Earlier we talked about careers in veterinary medicine which included career options that are available in private and corporate veterinary hospitals. This month we are going to take a look at different career options available to veterinarians – because not all veterinarians see patients.

Research
Veterinarians that work in research focus on finding solutions and developing better approaches to healthcare for both humans and animals.

  • Pharmaceutical Research – veterinarians in this field work on developing new drugs or vaccines. The drugs and vaccines that are developed through this research are vital to the health of our industry.
  • Human Health Research works to find solutions on a broader spectrum by researching vaccines and cures for diseases like: Rabies, Malaria, Yellow Fever, Lyme Disease, etc.

Food Animal Practice
A food animal practice veterinarian is usually found on the farm working with herds to maintain the health of the food supply. They help care for goats, sheep, cows, pigs, chickens and can even be found working with fish.

Teaching
One of the unique careers in veterinary medicine is teaching. Some veterinarians have a passion for the field of veterinary medicine and excel at teaching. Many opportunities exist on university campuses where they can use their skills and knowledge to enlighten the minds of students. They may even travel the world educating their colleagues at continuing education events and seminars.

Regulatory Medicine
Many government agencies employ veterinarians to ensure the safety of animals and humans. Veterinarians in this field are responsible for quarantining animals brought into the United States, testing them for disease and supervising shipments. These veterinarians are also advocates for animal welfare laws.

Public Health
Public health veterinarians work to prevent and control animal and human disease in order to promote good health. They study and evaluate the effects of pesticides, industrial pollutants and other contaminants on humans and animals. These veterinarians determine the safety and efficiency of medicines and food additives. They study outbreaks of disease and safety of food processing plants, restaurants and food water supply.

Uniformed Services
Did you know that veterinarians work in the Uniformed Services? They can be found at the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, U.S., Bioscience Medical Corp and the U.S. Public Health Service? These veterinarians work to manage infectious disease control programs, like HIV and encephalitis. The veterinarians that work at the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps also care for military dogs, horses and other species that are involved in the military.

There are many opportunities and careers in veterinary medicine.  Meet our veterinarians and how their career paths brought them to GVH.  We hope you enjoyed learning more about our industry and the endless career opportunities that wait for you.

Tiffany N. Consalvo, CVPM – GVH Practice Manager