Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Career and Major Information
Related Career Titles
Web Sites
Salary Information
The Associate of Science Degree in Pre-Veterinary Medicine
is intended to fulfill preadmission requirements on the freshman and sophomore
levels for a school of veterinary medicine; students will need to transfer to a
four-year school to continue working toward a Bachelor’s degree. Most students
who are admitted to a veterinary medicine program have completed the bachelor’s
degree. The curriculum in the WSCC catalog is not designed for transfer to any
specific school. Students may to talk with a faculty advisor about a
particular college or university’s course requirements and transfer. The link
for the Natural Science Division at Walters State is:
http://www.ws.edu/science/default.asp
Career and Major Information:
Veterinarians
play a major role in the healthcare of pets, livestock, and zoo, sporting, and
laboratory animals. Some veterinarians use their skills to protect humans
against diseases carried by animals and conduct clinical research on human and
animal health problems. Others work in basic research, broadening the scope of
fundamental theoretical knowledge and, in applied research, developing new ways
to use knowledge.
Most
veterinarians perform clinical work in private practices. More than one-half of
these veterinarians predominately, or exclusively, treat small animals.
Small-animal practitioners usually care for companion animals, such as dogs and
cats, but also treat birds, reptiles, rabbits, and other animals that can be
kept as pets. About one-fourth of all veterinarians work in mixed animal
practices where they see pigs, goats, sheep, and some nondomestic animals, in
addition to companion animals. Veterinarians in clinical practice diagnose
animal health problems; vaccinate against diseases, such as distemper and
rabies; medicate animals suffering from infections or illnesses; treat and
dress wounds; set fractures; perform surgery; and advise owners about animal
feeding, behavior, and breeding.
A small number
of private practice veterinarians work exclusively with large animals, focusing
mostly on horses or cows; some also care for various kinds of food animals.
These veterinarians usually drive to farms or ranches to provide veterinary
services for herds or individual animals. Much of this work involves preventive
care to maintain the health of the food animals. These veterinarians test for
and vaccinate against diseases and consult with farm or ranch owners and
managers on animal production, feeding, and housing issues. They also treat and
dress wounds, set fractures, and perform surgery—including cesarean sections on
birthing animals. Veterinarians also euthanize animals when necessary. Other
veterinarians care for zoo, aquarium, or laboratory animals (Occupational
Outlook Handbook 2004-2005).
Related Career Titles:
|
Chiropractors |
Dentists |
Physicians
and Surgeons |
|
Podiatrists |
Biological
Scientists |
Medical
Scientists |
|
Veterinarian Technicians |
|
|
Web Sites:
American Veterinary Medical
Association, 1931 N. Meacham Rd., Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360. Internet:
http://www.avma.org
For information on veterinary education, write
to:
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, 1101 Vermont Ave. NW., Suite 710, Washington, DC 20005. Internet:
http://www.aavmc.org
Salary Information:
Median annual
earnings of veterinarians were $63,090 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned
between $49,050 and $85,770. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $38,000,
and the highest 10 percent earned more than $123,370(OOH).
Salary figures
quoted are based on national figures. Local or regional salaries may be lower.
Citation: Bureau of Labor
Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook,
2004-05 Edition, Veterinarians, on the Internet at
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos076.htm
