For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a veterinarian. When I was just a little girl I did not realize how much school I would have to go through to be able to be one. A veterinarian is someone who takes care of sick or injured animals and helps diagnose and treat the animals in a professional and knowledgeable way.
In order to be a veterinarian the first main goal is to get a bachelors degree in biology, animal science, veterinary medicine, or something in that field. To get a bachelors degree it will take four years at a university. After they have earned that bachelors degree they will then need to continue to veterinary school. It’s very competitive and difficult to get into veterinary school, therefore, for those first four years at a university they will have to have made sure that they have made good grades and have participated in volunteer work that deals with animals.
Vet school takes around four years. In vet school you will go deeper into the field and it will help prepare you to be fully ready to become a veterinarian. They will then be able to get their license in veterinary. After vet school most people tend to do a 2-year internship at a veterinary office of choice. Employment of veterinarians is projected to grow 12 percent from 2012 to 2022.
As the population grows, more veterinarians will be needed to inspect the food supply and to ensure animal and human health. After becoming a veterinarian and getting settled down in the job they will then start earning a salary. The median average of the salary in 2012 was 84,460 dollars. Also, the best-paid veterinarians were earning up to 144,100 dollars. Although the money in this field is extraordinary, in order to be a vet you should have the right skills and abilities or the job might not work out as well as planned.
A passion for animals is something that is required in order to take on this job. This is the most important skill when being a vet. A customer will want to know that their animal is in good hands and is working with someone who will show their animal love and affection. Some other skills that are required are business skills, interpersonal skills, and also the ability to get along with people.
In this field a vet is not only working with the animals but is also working with the owners and families. Although the animals can’t talk, the parent/owner has the biggest say in what veterinarians do with their animals. A vet also has to be very hardworking. They often work long hours and are sometimes on call over the weekends.
Most veterinarians work around 5 days a week and are in office from 8 in the morning to around 4 or 5 at night. The environment that veterinarians work in varies. Some veterinarians work in small clinics but others also travel to laboratories, classrooms, and farms. Veterinarians that work with only small animals are more than likely in a hospital or clinic, but the ones that work with large animals have to travel. In order for me to get a full understanding of this career, I had to talk to a woman named Katherine Kady. She told me that she chose this career because she knew her whole life that she wanted to take care of animals and that even though it took hard work to get there, she managed to do it because she knew that it was her passion.
Her favorite part of this career is that she gets to work with animals and interact with the different personalities of the animals. Her least favorite part of the career is probably the paperwork although she doesn’t mind doing it. Katherine also gave me some advice on this job. She told me that in order for me to succeed in school I have to work very hard. Katherine explained that it is not easy but in the end it’s worth it and not only because of the money but because it’s a job she loves doing. I also asked her what the hardest part about becoming a vet was.
She told me that the hardest part was veterinary school. Katherine explained that it’s very hard and very stressful and it’s going to have to be my number one priority when the time comes. Becoming a veterinarian is something that will take a lot of time and effort. It requires dedication and motivation and it’s a job that is not meant for just anyone. I’ve wanted to be a vet since I was a little girl, and to this day it’s the same job I want to pursue.
I have the main skill in order to be a veterinarian (passion for animals) and I believe that that will help me in becoming a veterinarian. The one surprising thing that I learned that might stop me is the process of getting my bachelors degree before I go to vet school. I’ve heard from multiple people that a bachelor’s degree is not required in order to be a vet, but it’s something that is very important in becoming a vet and will help me out in a long run. If anyone has ever wondered if being a vet is the right job for them I would highly recommend research and job shadowing. It’s a big dream but once I get there, I know it will be the exact job for me.
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