Fast Facts About Vets
Most people think of veterinarians as the people who treat our cats and dogs, with the occasional lizard and ferret thrown in. In reality, veterinary medicine offers a range of career positions and plays a key role in the study and advancement of medicine for humans.
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Degrees
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In order to be a licensed veterinarian, you must complete four years of an undergraduate degree focusing on science and biology, followed by a doctor of veterinarian medicine degree. Twenty-eight accredited universities in the United States offer DVM programs. Once the DVM is received, a veterinarian must become licensed by a state. Licensing requires passing the North American Veterinarian Licensing Exam, which takes about eight hours to complete and covers all areas of veterinarian medicine.
Salary
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A veterinarian right out of college can expect to earn between $41,000 and $64,744, depending on the animal specialty, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average earnings for a veterinarian in 2008 were $79,050.
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Types
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Veterinarians can specialize in certain areas, and even specialize in specific animals. Examples include pets, zoo animals, farm animals, horses and reptiles. Locations of work include racetracks, farms, zoos and laboratories.
Positions
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Many positions exist for newly trained veterinarians with the government, including disease-control workers, animal welfare and safety workers, epidemiologists, and U.S. government meat and poultry inspectors. More traditional positions include working in a private veterinary practice. Many veterinarians eventually start and run their own practice.
Fun Facts
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Veterinarians helped conquer malaria, yellow fever and the mystery of botulism. They also defined and developed surgical techniques for humans, including hip and knee joint replacements, and organ and limb transplants. Today’s veterinarians test the effects of drug therapies, antibiotics, and new surgical techniques on animals to benefit human medicine.
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References
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