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Careers in veterinary medicine can be broadly divided into two main categories, traditional clinical practice and non-clinical careers. Clinical work involves the day-to-day care of animals, including the diagnosis and management of different conditions. Non-clinical work on the other hand involves less interaction with animals and may be more centred around academic research, teaching or policy making. Below, is outlined some of the major categories of veterinary careers in both the clinical and non-clinical pathways.
General Practice: Similar to a medical general practitioner, veterinary GPs work in clinics to see and treat a range of different animals with a range of medical issues. Most commonly, vet GPs cater to companion animals or ‘pets’, which include cats, dogs and small animals. General practice requires a broad knowledge base and the ability to be flexible in regards to day-to-day tasks. Common jobs for a vet GP include assessing animals, administering vaccines and medications, discussing management plans with pet owners and putting animals to sleep. Alongside companion animals, general practice veterinarians can also work in other areas such as farm animals or exotic animals such as in a zoo. In general practice, you also have the opportunity to specialise in a specific area of veterinary medicine such as surgery or neurology. You then may progress to practice at a specialised centre which takes referrals from general veterinary practices.
Military: Working as a veterinarian in the military involves caring for military animals such as horses and working dogs. In addition to traditional veterinary work, a career in the military provides other opportunities such as working abroad and in challenging environments.
Researching and Teaching: Academic careers in veterinary medicine mainly involve research and/or teaching. Scientific research is vital for the improved understanding of veterinary medical diseases and the development of treatments. Research can take place at institutions such as universities through PhD programmes or through organisations such as pharmaceutical companies. Teaching is another option for vets, in which they can pass on their knowledge to the next generation of student vets at a veterinary medical school.
Government Service: Many sectors of the government employ veterinarians to protect the general population’s health such as the Food Standards Agency and the Department for Environment. Roles in these sectors involve disease surveillance, ensuring the safety of food products and monitoring environmental impacts on animal populations.
Veterinarians may choose to work for animal charities, either domestically or internationally which focus on animal welfare and the conservation of natural habitats for wild animals. One example of an animal welfare charity in the UK is the Blue Cross which provides free veterinary care for animals in need, aids in providing homes for pets and advocates for animal welfare across the country.
There are many international animal charities such as International Animal Rescue that work to support endangered species, aid and rescue animals in abusive environments and promote biodiversity in areas where wildlife is threatened.
Many universities offering veterinary medicine programmes also offer further qualifications as masters programmes which focus on more specialist areas such as animal psychology, epidemiology or conservation medicine. Additionally, veterinarians interested in research or a highly specialised area of interest may wish to pursue a PhD in veterinary medicine which can be done at universities such as Glasgow or Cambridge and usually takes 3-4 years to complete.
To specialise in veterinary practice mainly involves gaining experience in certain fields through residencies and internships which are then recognised by organisations. One such organisation is the European Board of Veterinary Specialists (EBVS) in which accreditation usually takes at least four years after finishing your veterinary degree, including a two year residency under the supervision of an EBVS College Diplomate.
After this, veterinarians can be certified as a specialist under one of the EBVS colleges, examples of which include veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia, veterinary ophthalmology and dental health.
Mental health is a very topical issue within veterinary medicine, which consistently ranks as the number 1 career in terms of suicide rate and at more than two times the rate of the medical profession. A study by Stoewen in 2015 explored some of the potential reasons for this, which include the high academic pressure of training and practice, the relative isolation of practice with little supervision which can lead to mistakes, burnout due to long working hours, high client expectations and finally, the emotional toll of seeing animals in distress, dealing with upset owners and jobs such as putting animals down which can lead to compassion fatigue.
Vet careers vary in their work life balance and level of emotional toll. For example, working as an accident and emergency veterinarian, you are more likely to experience distressing situations and work long, unpredictable hours compared to working in a non-clinical role such as a researcher in the Food Standards Agency.
Due to the high rates of mental health issues in the profession, there is an emphasis on action to improve wellbeing and access to help amongst veterinarians. One such organisation tackling this issue is the European Happy Vet Project which provides vets with tools and resources to support mental health and access to services when needed.
Additionally, institutions such as the Medical and Veterinary Faculty of the University of Nicosia are committed to addressing mental wellbeing concerns among their staff and students through providing mental health resources, services and workshops aimed at improving mental health.
In veterinary medicine, there are many different career pathway options, including the opportunity to specialise in an area of clinical medical practice or to work in non-clinical fields such as research or government regulation.
Veterinary medicine can be a challenging career, with a difficult work life balance and the highest rates of suicide amongst any profession. Therefore it is important to recognise and take them into account, alongside other factors such as professional interest when deciding on which veterinary career to pursue.
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