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This post was originally published in July 2022 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
There’s no roundabout to this, as all animal lovers might now, veterinarians are heroes.
For anyone who considers their pets as part of the family, them having good medical attention is crucial, even if they try to hide from the vet. That’s why it is one of the most popular careers for those who love animals and want the best for our furry (or scaly) friends.
But that’s not all. You see, the perks of being a veterinarian go beyond playing with puppies and kittens all day. So, what are the benefits of being a veterinarian?
Without further ado, here are the pros of being a veterinarian:
Everyone has a favorite animal, and if you’re thinking of joining the veterinary profession, you might get to work closely with yours. Vets are often required in various settings and locations, whether running their own private practice or tending to a zoo’s exotic species. They get to care for several types of animals.
No matter where they choose to work, similar to medical professions, vets get to enjoy a particular pro: they get to impact their community directly. Vets get to know people in their community by virtue of being there in the good and bad moments. Whenever someone gets a puppy, they visit the vet for a check-up; when someone has to suffer a pet’s loss, families turn to vets for comfort. Indubitably, it is a tough job at times, but there’s a balance between the sad stuff and the wagging tails.
Veterinarians don’t only work as medical care physicians for household pets. And there are more careers beyond simply working at a clinic. Similar to other healthcare jobs, they can take many different paths in their professional endeavors, from examining and treating to becoming an animal surgeon and even designing public health programs involving animals.
A short list of veterinarian jobs:
For those looking to start in the veterinary field, there are several entry-level positions that provide valuable experience and a pathway to long-term careers.
Veterinarian services is a booming and high-paying industry.
According to the Labor Bureau of Statistics, the expected growth for this decade is 17%, much faster than the average for all occupations. Not only that, their annual income is about $100,370, or $48.26 per hour.
But there’s a catch. Like many other healthcare professions, they need to complete their education to practice. To become a vet, you must study for a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or VMD) degree at an accredited college of veterinary medicine. Still, admissions are competitive since there are only 33 accredited colleges around the country, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Besides that, many of these colleges require a bachelor’s, and after they finish their DVM program, they need their state’s licensing.
The low number of graduates has made some alarms ring, with some publications discussing a vet shortage. The AVMA published their findings, where they found that during 2020 there wasn’t a pet boom like the media reported, but there was an uptick in consultations.
As with any job, there’s more to it than the funny, romanticized parts. That is to say that vets don’t spend their whole day playing with puppies and kitties. Being a vet can be a little closer to being an entrepreneur and performing an extreme job.
Vets must choose which career path to go down; maybe they would like to work with horses and farm animals, meaning that even if they work in a clinic or hospital, sometimes they would have to do house visits to these big animals. No matter if the vet is going out to the farms, helping some wildlife reserve, or just taking care of a sick cat, there is a level of physical activity and hazards when treating animals.
There is another trend that might interest new graduates who are entering the workforce or those who are thinking of studying to be vets: should you start at a private or corporate practice? In 2018, Cornell University published an article weighing the pros and cons of these two options.
In summary, as with any business, there are conflicting views on working at or even owning a private practice versus enjoying the advantages of a bigger corporation having your back. There are some interesting points to both, such as the work-life balance that a corporation might offer or even the tight-knit sense of community and the fulfillment of being your boss that venturing out on your own might bring you.
While being a veterinarian is incredibly rewarding, it also comes with its own set of challenges. To have a well-rounded perspective, it is essential to understand both the good and the difficult aspects of the profession. So to offset the advantages of being a veterinarian, these are some of the top challenges:
Vets often deal with sick or injured animals, and in some cases, they have to make difficult end-of-life decisions. Providing comfort to grieving pet owners can take an emotional toll over time.
The job requires long hours of standing, lifting animals, and handling unpredictable situations. Some vets work on farms, dealing with large animals that pose a safety risk.
Veterinary school is expensive, and new graduates often face significant student loan debt while starting their careers.
Depending on the work setting, some veterinarians experience irregular hours, emergency calls, and weekend shifts, making it challenging to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Running a private clinic requires not just medical skills but also business management knowledge, which can add stress to an already demanding job.
All in all, being a veterinarian is a rewarding career with a promising future full of happy purrs and wags of tails. Feel free to check out Veterinarian careers on our gpac job board.
Contributed by Ana Martinez and Mary Dominguez
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