About Veterinarians and the Veterinary Team

A veterinarian is a medical doctor who has attended four years of veterinary school after college to obtain a doctorate. Your veterinarian also has passed a national examination and must acquire a license issued by the state in which he or she practices. There are about 80,000 veterinarians in the United States and about 1,300 in the state of Oregon.

Your Veterinarian: The Other Family Doctor™

Your veterinarian can advise you on every aspect of your animal’s health. This includes diet and exercise, preventative measures to ensure your animal’s health, and interaction with other animals and family members.

To a broad extent, today’s veterinary practices parallel medical doctor practices and hospitals for humans. Many veterinary practices are state-of-the-art facilities that use technologies such as digital ultrasound, endoscopes, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scans, laser surgery, EKGs and state-of-the-art monitoring equipment.

From the birth to death of your pet, veterinarians are equivalent to many doctors in one. They can be your pet’s obstetrician, pediatrician, dentist, dermatologist, internist, surgeon, radiologist, anesthesiologist, gerontologist, and ophthalmologist, to name but a few. Veterinarians need to know about all of these areas of animal medicine and more.

Veterinary Specialists

Some veterinarians extend their knowledge and expertise and become specialists in areas such as behavior, cardiology, internal medicine, oncology and surgery. This requires additional education, examinations, residencies and certification.

Veterinarians and Public Health

Veterinarians have a vital role in public health. Veterinarians play a critical role in identifying diseases that could be transmitted from animals to humans. They are a part of our first line of defense against zoonotic diseases, such as BSE (Mad Cow Disease), West Nile Virus and avian influenza (H5N1). They also develop medications that can benefit both animals and people.

Veterinarians also maintain the health of livestock animals and poultry to keep our food supply safe and clean. However, there is a critical shortage of veterinarians working within our nation's food supply chain. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), only about 17 percent of veterinarians work in food supply, which includes private and public practice veterinarians involved in the entire food chain. Research forecasts a shortfall of four percent to five percent per year in the ranks of food supply veterinarians. This puts our nation's food supply at risk. If you are interested in the veterinary profession, you are encouraged to take a look at the AVMA's resource center on food supply veterinary medicine.

Salary

According to the AVMA, the average starting salary for 2008 veterinary college graduates who entered private practice was around $62,000. Nationally, the median income for all private practice veterinarians is $79,000. In Oregon, the median income for all private practice veterinarians is $70,000, and the median income for new graduates (those with less than 3 years of experience) is $60,000.

Career Opportunities

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, veterinarians rank 9th on the list of fastest growing professions between now and the year 2016. Detailed job outlook information is available on the Bureau of Labor and Statistics Web site. As mentioned before, there are many opportunities within the field of food supply veterinary medicine.

Gender in the Profession

Female veterinarians now outnumber men in the profession and veterinary classes average 75 percent women.

Education

A typical veterinary student spends about 4,000 hours in the classroom, laboratory, clinical study, and internships. The Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine is Oregon's only veterinary college; their Web site offers information on the scholastic requirements students must meet to be eligible to enter their veterinary program, as well as information on the application process.

According to the AVMA's 2008 survey of veterinary school graduates, almost 40 percent of new veterinarians plan to go into advanced education—89.2 percent of those into internships and 6 percent into residencies. The AVMA also reports that average educational debt for veterinarians is now $119,803. .

Even after graduating from veterinary school, veterinarians continue to learn about animal health by reading scientific journals and attending professional educational seminars. Oregon requires veterinarians licensed by the state to receive a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education every two years.

Other Members of the Veterinary Team

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, veterinary technicians rank 5th on the list of fastest growing professions between now and the year 2016. Detailed job outlook information is available on the Bureau of Labor and Statistics Web site.

Practice Manager

A practice manager supervises the business aspects of a veterinary clinic, including accounting, customer service, and staffing. A practice manager can help streamline the clinic’s workflow to maximize revenue. At some larger practices, this is a dedicated position. In smaller practices, a veterinarian, CVT, or others may handle some of these duties. There is a certification program for veterinary practice managers.

Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT)

A CVT obtains patient histories, assists the veterinarian with diagnostic and surgical procedures, takes X-rays, performs lab work, can administer the rabies vaccine, and more. In Oregon, a CVT has a veterinary technician degree from an accredited program, or at least 6,000 hours of on-the-job training and experience as a veterinary technician while employed by a licensed veterinarian. All candidates must pass an examination administered by the Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board. Certified technicians must obtain 15 hours of continuing education every two years. Oregon has administrative rules governing certified technicians.

Assistants & Office Staff

Assistants and front office staff are also vital parts of the practice team; duties vary by the size of practice and experience levels. Non-certified staff can perform many of the same duties as a CVT; however, they may not induce anesthesia, take X-rays unless they have completed a radiation safety course, nor administer the rabies vaccine. Veterinary team members schedule appointments, check patients in, and assist the veterinarian and technicians. Traninig requirements vary based on job duties, but a high-school diploma is often required.