A veterinarian is a qualified professional who treats diseases and injuries in animals. To become a veterinarian requires completing eight years of college education, including four years of undergraduate studies and four years of veterinary medical school. Veterinarians need skills in areas like computers, hands-on experience, critical thinking, communication, and technical skills working with medical equipment. Their responsibilities include diagnosing patients, vaccinations, surgeries, prescribing medications, and providing health recommendations. Veterinarians work with a variety of animals and have unpredictable working conditions like risks of bites or scratches. The career outlook is positive with a growing demand for veterinarians and average salaries ranging from $60,000 for new graduates up to $90

1. Being a Veterinarian
 By: Megan Ballard

2. WHAT IS A
VETERINARIAN?
A veterinarian is a qualified person to treat animals with
diseases and injuries.

3. Educational Requirements of
being a Veterinarian
• Complete four
years of
undergraduate
school
• Complete four
years of
veterinary
medicine and
state licensure

4. Skills Needed to be a Veterinarian
 Computer Skills- Computer
software such as: Microsoft Access,
Outlook, Office, Excel, and a
scientific software in the veterinary
field.
 Experience- Observing veterinary
practice, volunteering at an animal
shelter, etc.
 Key Skills- Critical thinking,
complex problem solving, decision
making, communicating, listening,
and reading skills.
 Technical Skills- experience with x-
rays, surgical, and laboratory
equipment.

5. Responsibilities of Being a Veterinarian Student
 Good Grades
 Leadership Skills
 Intellectual
 Emotionally Compassionate
 Memorize
 Measure and Calculate
 Analyzing Skills

6. Responsibilities of being a
Veterinarian
• Diagnosing Patients
• Giving Vaccinations
• Performing Surgeries
• Prescribing
Medications
• Providing health care
recommendations to
pet owners

7. Nature of Veterinary Work
 Veterinarians work with
amphibians, birds, fish,
mammals, and reptiles.
 Veterinarians do office
visits, house visits,
emergency visits, and
farm visits.
 Veterinarians examine
livestock that will
become food for
illnesses and diseases.

8. Working Conditions
 Long Hours (50+ hours)
 Unexpected Appointments
 Outdoor Weather
 Being kicked, bitten, and/or
scratched.
 Working in non-sanitary
conditions
 Risking Illnesses

9. Job Outlook
 A great demand for veterinarians.
 New veterinarians are needed to replace the retired
veterinarians.
 People are considering pets as more of the family, so they
are willing to pay health cost for their animals.
 Self-employed veterinarians usually have to work long
hours to build a good animal care reputation.

10. Salary
 Veterinarians in their first years of practice can expect to
earn approximately $60,000.
 Small animal veterinarians started earning the highest
average earning of $64,744.
 Large animal veterinarians started earning $62,424.
 A veterinarian of both small and large animals started
earning $58,522.
 Equine Veterinarians started earning approximately
$41,636.
 Private Veterinarians earned $90,000 according to AVMA
report.

11. Summary
• A veterinarian is a qualified person to treat animal diseases
and injuries.
• Veterinarians have to complete 8 years of college to have a
veterinary license.
• To be a veterinarian you need to have computer skills,
experience of observing a veterinarian at practice, key
skills, and technical skills.
• Veterinarians have a lot of responsibilities as a student and
as they practice.
• Veterinarians have unexpected working conditions such as
an animal biting or scratching them.

12. Sources
• http://education-
portal.com/how_to_become_a_veterinarian.html
• http://education-
portal.com/requirements_to_become_a_veterinarian.htm
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• http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_job_outlook_for
_a_veterinarian
• h t t p : / / a n i m a l c a r e e r s . a b o u t . c o m / o d / C o m p e n s a t i o n / a / Ve t e
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