Veterinary Careers
Veterinarians treat diseased and injured animals. Veterinarians are also heavily involved in preventing and controlling disease in both individual animals and in animal populations. For food animal veterinarians, the focus has become one of improving productivity and profitability for farms.
Most veterinarians apply their skills in practice settings for some portion of their careers, serving companion animal and livestock owners. But there are many other career avenues for veterinarians to follow. Because of the broad scientific training and the use of state-of-the-art tools and techniques, veterinary medicine is the foundation for an almost limitless variety of health-related careers.
With additional education veterinarians may become clinical specialists, basic or clinical research scientists, or consultants to agri-business on herd health practices. Veterinarians in public health careers contribute to the eradication of disease. They help shape government policy as regulatory officers. Their skills are also employed in biology-related industries.
In pharmaceutical, chemical, and animal food and health products companies, veterinarians play a variety of roles. For example, in commercial laboratories, veterinarians trained in laboratory animal medicine are responsible for the health and well-being of research animals. Veterinarians also engage in projects to develop more humane testing procedures and to ensure the safety of new drugs. The development of computer models to decrease the need for animal research also involves veterinarians.
Government employees at the national, state, and local level, such as wildlife researchers or environmental and occupational epidemiologists, are often veterinarians. In military services, veterinarians provide medical expertise, work to ensure safe and nutritious food for both military personnel and civilians, manage animal research, and supervise animal research colonies. Veterinarians have also used their education and talents in the Peace Corps, contributing to improved nutrition, health, and standards of living in developing countries.
Some veterinarians choose to work with exotic animals, treating unusual companion animals or captive wild animals in zoos or wildlife refuges. Veterinarians assist in the rehabilitation of injured birds of prey and other wildlife. The availability of exotic animal opportunities is limited.
Board certification in one of more than twenty specialties qualifies veterinarians for an even wider variety of positions in both private and public practice. Specialties exist in veterinary internal medicine, surgery, anesthesiology, pathology, ophthalmology, and other areas that qualify a veterinarian for unique positions in private practice, industry, or academia.
For more information on veterinary careers please visit the Career Resource Center web site at: www.VCRCillinois.org and click “explore”.