Veterinarians

Bookmark Print History Journal
x

Journal

    • Please sign in to view journal entries
x

Your Employment History in this Occupation

Please sign in to view Employment History
x
Rating
x

Please fill out the fields below to e-mail someone a link to this page

x
Please sign in to bookmark occupations

This occupation is part of the Healthcare Practitioner and Technical cluster

About the Job

Diagnose, treat, or research diseases and injuries of animals. Includes veterinarians who conduct research and development, inspect livestock, or care for pets and companion animals.

It is also Called

  • Animal Anatomist
  • Animal Chiropractor
  • Animal Doctor
  • Animal Pathologist
  • Animal Physiologist
  • Animal Surgeon
  • Companion Animal Practitioner
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
  • Emergency Veterinarian
  • Equine Dentist

What They Do

  • Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
  • Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
  • Provide care to a wide range of animals or specialize in a particular species, such as horses or exotic birds.
  • Inoculate animals against various diseases such as rabies or distemper.
  • Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, general care, medical conditions, or treatment options.
  • Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
  • Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
  • Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
  • Attend lectures, conferences, or continuing education courses.
  • Euthanize animals.

Interests

People who work in this occupation generally have the interest code: IR.

This means people who work in this occupation generally have Investigative interests, but also prefer Realistic environments.

Work Values

People who work in this occupation generally prize Achievement, but also value Independence and Recognition in their jobs.

Things They Need to Know

  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Things They Need to Be Able to Do

  • Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Education Required

Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Wages

In 2012, the average annual wage in California was $107,830.00 with most people making between $56,280.00 and $176,760.00

Outlook

1.72%
avg. annual growth

During 2010, this occupation employed approximately 5,800 people in California. It is projected that there will be 6,800 employed in 2020.

This occupation will have about 100 openings due to growth and about 110 replacement openings for approximately 210 total annual openings.

Common College Majors

Industries that Employ this Occupation

Similar Occupations


People who viewed this occupation also viewed:


California Career Resource Network