Everybody loves animals! Humans long for a bond with an animal; whether it be household pets or wild animals, we gain a different kind of wellbeing when we are connected to them. This isn’t to say that wild animals are great as pets, because, as the name suggests, they are wild and they belong there. But yes, humans have a different connection with animals, which is why there are so many studies about all the kinds of animals that exist on earth. Researchers, historians, and veterinarians have always helped in the research of any animal. It is all thanks to them, that we get to educate the youth about all that there is to know about them.
Luckily for you, this article will tackle everything that needs to know about veterinarians, how they help animals, and how you can be one too! If you are thinking about a career path, this article may help guide you. If you love animals, and consider yourself a pet lover, then a career as a veterinarian may just be right up your ally. But becoming a veterinarian isn’t all fun and games. Like a normal human doctor, a veterinarian faces a lot of challenges. So what is a veterinarian exactly?
A veterinarian is a doctor in the world of animals. Like any doctor, they undergo many years of training to hone their skills in evaluating their patients, making diagnoses, and treating their patients with various conditions in order to alleviate pain and preserve quality of life. A veterinarian’s common duties include diagnosing conditions, administering vaccines, prescribing medication, and educating people who own pets. The most important job of a veterinarian is to work with their pet owners so that they can provide valuable information that may help the pet or animals to maintain their health. The fun part about being a veterinarian is that there are many workplace environments that you can work in such as: a veterinary clinic or hospital, animal shelter, farms and ranches, zoos and aquariums, and laboratories. Veterinarians are located in a workplace depending on their preference or depending on animals they take care of. Most veterinarians choose to work in a veterinary clinic, where you take most of your pets to be taken care of.
So, you want to be a veterinarian. But what qualities do you need in order to fulfill your career in becoming a veterinarian? Here are a few that you should keep in mind:
- Compassion
- Decision-making skills
- Manual Dexterity
- Solid communication skills
If you think you have these qualities, then you may be fit to become a veterinarian. The main challenge here is becoming the veterinarian itself. In order to become a veterinarian, you need to fit a number of credentials. Applying for a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree is the most important part of becoming a veterinarian. You will have to undergo specific course prerequisites in order to complete your degree. Here are a few course requirements for your degree:
- Two semesters of general chemistry with lab
- Two semesters of organic chemistry with lab
- One or two semesters of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with laboratory
- Molecular and Cell Biology is also required by some veterinary colleges
- Two semesters of general biology with labs
- Two semesters of physics with lab
- Mathematics–The minimum requirement ranges from algebra and trigonometry to two semesters of calculus and varies with each school. Note that it is a minimum requirement. Most schools do not accept students who have not taken calculus, even if their published requirement is algebra and trigonometry.
- General education
- To learn more about becoming a veterinarian, click this link: http://imatrix.com/blog/veterinary-marketing-ideas/
These requirements may vary from university but essentially, these are the most important that should include in your undergraduate degree. Once you graduate from veterinary school, you can go straight out to become a general practitioner or family veterinarian. After you complete your degree, you will also have to take a Graduate Record Examination to identify if you have learned everything there is to know so that you are able to practice your degree. The next part is gaining experience. Yes, you will experience a lot when you are studying for your veterinary degree, but you will definitely need a lot of experience in order to learn more. Infact, you may be able to learn more when you immerse yourself in the real world.
So, what are you waiting for? If you have a passion for animals, that is the most important reason when pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. If you want to pursue this career path, make sure you know what you are getting into. It is a rewarding career but the steps to becoming a veterinarian is definitely a challenge. If you are willing to experience all of these challenges, then this career path may just be for you.
