For research and/or teaching positions, a master's or Ph.D. is usually required. For a specialty certification, a veterinarian must complete a three-year residency program and pass an examination.
The D. V.M. degree requires a minimum of six years of college, two of pre-veterinary study (physical and biological sciences) and four of vet school. But because admission to a school of veterinary medicine is very competitive, most successful applicants have completed four years of undergraduate work before they apply.
EARNINGS FOR VETERINARIANS
According to the most recent figures collected by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the average starting salary of 1991 veterinary medical college graduates was $27,858. The average income of veterinarians in private practice was $63,069. Those averages have probably risen somewhat since then.
The average annual salary for veterinarians in the federal government in non supervisory, supervisory, and managerial positions was $50,482 in 1993.
Zoo veterinarians usually make much less money than those vets established in private practice. Whereas a private practitioner can earn anywhere from $100,000 on up, a zoo vet's salary could range from $30,000 to $40,000 a year.
VETERINARIAN ASSISTANTS AND TECHNICIANS
Just as medical doctors rely heavily on nurses and other medical personnel, so do veterinarians depend on assistants and technicians. These workers are a valuable asset to any practice.
Some assistants and technicians are successful landing a job without formal training and are taught the skills they need on the job. However, many vets these days, or the zoos they work for, require their technicians to have gone through a formal training program.
In addition, a vet tech can expect his or her salary to increase with an official diploma or certificate.
Veterinary hospitals and zoos employ three types of caretakers: veterinary technician, veterinary assistant and animal attendant. Veterinary technicians, also known as animal health technicians, are the most skilled. They keep records, take specimens, perform laboratory tests, prepare animals and instruments for surgery, take and develop radio graphs, dress wounds, and assist veterinarians with examinations and surgery. However, they do not diagnose ailments, prescribe medication, or perform surgery.
Veterinary assistants feed and bathe animals, administer medication as prescribed by a veterinarian, and help veterinarians and the veterinary technicians treat animals. For example, the assistant may hold the animal while the technician gives it an injection.
Animal attendants clean cages, exercise animals, and monitor the animals for symptoms of illnesses. This is the most basic job and is frequently performed by part-time workers.
Licensing for Vet Techs
Forty-two states require veterinary technicians to be licensed; this is the only animal caretaker position requiring licensure. Licensure requirements in most states include graduation from an accredited animal technology program. There are approximately sixty-three associate programs and five bachelor's degree programs accredited by the American Veterinary Medicine Association.
Courses include animal pharmacology, veterinary physiology and anatomy, animal care and management, radiography, anesthetic nursing and monitoring, parasitology, animal husbandry, chemistry, biology, applied mathematics, communications, and the humanities.
In states without education requirements for veterinary technicians, veterinarians may employ applicants with a strong science background and train them on the job; however, most veterinarians prefer graduates of formal academic programs.
There are no formal education requirements for animal attendants and veterinary assistants in veterinary facilities. They are trained on the job.
ZOO MEDICINE
In a zoo setting, a vet's and a vet tech's job differs greatly from the responsibilities found in a small animal practice. Vets and their assistants might see some animals inside the confines of the hospital, but most contact is done on the grounds of the zoo, for spot checks, treatment of minor conditions, parasite control, and general maintenance. Only when necessary would a large animal be transported to the hospital grounds.
