other types of animals in zoos, wildlife preserves, or research labs.

These veterinarians are responsible for diagnosing sick or injured animals and prescribing medications or therapies to help heal them.

Veterinary technologists and technicians work with veterinarians in private practices or emergency clinics, on farms, or even in research facilities.

They perform many duties, such as conducting lab tests or taking and reading x-rays, and are usually supervised by a licensed veterinarian.

Working as a Veterinarian

Introduction to Veterinary Careers

Veterinary Career Specialties

Veterinary Medicine Industry Specializations

Top 10 Qualities of a Great Veterinarian

Guide to Veterinary Internships

Veterinary Associations

Career Specialties

Veterinarian

Veterinarian (DVM) Careers, Jobs & Salaries

Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

Careers, Jobs & Salaries for Veterinary Technicians and Technologists

Public Health Veterinarians

Veterinary Anesthesiologist

Veterinary Pharmacologist

Veterinary Career Guide is a post from: VeterinarySchools.com

Learn about choosing the best vet school, your veterinary degree options, online veterinary schools, and requirements for vet school admission.

Choosing a Veterinary School: What Really Matters

Choosing a Veterinary School: Other Factors

Veterinary School Accreditation

Veterinary School Rankings

Online Veterinary Schools

Get Accepted to Veterinary School

Veterinary School Continuing Education

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Veterinarians everywhere work with a variety of animals on a daily basis. But thanks to differences in climate and geography, some veterinarians specialize in local animals that other states simply don’t have.

Florida, with its tropical climate and unique species, is a prime example.

Veterinary Specializations in Florida

Because of Florida’s unique flora and fauna, veterinarians in the Sunshine State have to deal with a bevy of exotic animals.

These include poisonous bufo toads, alligators (some are even kept as pets), lizards and venomous snakes like the coral snake and the cottonmouth/water moccasin. Many of these animals live near or in lakes, rivers and ditches.

Florida vets help inform the public about the dangers of these animals. But in the inevitable event that a human or animal is exposed or injured, these vets (along with Fish and Wildlife representatives), can be called to respond at the scene. They may capture, care for, or euthanize the animals as necessary.

Aquatic (or marine) animals are another area of veterinarian specialization common to Florida.

A relatively new specialty, aquatic animal veterinarians tend and treat aquatic invertebrates, sea turtles, marine mammals like dolphins and manatees, and a variety of fish.

Aquariums employ aquatic veterinarians because animals in captivity require special treatment and medication. In fact, getting trained in aquatic veterinary medicine in Florida can help prepare you to work at aquariums across the country.

A specialization in aquatic animals can include a research concentration in environmental science, wildlife health, aquaculture medicine, and clinical research.

Those interested in this type of veterinary medicine can get board certification from the American College of Zoological Medicine.

Veterinarians who want to work exclusively with fish can get a certificate in fish pathology available from the American Fisheries Association.

Veterinary Schools in Florida

The University of Florida offers a specialization in marine animal health at its College of Veterinary Medicine and the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience.

The College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida is the only veterinary college in Florida that offers the four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree.

The college’s specialization in aquatic health also has a graduate level program that includes both a Master of Science and a PhD degree.

Before specializing in aquatic animal health, you’ll need to complete a four-year DVM degree. The specialization can include a combination of internships, residencies and graduate courses of study.

Veterinary technicians and technologists in Florida can be trained at vet tech schools that include Brevard Community College, Hillsborough Community College, Miami-Dade College and St. Petersburg College.

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Veterinary medicine, like human medicine, is a very versatile career path. Just think of all the different types of animals that exist on the planet.

No matter your specialization — be it cats and dogs and other companion animals, exotic animals like alligators and ostriches, cattle livestock, aquatic animals, or horses — there are a number of directions to take your veterinary career.

First, what kind of veterinary work you want to do?

If you want to be a veterinary doctor you’ll need to start with a post-graduate degree called a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM).

If you’re more interested in assisting a doctor you can choose between becoming a veterinary technician (2-year degree) or a veterinary technologist (4-year degree).

Besides your basic educational requirements, you’ll also need to decide whether to specialize in a particular species like horses (equine), or work more broadly as a general veterinary practitioner.

Specialization will require different internship and residency requirements, which can be competitive and will often require the more intense DVM degree.

4 Industry Specializations in the Veterinary Sciences

Livestock Inspectors

Ranches, farms and food processing plants all require the expertise of a trained veterinarian who specializes in food animals.

Vets who work as livestock inspectors help ensure public health by making sure that the animals we eat are not diseased and are healthy enough for human consumption.

From cows and pigs to chickens and ducks, a livestock inspector plays a tremendously important role in monitoring and attending to the health and safety of our animal food supply.

Since their job impacts the safety of the national food chain, livestock inspectors require additional certification and accreditation through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Private Practice

Private practice vets diagnose and treat diseases and dysfunctions in pets, zoo animals, racetrack horses, laboratory animals and livestock animals.

Veterinarians working in private practice should have great communication skills and love working with animals. (See the Top 10 Qualities of a Great Veterinarian)

Since vets talk to people who are often stressed and worried about their animals, it’s important for veterinarians to be as good at calming the owners, as they are good at treating the sick or hurt animal.

To become a private practice vet, students first need to graduate from an accredited college of veterinary medicine with a DVM and then get licensed in the state where they choose to practice.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that continuing job opportunities for veterinarians should be excellent, and that 80% of veterinarians work in private practice.

Equine

Like other veterinarians, an equine or horse veterinarian has earned a DVM degree. After getting the basic veterinary degree, an equine vet also needs to pass licensing exams in his or her state.

Equine vets work closely with horse breeders, racehorses and trainers, as well as ranchers, to keep horses healthy and strong. Equine vets also treat and operate on sick and injured horses.

Horse vets consult with owners about diet, breeding, stable conditions and horse performance. Most horse vets have an educational background in a science like chemistry, zoology, math, or biology as well as a DVM degree.

Besides the standard vet degree, a horse veterinarian also need to pass licensing exams and often must fulfill additional one-year long internships.

Some veterinary technologists and technicians who do not hold DVMs work to assist horse veterinarians with lab tests, diagnosis, and treatment.

Zoo Veterinarian

A zoo veterinarian does a lot of things a private practice veterinarian does, the exception of course is that this type of vet works with a lot of exotic species.

A zoo vet gives animals vaccinations, health exams, and advises on animal housing and husbandry practices. He or she is also involved in designing new exhibit areas and sedating animals before radiographs or physical examinations.

Zoo vets require the same four-year DVM degree as other vets. Additionally, some zoos require additional internships and residencies that last for several years. Students can also pursue further education in this field through the American College of Zoological Medicine.

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Very few schools offer accredited DVM programs, but of those that do, which is the best?

According to U.S. News and World Report, the top-rated veterinary school in 2011 was Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Find out who else joined the impressive ranks of the 10 top-notch vet programs in the nation.

Cornell University

This Ivy League university, based in Ithaca, New York is often considered the best veterinary school in the United States.

Cornell’s vet program specializes in animal medicine, biomedical research and public health.

The College of Veterinary Medicine was established at Cornell in 1894. Having graduated over 5,000 students, the college is internationally recognized for its excellent veterinary program. The school has a student body of around 335 students enrolled in its full-time post baccalaureate program.

Graduates can receive a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM).

University of California, Davis

Located between San Francisco and Sacramento in Davis, California, the School of Veterinary Medicine educates veterinarians in research, clinical service and public service to better the health of animals, public health and the environment.

Graduates from Davis can focus on everything from livestock, poultry, pets, and free-ranging wildlife to exotic animals, aquatic mammals, and fish.

The school opened with just 42 students in 1948, and enrolls about 524 students in its current DVM program.

Colorado State University

Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State is another well-regarded veterinary school.

The program prides itself on providing hands-on instruction from world-class researchers, while focusing on everything from microbiology and environmental health to the biomedical sciences.

North Carolina State University

This 180-acre campus near downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, graduated its first class of vets in 1985. While a relatively young program compared to some of the others on this list, the College of Veterinary Medicine is very competitive and well respected.

The program prides itself on training vets and veterinarian scientist to improve animal and human health at both the cellular level and on large-scale biological ecosystems.

Students focus their studies in three concentrations: Clinical Sciences, Molecular Biomedical Sciences, and Population Health & Pathobiology. The school has 155 faculty and 313 DVM students with around 160 more students in graduate, internship, and resident programs.

Ohio State University

Located in Columbus, Ohio, the College of Veterinary Medicine at Ohio State offers both a Graduate Program in Comparative and a Veterinary Medicine Graduate program. Both degree programs provide advanced training to professional and graduate students getting their master’s or PhDs.

Graduates can leave prepared to pursue careers in epidemiological field research, clinical research, and biomedical research.

The Veterinary Medical Center has hospitals for companion animals, farm animals, and horses. The school admits 160 new veterinary students each year, and reserves up to 100 seats for in-state Ohio residents. The remaining seats (up to 80) are for students from outside of Ohio.

University of Pennsylvania

Founded in 1884, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine was established because the University’s School of Medicine recognized that controlling the spread of animal diseases would reduce the amount of human diseases troubling their patients.

The University adopted a holistic view of animal and human medicine as an inter-related discipline and championed the idea of one medicine.

Curriculum at the University of Pennsylvania can include a foundation of clinical rotations followed by major areas of study like Small Animal, Large Animal, Food Animal, Mixed (Small Animal, Large Animal) and Equine.

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Based in the popular college town of Madison, Wisconsin, the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital offers a four-year professional degree, or a DVM.

The school strives to provide graduates with a broad scope of expertise so that each student can choose from a wide range of career options.

Careers of Wisconsin graduates have included jobs in government and armed forces, private practices, industry, research, and academia.

The university teaches its students to recognize disease conditions in animals, provides clinical training, and also focuses on problem solving and interpersonal skills to help students interact with clients and the public once they embark upon their veterinary career.

Texas A&M University, College Station

Housed in the oldest public university in Texas, the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences started training veterinarians in 1916.

The school’s faculty emphasizes the central role that veterinarians can provide in improving environmental, animal, and human health. Students are taught to to develop remedies, prevent and cure animal diseases, while uncovering new knowledge through research. The university is also interested in creating new therapies to reach these goals.

Classes can include clinical rotations as well as a solid educational base in disease recognition. The classes of admitted DVM students number about 132, with Texas residents making up the lion’s share of the student population.

Michigan State University

Based in East Lansing, Michigan, Michigan State (MSU) has a long history of teaching veterinary science. In fact, veterinary courses have been taught at NSY since the school’s founding in 1855. The formal College of Veterinary Medicine was established to grant four-year degrees in 1910.

The school has four distinct departments offering different concentrations. These include molecular genetics, pathobiology, pharmacology and physiology as well as clinical departments focusing on both large animal and small-animal sciences.

University of Georgia

The College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia was founded in 1946. The school enrolls 102 students each fall, and has a faculty of 159. Total enrollment of DVM students is 401. Seventy-four percent of the student body are women.

The college focuses on wildlife, food-producing animals, and companion animals. The school uses its high-tech equipment to research, study and safeguard both animals and humans through constant training and investigation.

Besides offering a DVM, the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine also boasts interdisciplinary master’s degrees in veterinary and biomedical science and a dual-degree DVM-Masters of Public Health.

A doctoral degree is also available in parasitology, infectious disease, physiology, pharmacology and pathology.

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Like getting an internship for any job, a veterinary internship is a great way to get some real-world experience and training.

Pursuing an internship can also help you get your foot in the door after you graduate from veterinary school. You’ll also meet mentors and learn about different specialties within the field of veterinary medicine.

Benefits of veterinary internships

If you graduate from a doctoral veterinary school program, you’ll receive a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, or DVM, and you’ll need to study and pass the national and state board exams.

Some states require graduates to work under the direct supervision of a veteran veterinarian before granting permission to practice independently.

An internship is the perfect opportunity to start learning from, and working with, an experienced veterinarian.

Another benefit of an internship is that it provides a hands-on platform for specialization.

If you’re thinking about becoming board-certified in surgery, or another specialized area of veterinary medicine, an internship or residency can be the perfect place to take your training to the next level.

You’ll need to decide what kinds of animals you want to focus on. The training for somebody who works with horses is different than that of one who works primarily with canines.

How do I find out about internships?

Every year a list of internships is published that outlines residency and internship opportunities available for the following year.

A good vet school will have access to this industry-specific list. Make sure that your prospective school offers internship guidance before you enroll in their vet program.

If you’re applying for multiple internships, create an order of preference indicating your most desired and least desired internships. The clinics, hospitals and universities will review the applications and match qualified interns with relevant opportunities, using the order of preference to weigh decisions in the matching process.

How hard is it to get a vet internship?

Getting excellent grades during veterinary school is important (if you rank at the bottom of your class you’ll be unlikely to get an internship). However, a particular internship or residency will be more or less competitive based on the specialization being offered at that particular internship.

Similar to applying for a job, an internship or residency can require graduates to submit a resume, garner letters of recommendation, collect official transcripts and write personal statements.

It’s also worth noting that most residencies are only offered to students who have previously completed an internship.

Where should you intern?

Technically, you could try to get an internship at the same place you attended vet school. However, the industry standard is to avoid this practice and instead try to get a private practice or university internship at another location.

What’s the difference?

Generally a private practice internship can give you a better daily glimpse of the business involved in running a private vet clinic. Conversely, a university internship can be more academically focused, with an emphasis on research and teaching rather than the DIY nature of private practice.

Search for internships in your area of interest at the Veterinary Internship & Residency Matching Program.

Get more general information from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Guide to Veterinary Internships is a post from: VeterinarySchools.com

There are several factors to consider when scouting for veterinary programs. First, you’ll want to check out location. Next you’ll need to do some research on the faculty. Lastly, look into the technology being used and required for the program.

Why location matters

Are there any great veterinary programs in your area? If there weren’t any, would you be willing to move across the state or across the country to attend the right school? Are you looking for a traditional campus experience?

If you’re interested in a brick and mortar institution, schools like the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine are well regarded.

But if you’re not currently living near a veterinary school and don’t want to move, you might consider online veterinary programs. Online degrees allow for greater flexibility, which could be helpful if you’re currently working fulltime or part-time.

In fact, if you’re interested in becoming a veterinary technician or freshening up with some vet tech classes before applying to vet school, an online program could work well for you. Online vet school classes can help give students an entry-level understanding of the world of veterinary science.

What can you learn at school?

While studying veterinary science you can take classes on animal anatomy and physiology, medical mathematics, animal reproduction and animal nutrition.

Trained vets can help to ensure animal health, relieve animal suffering, work to conserve animal resources, and promote the well being of animals and people.

Why faculty matters

Investing time, money and energy into an education is a huge investment. Before you do, make sure that you’re paying for a high-quality education that gives you access to talented and accessible staff.

How many students are in each class?

What’s the level of one-on-one time that students can expect to receive from their instructors?

Ideally, the faculty should include a lot of respected veterinarians on staff that can impart their real-world experience to the next generation of veterinarians.

Why technology matters

When contacting the schools, be sure to ask about technology.

What technology requirements does your prospective vet school require of its students?

What type of computer hardware is provided or required?

What software is needed?

How much will all of this technology cost you before you start the program?

Ultimately, choosing a vet school is a personal decision and it will require you to think a lot about various factors before making your decision.

But if you use this guide as a checklist and spend some time researching technology requirements, online and on-campus options, and faculty pedigree, you’ll have a better chance of finding a vet school that meets your needs.

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