Career as a Veterinarian Essay Sample
A veterinarian is a career that has been around since B.C. times. It is a career that is essential for keeping animals alive and caring for animals' well-being. In this career path, there are lots of challenges such as staying focused and keeping the mentality of getting the procedure done. Veterinarians don't get as much credit that they deserve.
There are much more veterinarians than just checking on animals' well-being. Their daily duties are examining animals for their well-being. Veterans do surgery and they use tools like x-rays and surgery materials. Most of the veterans go on call runs. They go to ranches, zoos, laboratories, farms, even classrooms. Veterinarians also provide medication for an animal and they also do tests and vaccination to help animals stay safe from diseases. The skill veterinarians need is to keep a strong mentality. According to aavmc.org “Every community needs veterinary professionals to provide animal health care, but veterinarians also do many other kinds of jobs. They make sure the nation’s food supply is safe. They work to control the spread of diseases. They conduct research that helps both animals and humans. Veterinarians are at the forefront of protecting the public’s health and welfare.“
To become a veterinarian, there are years of schooling and years of training. While in high school you need to take biology and math classes to have a better chance in vet school. Biology would help because in biology you learn about animal genes and genetics. Biology has to do a lot with animals and living organisms. While in college the classes you take are math, natural science, and social sciences. Science is a big part of schooling. You also study zoology and humanities courses to help with communication skills. According to AVMA, “The average veterinarian completes 4 1/2 years of undergraduate education, taking classes such as biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, math, animal science, and more...and that's just to prepare them for veterinary school.“
Getting your vet license does not happen overnight, it's gonna take some time, especially school. Biology in high school is 1 year and while in college it goes more into depth and you learn more. A bachelor's degree is needed to become a veterinarian. It takes 4 years to get your bachelor's degree. While in vet school it takes 4 years to get your D.V.M certification. In total it takes up to 8 years. The things you would learn in training and schooling are communication skills. You need to learn how to properly talk to the visitor. You would need to learn how to use the supplies such as an MRI machine, Ultrasound, Laparoscopy, Microfracture detection, Recombinant DNA. You would also need to learn how to use needles and learn how to draw blood and where to detect the arteries. You would have to learn how to use the liquids such as medicine to take care of a wound or an injured animal.
Types of certification and licensing, To become a veterinarian you need to be certified and have your vet licensed. You also have to be accredited in a veterinarian program and pass the North American veterinary licensing examination. When you finish veterinary school the certification comes when the school is passed. The total school cost and the certification cost is 150,000 between 420,000. Certification is good for 3 years, meaning every 3 years the certification has to be renewed. Veterinary medical examining board 400 for the application fee and 200 for insurance. It takes about 3 hours to take your certification test.
To start, veterinarians could work in many environments such as farms, zoos, offices, and animal shelters. While out in the field veterinarians make approximately 4,268 per hour. veterinarians make about 55,000 to 100,000 a year. According to bls.gov “ In May 2020, the median annual wage for all workers was $41,950.” Veterinarians that specialize in surgeries make approximately 250,061 a year. To get this job, you would have to complete a doctorate in veterinary medicine (DVM or VMD). While doing this the job would be a lot easier to get the job. If you got your certification and your license there would be no competition. Veterinarians are in high demand. The only competition that there would be is the position you're trying to get.
The pros and cons of being a veterinarian. Veterinarians get lots of benefits, they get excellent medicare, dental care, and vision coverage. They also get 2-4 weeks of paid vacation. They get paid sick leave, continuing education pay. They get lots of travel opportunities. They travel for (seminars, networking, research, etc.) The biggest benefit is that they get to work with animals daily. After dealing with an animal that is severely injured and then seeing them make a full recovery and seeing them happy is the best feeling in the world. Working with animals is always the best feeling. Being a veterinarian is not all about being happy, it's stressful and could give you anxiety. The animals are going through a hard time so some could bite and even scratch. Being a veterinarian is both physically and mentally demanding. The toughest part of being a vet is having to see an animal in such shape. Treating animals can be very emotional and upsetting. Communication is a big part of being a vet. According to petprofessional.com “ Treating injured animals can be a highly emotional and upsetting role.” The communication has to be very polite and professional. A calm tone would prevent problems. Veterinarians have to wear clean free-wrinkle scrubs. They have to wear business casual or professional business attire underneath their white coat.
One of the aspects of being a veterinarian is doing your job properly. Do the right test and the right vaccine. Don't confuse the paperwork. Don't mix up the medication. Don't argue with the patient. Do be polite and respectful. Don't be rude or aggressive to the animals. Do take responsibility for wrong actions and mistakes. Some of the equipment that veterinarians need to fully heal a furry patient is an exam and procedure table for examining the patient before the test. Cauteries for sealing and closing wounds. The use of light would play a big part because the light helps them exam better and let them see accurately and diagnose a problem faster. Veterinary stethoscope to be able to hear the heartbeat and the lungs better. Veterinary ultrasound to see if there is anything inside the furry patient. Digital X-ray imaging machine to see clear pictures of bones. There is a positive job outlook in veterinary, with over 8% growth over the next 10 years. According to bls.gov “ The average growth rate for all occupations is 8 percent.“From 2020 to 2030 there is going to be an increase for veterinarians.”
There is a bigger picture for veterinarians than taking care of a pet that is part of a family. Technology has increased remarkably over the years, veterinarians have X-rays and machines that count animal blood cells. Veterinarians work excessive hours to care for your furry friend. Veterinarians have to overcome a lot of obstacles which can be overwhelming. They have to overcome getting yelled at, emotional situations, not trying to get bit by an aggressive animal, an animal in distress.
