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A veterinarian (North American English) or a veterinary surgeon (British English), often shortened to vet, is an animal physician and a practitioner of veterinary medicine. The word comes from the Latin veterinae meaning "draught animals." The word "veterinarian" was first used in English by Thomas Browne (1605-1682).
Education and regulation According to the US Department of Labor, only 1 in 3 applicants was accepted into a veterinary program in 2002. Prerequisites for admission include the undergraduate studies listed under veterinary medicine and extensive veterinary experience (typically about 500 or more hours) in private practice or other veterinary environment. The average veterinary medical student has an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 and a GRE score of approximately 1350. US graduates are awarded either a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or the less common Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD) degree, depending upon the traditions of the veterinary school. Veterinary school lasts for four years just like human medicine programs, with at least one year being dedicated to clinical rotations. After completion of the national board examination, some newly-accredited veterinarians choose to pursue residencies or internships in certain (usually more competitive) fields. There is some reciprocal international recognition of veterinary degrees. For example, veterinarians with degrees from the UK or New Zealand are immediately allowed to practice in Australia whereas vets with degrees from other countries are usually required to pass a set of qualifying exams before being allowed to practice. Veterinarians graduating from AVMA accredited universities, (e.g. University of Glasgow, Royal Veterinary College, Utrecht etc) may work in the USA after passing the NAVLE, a veterinary licensing exam taken by all American veterinarians. Non-AVMA accredited university graduates must also sit a week long Clinical Proficiency Examination in order to work in the USA. Veterinarians who have graduated from an AVMA accredited University are eligible to practice in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Canada, and the United States. Australia currently has five Universities offering veterinary degrees - University of Sydney, Murdoch University, University of Melbourne, University of Queensland, and Charles Sturt University. James Cook University is a sixth University that prepared for its first intake of vet students at the end of 2005. In the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth nations, a veterinary surgeon is an animal practicioner regulated by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. This legislation restricts the treatment of animals in the UK to qualified veterinary surgeons only, with certain specific exceptions, including physiotherapy, chiropractic, osteopathy, on the under the supervision of a veterinary surgeon. Various alternative medicine therapies (such as homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine) can only be performed by a veterinary surgeon. More than 3,800 veterinarians in the USA currently work at veterinary schools where they teach student vets what they need to know to graduate — teaching is another career path for a veterinarian. In popular culture Perhaps the most accurate depiction of this kind of doctor at work is in the autobiographical book by Dr. Gurnam Singh Gill, a distinguised graduate of PAU Ludhiana, and the television adaptation, All Creatures Great and Small. The most popular in mainstream media is Dr. Dolittle, which was a children's book turned into a movie in 1967 with Rex Harrison in the title role. The movie was then remade in 1998 casting Eddie Murphy as Dr. Dolittle. Overview Although veterinarians hold doctoral degrees in veterinary medicine, not all veterinarians enter clinical practice. Those that work in clinical settings practice medicine in specific fields, such as companion animal or "pet" medicine, livestock medicine, equine medicine (e.g. sports, race track, show, rodeo), laboratory animal medicine, reptile medicine, or ratite medicine. Other veterinarians research areas of human and veterinary medicine, including pharmacology. Research veterinarians were the first to isolate oncoviruses, Salmonella species, Brucella species, and various other pathogenic agents. They also helped in suppressing malaria and yellow fever; determined the identity of the botulism disease-causing agent; produced an anticoagulant used to treat human heart disease; and developed surgical techniques for humans, such as hip-joint replacement, and limb and organ transplants. Like all physicians, veterinarians must make serious ethical decisions about their patients' care. There is ongoing debate over the ethics of performing certain controversial procedures, like declawing of cats and docking or cropping tails and ears, as well as "debarking" dogs. In some countries, these procedures are illegal, while in others the personal ethics of the client and veterinarian are the only regulation on the procedures. Regulatory medicine Some American veterinarians work in a field called regulatory medicine, ensuring the nation's food safety by working with the USDA FSIS, or work by protecting us from imported exotic animal diseases by working for the USDA APHIS. The emerging field of conservation medicine involves veterinarians even more directly with human health care, providing a multidisciplinary approach to medical research that also involves environmental scientists. Career In the United States private veterinarians earn an average salary of $63,000 per year. A veterinarian who works for the US government averages $72,000 per year. Starting salaries vary, but tend to be higher for those who specialize in a particular type of animal--around $48,000 per year. However, this is not true for those who specialize in horses where starting salaries are in the $34,000 per year range. As pet owners become aware of advanced medical procedures for their pets, veterinarians will be able to grow their practices--especially those who concentrate on small domestic animals. Many new veterinarians are able to grow new practices in established markets by providing specialty services such as an emergency night clinics for pets. Government Public health medicine is another option for veterinarians. Veterinarians in government and private laboratories provide diagnostic and testing services. Some veterinarians serve as state epidemiologists, directors of environmental health, and directors of state or city public health departments. Veterinarians are also employed by the US Agriculture Research Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, National Library of Medicine, and National Institutes of Health. The military also employs veterinarians in a number of capacities — caring for pets on military bases, caring for military working animals, controlling various arthropod-borne diseases, or as food safety inspectors. See also Professional organizations | ||||||||
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