Animal health care ranges from taking care of pets and smaller animals to focusing on the farming community where larger animals such as cattle, horses, sheep and pigs would be your main focus. The majority of
veterinarians in the western world, are occupied within the pet care sector, which is responsible for the greatest growth.
Veterinarians are employed by the state, or through private sector animal hospitals. Others are self employed with their own practice, while still others are employed through private practices.
Studying Veterinary Medicine
In order to qualify to work as a
veterinarian, you will require five to six years of study at an accredited university, depending on where you study. After you have completed the program, you are generally eligible for licensure from your local government. Within the EU, licenses from any other EU state are valid for practice. For other countries, your
veterinary license will be considered, and you may need completion courses in order to qualify for practice.
If you are looking to specialize in for example animal surgery, pathology or radiology you will in most cases be required to complete an exam after a few years in a residency program. Exact time scales vary between countries.
Career in Veterinary Science
Besides the given careers in animal care above,
veterinarians may also work in a more administrative setting of government office. In this case, work usually involves the monitoring of food hygiene and animal rights in order to control the spreading of diseases and monitor the work of veterinarians.
The future looks quite bright for
veterinarians. In most countries demand is growing at an average or slightly above average rate. Depending on where you are looking to work, the nature of work in greatest demand may vary. In the United States and Europe, it is especially the pet care area which is seeing a higher than average growth rate.
