Veterinarians care for the health and well-being of animals through diagnosis, treatment, and research of medical conditions affecting pets, livestock, and zoo animals. Their duties include examining animals, performing surgery, collecting samples, prescribing medication, and educating the public on zoonotic diseases. An advanced degree and state licensure is required to become a veterinarian.

1. Veterinarian
Elena Martinez
West Los Angeles College

2. Job Description
 Veterinarians care for
health of animals by
diagnosing, treating, and
researching medical
conditions.
 This includes: pets, livestock,
and animals in zoos,
racetracks, and
laboratories.

3. Common Vets
 Companion animal- treats pets and generally work
in private clinics
 -Work with dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, and rabbits
Equine- work with horses
 Food animal- work with farm animals such as pigs,
cattle, and sheep
 Food safety and inspection- inspect livestock and
animal products and enforce government food safety
regulations
Research- Work in laboratories, conducting clinical
research on human and animal health problems

4.  Operate medical equipment
 Examine animals to diagnose such as radiographic or
their health problems ultrasound equipment
 Treat and dress wounds  Advise animal owners
 Perform surgery on animals about general care, medical
 Test for and vaccinate against conditions, ad treatments
diseases  Prescribe medication
 Collect body tissue, feces, blood,
urine, and other body fluids for  Euthanize animals
examination and analysis  Attend lectures,
 Educate the public about diseases conferences, or continuing
that can be spread from animals education courses
to humans
Duties&Tasks

5. Work Environment
 Work long hours
 Some work nights or
weekends and may have to
respond to emergencies
 About 1 in 4 veterinarians
worked more than 50 hours
per week in 2010
 Work conditions may be
outdoors or indoors (not
always sanitary)

6. Work Environment Cont’d
 Can be emotionally stressful
dealing with sick animals
and their owners
 Workplace is noisy because
of the animal that are sick
or being handled
 Risk of being kicked, bitten,
or scratched while working
with animals that are
frightened or in pain

7. Expected Earnings
Employment Mean hourly Mean 50%
wage Annual (Median
Wage )
Wages
55,410 $43.87 $91,250 Hourly:
$39.86
Annual:
$82,900

8. Top Paid States
California Texas Florida New York Los Angeles
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
Emp Hou Ann
loym rly ual
ent mea mea
California 5,250 $46.7 97,19
Texas 3,590 $45.2 $94,0
Florida 3,070 $48 $99,9
New York 2,950 $51.5 $107,
Los Angeles 830 $44.4 $92,4

9.  increase 36% from 2010-
Outlook
2020 (faster than avg)
 Advances in medicine allow
this including; but not
limited to, cancer
treatments and kidney
transplants
 28 accredited veterinary
programs in the US
 Limited number of
graduates (~2,500/yr)
 Fewer job opportunities in
companion animal care
Employment is expected t

10. Education Required
 Must complete a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M or
V.M.D) at an accredited college of veterinary medicine
 28 colleges with accredited programs
 (UC Davis, Purdue, Kansas State, Oregon State)
 Takes 4 years to complete and includes classroom,
laboratory, and clinical components
 Bachelor’s Degree not required, but many have one
 Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, Animal Science, Zoology,
Microbiology, Physiology
 Physics, Calculus, Statistics, Algebra 2, Geometry
 Admission into program is competitive (In 2010 less than half
were accepted

11. Training Required
 3 years of classroom, laboratory, and clinical work
 4th year spent doing clinical rotations in a medical center or
hospital
 1 year of internship program to gain exp for competitive pay
or to prep for certification course
 License is required (must complete an accredited program
and pass the Northern American Veterinary Licensing Exam,
and state exam)
 Certification in 40 different specialties (surgery,
microbiology, and internal medicine)
 Certification not required (must have certain number of
years of exp in field, complete additional ed, or complete
residency program)

12. Skills Required
 Must be compassionate with animals and their
owners
 Must have great decision making skills for treating
injuries and illnesses of animals
 Strong communication skills to be able to explain
treatment options and give instructions to staff
Management skills
Manual dexterity when treating injuries and
performing surgery
Problem-solving skills to figure out what is ailng
animals ( excellent diagnostic skills for those who test
animals to determine the effects of drug therapies )

13. Associations&Organizations
 There are over 100 organizations&associations for
vets
 ASPCA (The American Society for Prevention of
Cruelty of Animals) their mission is to promote
humane principles, prevent cruelty, and alleviate fear,
pain, and suffering in animals http://aspca.org/
 PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)
http://www.peta2.com/
 AAV Annual Conference&Expo
http://www.conferenceoffice.com/aav/

14. Works Cited
http://www.bls.gov/k12/nature04.htm
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/veterinarians.ht
m#tab-4
http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-
1131.00#WorkActivities
http://www.vspn.org/library/wwwdirectory/Organiz
ations.htm