Becoming A Veterinarian Essay

The Extensive and Difficult Road to Becoming a Veterinarian

I once had a dog named Rocky he died since he had been bit by a snake and there was nothing I could have done. There were no veterinarians where I lived. Never had I been so attached to an animal as I was with him. I loved him so much. Ever since then I have had a strong resolve to become a veterinarian and help out an animal that needs it.

The road begins with the educational requirements you need in order to achieve veterinarian status. First, is obviously college, which is four years long and you must take certain classes in order to be a one. You must take various classes: animal physiology and anatomy, biology, zoology, animal science, chemistry and microbiology. At minimum, veterinarians must obtain a doctoral degree from accredited schools of veterinary medicine. A doctor of veterinary medicine degree typically takes four years to acquire. The first three years are typically spent in a classroom instruction, laboratory and clinical practices. You will learn about many things relating to animal care and

various ways on how to cure them. Practices will take place and will have to do so alone to see how you tackle up any situation. It is a difficult process but eventually you will get more confident in your abilities. The fourth year is normally spent in an animal hospital or clinic, where students rotate among different specialties and types of patients. All these years studying hard will pay off since these will be living animals and their life will depend on you.
In my research paper I will cover the most important topics for anyone who would want to become a veterinarian in order for them to know what to expect. Like in any other job people
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want to work on something either for passion or just for the amount of money that is gained. The amount of money a vet earns is depending on many things. It depends on experience, location and the types of patients the veterinary treats. $74,000 is the usual amount of money earned per year. Sometimes it can be $51,000 on the lower end and $112,000 on the higher end. If you happen to get employed by a government agency, you may advance in grade and salary expanding practice and experience. There are also many travel opportunities depending on where you are located and for whom you are working for. There are different benefits if you work for a business. For example, Commissioned Corps receive thirty days of paid vacation per year – beginning the first year, paid federal holidays (depending on assignments). You also get a paid sick leave and a paid maternity leave. Businesses have a great advantage over having to work alone or in private.
Veterinarians have, on average, a moderate job security.

If you are passionate about your job and are in a vet hospital with a solid business plan, so you can be confident that you can keep your job as long as you want it. There are various vet hospitals and clinics around the world. Some have a better, on average, pay then other places or areas. According to a website (Bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/veterinarian.html) there are 5 cities where a veterinarian is paid more than other places. The city with the least pay out of the five is Bridgeport, Connecticut with a salary of $142,530 and then is Philadelphia with $146,270, New Haven, Connecticut $150,910, Springfield, Massachusetts $154,110, and last Honolulu with the best pay with $226,370. Honolulu would be the best choice if you would like to get more money out of your work. Veterinarians will always be needed around the world since there are not

enough.

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As a veterinarian, there are many things they are responsible but it is varied depending on what area of animals you decide to treat. Before any of this is done a veterinarian must do the oath that pledges to use their scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health and the advancement of medical knowledge (“An ethical oath for veterinarians." Journal of Animal). The life of many animals will be in our hands so we must do anything we can to help. There will be things you probably won’t be able to answer. So intensive studies have to be made. This will take much of your time but remember you are not alone, together with your fellow workers it’ll be easier. Even though you have finished your studying, there will always be more things to learn about animals. An animals’ life is not something to play around with so studying and furthering your intelligence is a must to avoid any problems. All animals are different in many ways it is recommended to stay in a specific area of animals to avoid confusion. Mascots vary from household to household. Some may have only domestic animals such as dogs, cats, hamsters, etc. Others may have lizards, snakes, and other exotic animals. There will also be people with farm animals. It is a good idea to determine what types of animals you will care for depending on the area you live in.
If you truly still want to become a veterinarian knowing all that must be done in order to achieve it then you are truly doing it for your passion for animals not just for the money that is gained from it. You will lose many hours in a laboratory in finding a cure for a disease or just investigating a new disease. Animals are an important part to our daily lives so they deserve the best treatment a veterinarian can give.

Works Cited
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Veterinarians,
on the Internet
(visited April 13, 2017).
“Salary and benefits” Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. Commissioned Corps services, 2 February 2014.
Web. 13 April 2017
Koeller, Craig A. "The hidden work of a laboratory animal veterinarian." U.S. Army Medical Department Journal, July-Sept. 2007, p. 26+. Academic OneFile
Accessed 13 Apr. 2017.

Greenland, Paul R., and AnnaMarie L. Sheldon. "Veterinarian." Ferguson's Career Guidance Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
Linzey, Andrew, and Priscilla N. Cohn. "An ethical oath for veterinarians." Journal of Animal Ethics, vol. 5, no. 2, 2015, p. i+. Academic OneFile,
Accessed 19 Apr. 2017.