Animals Need Doctors Too? - About Veterinarians
Resource For Veterinarians
Objectives:
- Students will learn about the many tasks that veterinarians perform.
- Students will discover how to become a veterinarian.
Basic Concepts:
- Veterinarians are dedicated to protecting the health and welfare of both animal and people.
- Veterinary careers can be rewarding and satisfying.
Presentation Pointers
Videos and brochures are excellent resources for students.
The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) publishes a brochure for students interested in becoming veterinarians. Veterinarians: Your Animal Health Partners can be ordered by phone, fax or emailing info@ovma.org
Veterinarians in private practice can dress in a lab coat or coveralls. Students will also benefit from props from the veterinary hospital—surgical tools, items removed from animals [hairballs, toys, etc.], stethoscopes and other items are fabulous props.
Invite a veterinary technician to be a co-presenter.
Presentation Overview
What Do Veterinarians Do?
- There are approximately 8,000 licensed veterinarians in Canada.
- Most people know that veterinarians keep our animal friends healthy. Some people don’t realize that veterinarians also protect the health of people, just like you and me.
- Veterinarians are trained to prevent, detect and treat animal health problems.
- Some veterinarians treat pets, like dogs, cats, hamsters, birds and turtles.
- Other veterinarians treat large farm animals, like horses, cows, pigs and sheep. Some veterinarians work at zoos and treat elephants, lions, zebras and other animals.
- However, veterinarians can be found in the most remarkable places.
- Some veterinarians keep us safe by protecting our food supply. These veterinarians work for the provincial and federal governments as food and animal safety inspectors.
- Many veterinarians conduct valuable research at universities. These researchers often work on projects that lead to breakthroughs in human medicine.
- Veterinarians are also teachers at universities and colleges across the country.
- Private companies that produce animal-related products like vaccines or pet food have teams of veterinarians on staff.
What Does It Take To Become A Veterinarian?
If you want to become a veterinarian, you should be good student, with a desire to learn and keen powers of observation. You should also be good at biology and science.
You should enjoy working with animals. Veterinarians also have to be good communicators, because they are often dealing with people. Veterinarians should be good problem-solvers who have compassion for animals and people in trouble.
Each year, applications to the Ontario Veterinary College far exceed the number of available positions. Consequently, high marks and practical experience with animals are a tremendous asset for applicants to the veterinary program.
Getting a veterinary medical degree requires six years of university education. Students take two years of pre-veterinary courses, and four years in a veterinary medicine program.
In Ontario, veterinary students attend the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph. It is one of four Canadian universities that offer programs in veterinary medicine. The other programs are located in Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan.
By the time a veterinary student has graduated, he or she has spent about 4,000 hours in classrooms, labs and clinical studies.
Some of the courses that veterinary students must take include anatomy, anaesthesiology, surgery, and biochemistry.
After graduating, Canadian veterinarians must complete board exams in order to obtain a license to practice from their provincial regulatory body.
Veterinarians don’t stop learning once they graduate. Scientific knowledge and medical techniques are constantly evolving. Veterinarians must stay informed by reading medical journals, attending lectures, taking continuing education courses and completing professional seminars.
Veterinary Technicians
If veterinarians are the doctors of the animal world, then veterinary technicians perform the important role of nurses to our animal friends.
Graduates of veterinary technician programs can be found at private veterinary clinics, research institutions, humane societies, zoos, pharmaceutical companies, government departments and other areas.
Some of the duties that veterinary technicians perform include:
- Basic patient examinations
- Assessing vital signs
- Anaesthesia
- Preparing for and assisting during surgery
- Intensive and general nursing care
- Producing X-rays
- Routine dental cleanings
- Collecting and processing samples for diagnosis in the laboratory
- Preparing and administering medications as prescribed by the veterinarian
- Veterinary practice management
- Discussing animal health issues with clients
After graduating, veterinary technicians must successfully complete a registration examination in order to become Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVT).