Veterinarian Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a veterinarian. Feel free to use our job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a veterinarian.
Who is a Veterinarian?
Veterinarians are the world’s medics for animals. They use their abilities to assess patients, establish diagnoses, and treat a variety of ailments. They aim to maintain quality of life and relieve discomfort while working as closely as possible with pet owners to assist them in caring for their animals. Obviously, veterinarians work with animals, but it is only the beginning of what these medical experts perform. Diagnosing illnesses, providing immunizations, dispensing medication, and educating pet owners are all frequent responsibilities.
For many practitioners, working with pet owners is one of the most crucial aspects of their jobs. Veterinarians can provide useful advice on how to keep animals healthy through preventative methods.
Types of Veterinarians
- Companion Animal Veterinarians are mostly located in private facilities and treat pets such as cats, dogs, and birds.
- Food Animal Veterinarians treat farm animals such as cattle, sheep, and pigs for illnesses and injuries, as well as educate farm owners on animal feeding and other health practices.
- Food Safety and Inspection Veterinarians generally do research to discover ways to avoid animal diseases that are transmissible between animals and humans.
- Equine veterinarians make it easier for horses to be treated medically.
- Veterinarians in research are working to develop novel diagnostic and surgical techniques.
Veterinarian Job Description
Below are the veterinarian job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a job description for your employee. Employers can use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
A good veterinarian should be able to handle a wide range of tasks and responsibilities. Incorporating this area into your Veterinarian job description will assist you in attracting qualified candidates to your practice. A veterinarian should be able to perform the following major job responsibilities:
- Prescribe medication, dress wounds, perform surgery, and set bones for sick or injured animals.
- Educate the general population about diseases and infections that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
- Promote animal health and well-being by offering cleanliness, feeding, and general care tips to pet owners
- Document and update forms, reports, and animal records, as well as reporting infections to public health officers.
- Ensure that all veterinary procedures, ethics, policies, and applicable statutes are followed.
- Work with diagnostic equipment such as ultrasonography and radiography devices, as well as interpret the images they produce.
- Quarantine or testing procedures should be established or carried out in accordance with government rules to combat the transmission of diseases to humans or other animals.
- Euthanize animals in cases where they believe it is appropriate, such as when they are suffering from a fatal illness.
Qualifications of a veterinarian
- A bachelor’s degree in veterinary science from an authorized university program is required.
- Obtain a Doctor of Veterinary Science degree from any authorized university.
- After graduation, register with the veterinary board in the state(s) where you want to practice.
Essential skills
Veterinarians require a wide range of talents in addition to a passion for animals in order to accomplish their jobs effectively. A veterinarian should have the following skills:
Compassion
Veterinarians must demonstrate concern and empathy when working with clients and their animals because many individuals consider their pets to be family members. A veterinarian must be sensitive to an owner’s feelings when explaining a pet’s medical condition. Veterinarians should provide hope to pet owners while still being honest about the animal’s medical state. A veterinarian should do everything feasible while euthanizing an animal to make the animal and its owner as comfortable as possible.
Skills in analysis
Animals, unlike humans, are unable to express their distress. Veterinarians must be able to analyze data and information to determine what is wrong with an animal and the best treatment. They spend a lot of time observing and evaluating animals to figure out what they require. Blood tests and stool samples are examples of tests that can be referred to. In order to make a diagnosis, veterinarians must consider what the owner said about their animal’s health and condition.
The ability to think critically
Veterinarians use critical thinking to assist them to determine the best therapy for their patients. Multiple treatments may be effective for an animal, but it is up to the veterinarian to determine which is the most likely to work. Similarly, many disorders might be difficult to diagnose, thus a veterinarian must be able to use their reasoning abilities and intelligence to determine what medical condition an animal is suffering from.
The ability to adhere to safety protocols
Fearful or agitated animals may bite, scratch, or kick veterinarians. Certain safety precautions can assist individuals in avoiding workplace injuries. Veterinarians, for example, must be aware of animal warning signs and how to handle potentially dangerous circumstances. Veterinarians can minimize injuries that could transfer disease or infection by being safe and respecting the boundaries of animals. If an animal bites, scratches, or kicks a veterinarian, the veterinarian must know how to treat the animal’s harm.
Communication skills
Animal medicine, like human medicine, has a technical jargon that most people are unfamiliar with. Veterinarians must be able to explain treatments and diagnoses to pet owners in a clear and understandable manner. Veterinarians must devise strategies to urge owners to offer good care for their animals in order to aid them. They can accomplish this by providing clear instructions and informing the owner that they can contact the clinic with any questions.
Problem-solving
Veterinarians apply what they’ve learned in school, as well as their job and volunteer experience, to solve problems with animals. Because some illnesses are life-threatening, veterinarians must work quickly to develop treatment regimens for critically ill animals.
How to Become a Veterinarian
To practice veterinary medicine, you’ll need a variety of certifications, the most essential of which is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree. Though a Four-year or Six-year bachelor’s degree is not required for all veterinary medicine programs, there are normally compulsory course prerequisites you must meet in order to be considered for admission.
Before you begin applying to veterinary schools, double-check that you meet all of the prerequisites, including academic credits. Most programs require you to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), submit letters of recommendation, write a personal statement and have a significant amount of veterinary experience, which varies by school.
The importance of gaining experience cannot be overstated. They should have worked — or volunteered — in a veterinary clinic for at least 100 hours. In addition to satisfying application requirements, acquiring veterinary experience will allow you to determine if you are truly committed to the industry before investing a significant amount of money in a degree.
When you start veterinary school, you’ll probably spend the first three or five years on campus (depending on the school) and clinical rotations will start up in the final year. Depending on where you wish to practice, you may need to take an extra license exam.
To become a certified specialist, some DVM graduates choose to do a residency or internship, but it is not required. After graduating from veterinary school, you can work as a general practitioner or family veterinarian right away.
Where to Work as a Veterinarian
Clinics
Some veterinarians prefer to run their own practice, others, on the other hand, join a group practice. Clinics can be broad in scope or quite narrow in focus. Some businesses may specialize in certain services, such as dentistry, or even cater to a specific animal species.
Another alternative is to use a mobile clinic. Some veterinarians prefer to take their practice on the road in order to make life easier for pet owners and the animals less stressed. Opening a mobile clinic is also less expensive.
Aquariums and Zoos
It takes a lot more than recreating ecosystems to keep confined animals in excellent form. Staff veterinarians are employed by zoos and aquariums to maintain the health of the animals, but these medical professionals are also highly involved in conservation initiatives and public education.
Veterinarians with above-average observation skills can consider working in zoos and aquariums. Wild animals, according to Veterinary Practice News, have strong survival instincts that keep them from revealing symptoms or signs of frailty.
Plants for the Processing of Food
Veterinarians work in a variety of situations throughout the food supply chain, including animal processing plants and animal products. Their responsibilities could include ensuring that animals are treated properly, making sure regulations are kept, checking for drug residues, and assessing facility conditions. Their work contributes to the reduction of foodborne illness and the betterment of the life of food animals.
Farms and Ranches
Large animal veterinarians spend a lot of time treating cows, pigs, sheep, and other similar animals on farms and ranches. These veterinarians may also be active in livestock breeding in addition to treating illnesses and applying preventative measures. Large-animal veterinarians spend a lot of time traveling to different places, so it’s a great job for people who don’t mind long car rides.
Colleges and Universities
Tomorrow’s great veterinarians will require trained educators to assist them in acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge. Students pursuing their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree are taught by veterinarians who have gone through the procedure themselves. Other medical professionals or scientists may be instructed by vets who educate.
Research may be required as part of a teaching post, although it is not required. It depends on the concentration of the institution and the interests of the faculty members.
Laboratories
Those participating in research, as well as veterinarians who work exclusively with lab animals, are likely to work in a lab. Regular veterinary care for lab animals, monitoring disease control programs, acting on committees involved in animal care and use, and performing research are some of the tasks of a lab animal veterinarian.
Some veterinarians participate in biomedical research, attempting to find answers that will benefit both animals and humans. Advanced expertise in subjects such as toxicology and microbiology is frequently required for their unique tasks. Some priority study fields, Food security and safety, infections and zoonotic illnesses, and environmental challenges connected to animal and human health are some of the research priorities.
Shelters for Animals
Despite the fact that shelter medicine is still a relatively new area, individuals who work in it serve a crucial part in keeping pets healthy. They specialize in finding permanent homes for pets. Though they may do many of the same activities as private practice veterinarians, these DVMs are more concerned with individual and population health. Shelter vets confront additional difficulties, such as not knowing an animal’s medical history.
Race Course
Some veterinarians who work with horses, known as equine veterinarians, opt to work exclusively with racehorses. They collect samples for drug testing, treat injuries, and keep an eye on the animals and the facilities. They work to keep horses healthy while also attempting to maintain a level playing field. Racetrack vets spend a lot of time outside at racing grounds since so much of their work revolves around events.
National Park Landscapes And Other Open Space
While some wildlife veterinarians work in zoos, others choose to operate in natural environments. These professionals may work in national parks and nearby institutions to assist in the rehabilitation of damaged animals, the treatment of specific health issues, and the protection of populations. If working outside has always been a goal of yours, you might want to consider this type of job.
Offices
There are a surprising amount of avenues that might lead to working as a veterinarian in an office. Others choose to work in advocacy or government policy, while others give consulting services, which can be general or focused on a specific area of training. Some DVMs prefer to focus their energies on writing or starting a veterinary practice-related small company.
Veterinarian Salary Scale
As of October 29, 2021, the average veterinarian income in the United States is $98,970, while the range frequently ranges between $77,730 and $125,583. Schooling, certifications, supplemental abilities, and the number of years you’ve worked in your area all go into salary ranges.
In Nigeria, a veterinarian earns about 382,000 NGN per month on average. The lowest to highest salary ranges from 180,000 NGN to 604,000 NGN (highest).
This is the average monthly payment, which takes into account accommodation, transportation, and other perks. Veterinarian pay varies greatly depending on experience, talents, and location.