The Profession of Veterinary Medicine Professional Career Development

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The Profession of Veterinary Medicine
Professional Career Development

• Veterinary Science
• Extension Veterinary Medicine
• Texas AgriLife Extension Service
• College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical
  Sciences
• Texas AM System
• http//aevm.tamu.edu

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Objectives

• Define veterinary medicine
• Describe the different career opportunities in
  veterinary medicine
• Discuss the role of veterinary medicine in animal
  health

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Profession of Veterinary Medicine

• To learn and accomplish
• Specific diagnosis (accurate) (diagnostician)
• Specific treatment regimen (correct, effective)
• Drug therapy (Pharmacologist)
• Surgical therapy (Surgeon)
• Physical therapy (Physiologist)
• Dietary therapy (Nutritionist)
• Specific prevention, control and eradication
  protocols (Epidemiologist)

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• To understand advanced sciences
• Know why, not just what and how
• No guess diagnosis
• No shotgun therapies

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• To improve the quality of life of people and
  animals
• Foster health and well-being of animals
• Enhance production of animal populations
• Increase economic efficiency and profitability of
  animal operations
• Improve production of safe and wholesome food
• Improve the recreational or working relationship
  of owners and their animals
• Companionship, human-animal bond, pleasure

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Careers in Veterinary Medicine

• Positions of employment
• Veterinarian 4 years pre-vet college, 4 years
  veterinary college (8 years college)
• Veterinary Technician 2 years college
• Veterinary Assistant study course, work
  experience
• 4-H Veterinary Science Program
• Career-oriented curriculum
• Job-trained apprenticeship

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• Fields of employment
• Companion animal health
• Exotic animal health
• Food animal health
• Laboratory animal health
• Human health

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• Kinds of employment (types)
• Private veterinary practice
• Clinical service individual animals, animal
  populations
• Laboratory service
• Consultant service

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• Public veterinary practice
• Education teaching, extension (university)
• Research (university, military)
• Clinical service (university, military)
• Laboratory service (university, government)
• Regulatory (government USDA, TAHC)
• Industry (Corporate) veterinary practice
• Research
• Laboratory service
• Clinical service
• Sales

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Professional Career DevelopmentDoctor of
Veterinary Medicine

• Evaluate interests and abilities
• Advanced sciences
• Animal well-being
• Kinds of employment
• Involvement of sick, diseased animals (live and
  dead) (blood, odor)
• Compassion and caring for people and animals

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• Communication skills (people person) (people
  skills)
• Business skills (private practice)
• Long work days (night, week-end emergencies -
  private practice)
• Not based on I love animals.

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• Make commitment (focus, blinders)
• Highly motivated and dedicated
• Work with veterinarians
• Develop veterinary experience
• Work with animals
• Develop animal experience

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• Plan HS curriculum with advanced sciences
• Calculus
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Zoology (genetics, nutrition, biology)
• Microbiology
• Animal science (Ag Sc)

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• Participate in extra-curricular leadership and
  citizenship activities
• 4-H Veterinary Science Program
• 4-H animal projects
• FFA animal projects
• Ag Co-op program
• Animal associations/societies memberships
• Animal publication subscriptions
• Animal show/performance clubs

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• Initial enrollment
• Junior college (transfer after 31 hours)
• Senior college
• Know how to study
• Study habits
• Time management
• Focused
• Large classes
• http//www.cvm.tamu.edu

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Academic PreparationPre-professional College
Academic Programs

• Pre-requisites completed in 2 4 years (61
  hours)
• Biology
• Microbiology
• Genetics
• Nutrition
• Inorganic chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Calculus
• Physics
• English
• Animal Science

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Life Sciences Category

• 17 credit hours
• General biology with lab 4
• General Microbiology with lab 4
• Genetics 3
• Animal nutrition or feed and feeding 3
• General animal science 3

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Physical Sciences Category

• 32 credit hours
• Inorganic chemistry with lab 8
• Organic chemistry with lab 8
• Biochemistry 5
• Calculus or statistics 3
• Physics 8

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Non-Sciences Category

• 12 credit hours
• Composition and rhetoric 3
• Literature 3
• Speech communication 3
• Technical writing 3

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Alternate Career Program B.S. Degrees

• Biomedical Science (TAMU)
• Animal Science
• TAMUS - CS, Commerce, Kingsville, Stephenville,
  Canyon
• Texas Tech
• SFA
• SHSU
• Sul Ross
• TSU
• Zoology (many)

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B.S. Degrees Texas AM University College
Station

• College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical
  Sciences
• Biomedical Science
• College of Agriculture Life Sciences
• Animal Science
• Biological Agricultural Engineering
• Biochemistry
• Genetics
• College of Science
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Microbiology
• Molecular Cell Biology
• Zoology

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Professional Preparation

• Leadership activities
• Citizenship activities
• Veterinary experience
• Animal experience
• Academic rigor
• Course loads

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Professional Program Application Process CVM-TAMU

• Submit application by October 1
• (400 applicants)
• Application score 300 points
• http//www.cvm.tamu.edu

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• Academic Performance Score 180 points
• OA GPA 40 points
• Sci GPA 40 points
• L45 hrs GPA 40 points
• GRE 60 points
• Analytical - 25
• Quantitative - 25
• Verbal - 10

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• Professional Preparation Score 120 points
• Veterinary experience 16 points
• Animal experience 12 points
• Course load 12 points
• Academic rigor 12 points
• Background 28 points
• Interview score 40 points

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• Interview 225 applicants
• Top academic and professional preparation scores
  (veterinary and animal experiences)
• Select 132 applicants in March
• Successfully complete professional curriculum
• Have personal qualities, motivation and
  dedication to be a veterinarian
• Top academic and professional preparation scores

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Professional College Academic Program

• Curriculum (165 credit hours)
• Four years (off summers VM1 and VM2)
• 1VM (21 and 19 credit hours)
• Anatomy, microbiology, physiology, public health
• 2VM (20 and 20 credit hours)
• Nutrition, parasitology, pathology, pharmacology,
  toxicology, surgery/anesthesiology, radiology
• 3VM (18 and 21 credit hours)
• Large animal medicine, small animal medicine,
  surgery, clinics, clinical skills, practice
  management, electives

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• 4VM (46 credit hours clinics)
• 30 weeks basic case rotations
• 12 weeks elective rotations and electives
• 4 weeks externship
• 2 weeks vacation
• DVM Degree
• State and National Board Exams
• Licensed Veterinarian by State
• http//www.cvm.tamu.edu

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Career DevelopmentVeterinary Technician

• Associate Degree (2 years college)
• Veterinary Technology
• (Lone Star College, The Vet Tech Institute, Cedar
  Valley College,
• Palo Alto College, Sul Ross State University,
  Midland College,
• McLennan Community College)
• B. S. Degree (4 years college)
• Biomedical Science
• (Texas AM University)
• State and National Board Exams
• Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
• American Veterinary Medical Association
• http//www.avma.org

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Career DevelopmentVeterinary Assistant

• Study courses, work experience
• 4-H Veterinary Science Program
• Career-oriented curriculum
• Job-trained apprenticeship
• http//aevm.tamu.edu
• State Board Exam
• Certified Veterinary Assistant (CVT)
• Texas Veterinary Medical Association
• http//www.tvma.org