Veterinarians play a major role in the health of our society by caring for animals and by using their expertise and education to protect and improve human health as well. It’s likely that you are most familiar with veterinarians who care for our companion animals, but there is more than that one career to choose from if you decide to become a veterinarian.
There are many opportunities for veterinarians, and it’s worth exploring them to discover which is the best fit for you. There is a growing need for veterinarians with post-graduate education in particular specialties, such as molecular biology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, immunology, diagnostic pathology or environmental medicine. The veterinary profession is also involved in aquaculture, comparative medical research, food production and international disease control.
For example:
You may work to protect animal and human health by working at a government agency like the United States Department of Agriculture. Or you may want to put your expertise as a veterinarian to work with an agency like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to aid biosecurity, public health or disease prevention.
You may decide to join the U.S. Army Corps or Air Force to work on food safety or care for military working dogs. The military also provides advanced training in specialty areas for those who commit to service.
You can also go to work for a corporation that provides animal care or animal-related products or choose a research career within academic or industry.
Veterinarians work in different kinds of environments. Those who care for companion animals may be in a workplace filled with activity and noise while veterinarians who care for farm animals may spend a lot of time outside. If you are a veterinarian working in research, you may spend your workdays in a lab. Veterinarians who work on policy or for a corporation may spend their workdays in an office.
If you are in a veterinary practice, you will likely put in long hours and be on call in the evenings and on weekends.
