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Careers in Veterinary Medicine?

Ranchy

Well-known member
Can ya'll help us out?

Al has decided to do a poster on Careers on Veterinary Medicine for his Vet Science III project......but we're having the devil of a time coming up with an adequate amount.

We have (so far):

Veterinarian
Vet Assistant
Veterinary Lab worker


Can ya'll come up with any other careers for this field? Thanks so much!

:cboy:
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
Before you can enter vet school you hafta have a degree in Animal Science. So it might be easier to look in that direction. What careers can you go into with an Animal Science and Ag/Science degrees. Or...since the Animal or Ag/Science degree is there, before vet school, there are numerous jobs available to majors in that field...such as Extention Agents...Ag Teachers, and Animal Pharmacuticals (sp)
 

Turkey Track Bar

Well-known member
Ranchy:

All USDA Federally Inspected meat must come from livestock (cattle, hogs, sheep, and poultry) that have to be "inspected" pre mortum and post mortum to determine that the meat is wholesome and free from disease. This is done in all USDA Federally Inspected packing facilities by a veterinarian.

Also vets work in zoos, and in research developing vaccines, antibiotics, feeds, pet nutrition, etc.

As well vets work for the USDA in animal care and welfare, with their main job of inspecting pet stores, traveling animal acts (circuses, animal exhibits at fairs, and performing acts like in Vegas,) and humane societies, and pet breeding operations. As well all facilities that keep "exotic species" such as bears, tigers, must be inspected by a USDA veterinarian.

I even know two vets who are attorneys, with their primary focus animal/ag law. And I also know of two vets who are also physicians!!!

If I think of some more, I'll let you know. I hope this helps Al out. You might try checking a vet schools website to see if they have a section for "careers." If they don't have that listed, then give them a call.

Cheers---

TTB :wink:
 

MsSage

Well-known member
What about animal plastic surgeon? There was a post about Vets doing cosmetic surgey.
marine biologist. Zoologist. Paleontologist.
Physical Therapist. Masseuse. Animal Behaviorist.
Sorry that is all I could pull from my head that is working on a migrane.
 

cowboyup

Well-known member
How about cowboy.... he will do most of the ones listed above with just a rope a pocket knife and a pair of pliers and maybe some baling twine :wink:
 

txag

Well-known member
the_jersey_lilly_2000 said:
Before you can enter vet school you hafta have a degree in Animal Science.

the undergrad major doesn't have to be animal science, and while not common, it's possible to enter vet school after only two years of undergrad work (one of the new vets in our area did it).

as mentioned, the USDA employs veterinarians as do the state animal health agencies (TAHC).

don't forget there are also vets that don't choose to practice but choose to remain in the university setting and teach future vets and/or perform research.
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
Wouldnt it make it awfully tough to get into Vet School if you didn't have Animal Science as a major? I've been checking into A & M for Lil Lilly, and from what I understand you can go thru A & M Animal Science or Ag Science program and still not be excepted....it's almost like "luck of the draw" Yes there are a few that are excepted into the vet program after 2 years, the man I talked to did say that, but it's not the norm.
Thank goodness she's NOT planning on goin to A&M for the first 4 years tho. whewwwww...she's gonna go to Sul Ross.
 

Turkey Track Bar

Well-known member
the_jersey_lilly_2000 said:
Wouldnt it make it awfully tough to get into Vet School if you didn't have Animal Science as a major? I've been checking into A & M for Lil Lilly, and from what I understand you can go thru A & M Animal Science or Ag Science program and still not be excepted....it's almost like "luck of the draw" Yes there are a few that are excepted into the vet program after 2 years, the man I talked to did say that, but it's not the norm.
Thank goodness she's NOT planning on goin to A&M for the first 4 years tho. whewwwww...she's gonna go to Sul Ross.

Lilly:

Sadly in the past two decades, probably the majority of students admitted into Vet. Schools HAVE NOT had degrees in any ag. related major much less animal science. Many are biology or microbiology majors. This is one of the major reasons there is a huge shortage of large animal (meaning food producing, not those in equine specialities) vets.

I have friends (mostly male) who were in the top of our class, did well on GRE, etc., and were not admitted, even after the second time of applying because they did not have a 4.0 gpa with three or four majors. They had lots of extracurricular activities, were both "street" and "book" smart. They said to heck with it and went into grad school, where, the majority of their tuition and books were paid, and they even received a small stipend, rather than come out of vet school hundreds of thousands in debt.

That said, the tide seems to be kind of turning---vet schools seem to have received the wake up call, that there is a dire shortage of vets willing to practice in large animal/mixed practice or even specialize in medicine of food producing animals.

We ultrasounded our heifers yesterday, and I am proud to say the vet. who came, Dr. Kristi, works in a clinic with one other vet., and all they do is large animal work, and at that mostly cattle, with a few "ranch" horses. They are doing very well, and both she and Dr. Pat are under 35!!! When they are really busy they call in a couple of older vets who are semi-retired to help out.

Vet school is expensive to say the least, and unless we as clients in the livestock world are willing to pay for services, it might be hard to get a vet to come into our communities. It takes a special person to be on call 24-7, live along ways, in most cases, from a metro type area, and it's also hard for their spouses to find jobs. Sadly, this is not only an issue of who's been admitted to vet school, but of economics after they graduate. I know of several vet. students who are taking the equine track in vet school, in hopes of offsetting their cattle business with a higher returning equine business.

Cheers---

TTB :wink:
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
We visited A & M Vet school this summer, and talking to one of the Vet Professors he said, since she wants to go into Large Animal only (she don't want to do dogs and cats at all) that she'd have a better chance getting excepted into their Vet program than one that had a 4.0 average and wanted to do small animals. She asked while we were there, of the ones at the Equine Hospital that are studying to be vets , how many are gonna go into large animals.....there was only one. I bet on that day we were there that there were 40 or more students working up there. That's sad, but good for her in the long run.
 

txag

Well-known member
i worked at the vet school with the vet students while i was in college so i have a little info on the applicants......

the_jersey_lilly_2000 said:
Wouldnt it make it awfully tough to get into Vet School if you didn't have Animal Science as a major?

nope. it's the science classes (biology, chemistry, biochem, anatomy, physiology, etc) they look at, not the animal science classes (for the most part). so any major (biology, chemistry, biomedical science) will get you the recommended/required background to apply.

the_jersey_lilly_2000 said:
I've been checking into A & M for Lil Lilly, and from what I understand you can go thru A & M Animal Science or Ag Science program and still not be excepted....it's almost like "luck of the draw"

no, it's not "luck of the draw", but you're correct....you can graduate with an Animal Science degree & not be accepted. it's very hard to be accepted (less than 25% per year are accepted) but it's based on grades 1st, then interview, references, and experience/background (probably the least). personally, i think that's the reason that they're having fewer graduates entering the large animal field. they're mainly choosing students with little or no agricultural background who have had no extracurricular involvement (judging teams, show teams, rodeo teams, etc) in college. but heck, they have 4.0's so they must be good vets.

the_jersey_lilly_2000 said:
Yes there are a few that are excepted into the vet program after 2 years, the man I talked to did say that, but it's not the norm.

no, it's not the norm, but if you have a 4.0 after two years and have a good background it's possible.

the_jersey_lilly_2000 said:
Thank goodness she's NOT planning on goin to A&M for the first 4 years tho. whewwwww...she's gonna go to Sul Ross.

now i wouldn't be a good Aggie if i didn't fuss at you for saying that! :p

but Sul Ross is a pretty good school, too. lil lily may want to check out their show team.....they have a little hereford herd and take a string on the road for shows & sales.

**I see TTB beat me to it & I'm repeating some of her info. as for the professor telling you about her chances being better by wanting to go into large animals, unless the application process has changed, he's wrong. grades are still the top consideration.
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
Good grades are part of it, but he told us that with the shortage of kids interested in goin into the large animal field they are startin to look at it a lil different. From the experience end of it, he said anything and everything she's done with animals thru her jr high and highschool years, such as 4H and FFA, ranch work etc.. will go a long ways on her application process. They are getting desperate for Large animal Vets.
Also I read a deal in the Land and Livestock post a while back that was talking about seperating Large and small animal vet school. Making Large animal only a 2 year deal. It also mentioned something they are trying to get passed, where if you go into that program, and agree to work the first year after you graduate in a "needy area" that they'll have gov't programs that pay for your vet school expenses. I surely wish they'd hurry up and get that into affect. Sure would help out on the expenses when it comes time for her to apply for vet school.

Sul Ross has a rodeo team, that's another reason she's lookin at that school. Plus it's a small school. Coming from a "small school" environment, she'll prolly like it there a whole lot better than she would A&M. LOL A&M is 40 miles from home....Sul Ross is about 550-600 miles from home......but...that's ok I guess I can learn to live with that.
 

txag

Well-known member
well, it's good to see that they might be changing some things (it's been a few years since i worked there :oops: but we won't mention specific numbers :lol: ). i knew a lot of students who would have made EXCELLENT vets but just didn't have the perfect grades.

good luck to lil lilly.
 

Ranchy

Well-known member
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!

You guys really put on your thinkin hats on this one! Thanks a million!

Hey, cowboyup, we all know what you're saying........and he'll probably end up doing that a lot in the future, but really, it has nothing to do with the Vet Science 4-H project......... :wink:

Lilly, Al also has his eye on Sul Ross.........maybe he and Li'l Lilly can pal around together when they get there! :D He has to wait till he's 18 (Ma won't let him apply till then) so she'll probably be about ready to go before he gets out......:nod: :wink:

Guess I'd better print out this list, so when he gets back from picking up the pickup, he can get to work on it! Thanks again......ya'll are the best! :nod: :D
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
You may have already done this, if you go to Sul Ross website and ask for information. They'll send you a packet, with a CD included with stuff on it about the school pictures etc.
 
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