I go on daily rounds of the chimp sanctuary to ensure the health needs of all of the animals in our care are being met from nutrition, play/recreation, and more.
CAREER
Veterinarians
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$100,370
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+19.4% (much faster than the average)
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Veterinarians Do
Diagnose, treat, or research diseases and injuries of animals. Includes veterinarians who conduct research and development, inspect livestock, or care for pets and companion animals.
Other Job Titles Veterinarians May Have
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Emergency Veterinarian (Emergency Vet), Small Animal Veterinarian (Small Animal Vet), Veterinary Medicine Doctor (DVM)
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
As the head veterinarian at the Saint Louis Zoo, I am a member and leader of the team that provides veterinary care to all the zoo's animals and to the many endangered species that the zoo aims to protect in the wild. This means monitoring them for any health problems or injuries, administering care, and overseeing the general welfare of all of the animals.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
- Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
- Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
- Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
- Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Veterinarians
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Doctoral degree (79%)
Doctoral degree
Post-doctoral training
Professional degree
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Dairy Science
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Pre-Veterinary Studies
Graduate
Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management
Doctorate
Veterinary Medicine
Certification / License
Veterinary Medical Officer
Certification / License
Equine Specialist
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Utilize the relationships of people around you to cultivate and help develop your career. There are people who come into your life for a purpose and using their expertise, advice, etc. is to teach you something about yourself.
Having a passion for animals and valuing them is essential. Have a desire to make a difference no matter the struggles you may encounter. If you are interested in a particular area of veterinary care or specializing in the care of a particular animal, talk to the people who are experts in that to get advice and decide if that is in fact what you want to do.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
High School Students
Volunteer. Make sure it's what you are interested in, and if it is, stick with it!
Livestock Veterinarian ,
Start researching the different types of veterinarians and specialists there are to give yourself enough time to consider your options. Also, if possible try to get internships with local veterinarians to get a day in the life with them or take animal related classes at your school (e.g. vet science, ag biology, ag science).
Everyone
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
