Ashley's Career Research

1. Career Research:Veterinarian By: Ashley Spoon Reading/Block E April 26, 2010

2. Veterinarian: Job Responsibilities • Trained to diagnose and treat diseases and dysfunctions of animals. • Veterinarians care for the health of pets, livestock, and animals. • Their work involves treating illnesses, minor injuries, and infectious diseases in large and small animals.

3. Veterinarian: Job Responsibilities • Vaccinate against diseases, medicate animals suffering from infections, treat wounds, set fractures, and perform surgery. • Conductresearch and protect humans against diseases carried by animals, such as rabies and anthrax. • Protect our food supply chainby being involved in food safety by checking animals for transmissible diseases such as E. coli.

4. Veterinarian: Education Required The educational requirements include: • Four year college degree that includes at least two years of pre-veterinary course work. • Four years of veterinary school that lead to a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree (D.V.M.). • Must pass an examination required by most states in order to receive a license to practice. • Required clinical and classroom work include courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, zoology and pathology.

5. Veterinarian: SCANS Skills Needed In addition to mastering the basic skills of reading, writing, mathematics and communicating, a veterinarian should also possess the following skills: • Social – Must interact with pet owners and show understanding for their needs. • Leadership – Professional communication and ability to influence others, especially their employees and colleagues. • Self-Management – Should be accountable to running their business without supervision and achieving daily goals. • Responsibility – Must be dependable and perform high quality work, especially when dealing with life and death situations. • Problem Solving & Decision Making – Must have the ability to diagnose an animal’s health problem, and be decisive in taking action.

6. Veterinarian: Salary Range • In 2008, the nation’s starting salary for veterinarians was approximately $52,000. • The median annual income was $79,050. • The annual potential salary exceeded $143,000.

7. Veterinarian: Salary Range

8. Veterinarian: Growth Potential and Job Outlook The outlook for this profession is excellent. • The employment growth is expected to increase 33% between 2008 and 2018. • Growth is due to the needed support for public health and food safety, and national disease programs. • Also, growing demand for Vets because pets are increasingly viewed as a member of the family.

9. Veterinarian: Interesting Facts • Veterinary medicine has dentists who are licensed to perform dentistry on horses. • The National Zoo has had a history of training some of the top leaders in the field of Veterinary Science. • Admission to vet school is competitive, as there are only 28 accredited veterinary colleges in the U.S. • The number of pet owners purchasing pet insurance is rising.

10. Veterinarian: Interview Source Interview with Dr. Carlos Sanchez… • Dr. Sanchez leads the Veterinary Training Program for the Smithsonian National Zoo. • Involved in the daily clinical care of animals in the National Zoo collection. • Known for his work with Pandas in China and his training programs throughout Latin America.

11. Veterinarian and Friends…

12. Veterinarian: Works Cited Sanchez, Carlos. “Careers-Interview with Zoo Veterinarian Dr. Carlos Sanchez.” Kids.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2010. <http://www.kids.gov/‌internal/‌zoovet.shtml>. “Veterinarians.” Career Discovery Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. 2000. 86,87. Print. 8 vols. “Veterinarians.” http://www.bls.gov/‌oco/‌ocos076.htm. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 17 Dec. 2009. Web. 13 Apr. 2010. <http://www.bls.gov/‌oco/‌ocos076.htm>. “Veterinary Medicine.” World Book Online Reference Center. N.p., 11 Apr. 2010. Web. 11 Apr. 2010. <http://www.worldbookonline.com>.