Veterinarians

investigative patient animal information pet analysis diagnostic equipment disease radiographic equipment injury

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Emergency Veterinarian (Emergency Vet), Small Animal Veterinarian (Small Animal Vet), Veterinary Medicine Doctor (DVM)

What they do:
Diagnose, treat, or research diseases and injuries of animals. Includes veterinarians who conduct research and development, inspect livestock, or care for pets and companion animals.
On the job, you would:
  • Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
  • Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
  • Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.

Knowledge

Health

  • medicine and dentistry

Math and Science

  • biology
  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Business

  • customer service
  • human resources (HR)

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Skills

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • reading work related information

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it

Abilities

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • notice when problems happen

Math

  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide

Hand and Finger Use

  • put together small parts with your fingers

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Integrity
  • Attention to Detail
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Dependability
  • Cooperation

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Data base user interface and query software

  • IDEXX Laboratories IDEXX VPM
  • Microsoft Access Hot Technology

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology

Medical software

  • American Data Systems PAWS Veterinary Practice Management
  • Vetport

Education

Education: (rated 5 of 5)
doctoral degree or
post-doctoral training
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about veterinarians.