A veterinarian is a special medical specialty, which means not human medicine, but animal medicine (veterinary medicine). The same applies to agriculture. A veterinarian studies many more disciplines than a medical doctor. The list of animals required to study their anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, microbiology, etc. includes: horse, cattle and small ruminants, pig, dog, cat, rabbit, mouse, poultry, camel, etc. In addition to general disciplines, a veterinarian knows also private ones - private physiology (for example, dogs), diseases of bees and fish, as well as veterinary and sanitary examination of animal raw materials (skin, fur, meat, milk, fish, etc.).
Veterinarian (Veterinarian, paramedic) - a specialist with higher or secondary specialized education, dealing with the treatment of animals (veterinary medicine) and related duties.
Duties:
Treatment and prevention of animal diseases,
Carrying out various medical and cosmetic procedures, including operations, veterinary and sanitary control in the production and sale of animal products.
The main task of the veterinarian is the treatment and prevention of animal diseases, vaccinations, vaccinations. Also, the veterinarian can examine food products, confirm their suitability for consumption and sale. The veterinarian has an irregular working day, at any time of the day he has to go to a sick animal in need of assistance and not suitable for transportation.
The list of animals that must be studied by a veterinarian includes horses, cattle and small ruminants, pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits, mice, poultry, camels, etc. Veterinarians study their anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, microbiology. In addition to general disciplines, a veterinarian must know private ones - private physiology (for example, dogs), diseases of bees and fish, as well as veterinary and sanitary examination of animal raw materials (leather, fur, meat, milk, fish, etc.)
Work can be carried out in a specially equipped room (clinic, laboratory), at home or outdoors. In the process of work, medical instruments, drugs, and chemical reagents are usually used.
Personal qualities
Developed observation, memory, logical thinking, patience and a friendly attitude towards animals. The treating and operating veterinarian must have strong and dexterous hands to fix the animals and carry out the procedures.
For veterinary inspection doctors, the main professional qualities are: persistence and consistency in the manifestation of professional requirements, responsibility and adherence to principles in the performance of their official duty, since as a result of non-compliance with sanitary requirements, consumers of low-quality products may suffer.
Mandatory qualities:
Absolute and limitless love for animals
Ability to quickly make decisions in non-standard situations
Courage
Physical strength and endurance
Medical restrictions
Allergies to animals and drugs, physical disabilities that interfere with examinations and procedures.
Qualification requirements
The veterinarian must have a higher specialized education. The veterinarian must have such qualities as honesty, responsibility, decisiveness, attentiveness, accuracy, patience, physical endurance, kindness and, of course, love animals infinitely.
Veterinarians work:
In veterinary clinics;
At veterinary stations;
In the markets;
In zoos;
At agricultural enterprises.
Veterinarian salaries are generally not very high and career prospects are small. Most likely, you will have to start with an assistant veterinarian, then, after a couple of years, with the acquisition of work experience, become an independent veterinarian. The veterinarian may be in private practice, but here income will be unstable and will depend on the number of patients, work experience, type and complexity of the problem.
Veterinarians are usually called specialists who treat and care for sick animals. For a long time this profession had a utilitarian purpose: treatment, prevention of epidemics and mass deaths of livestock, caring for young animals - all these are purely economic problems.
The profession of veterinarian and its features
A veterinarian (veterinarian) is a specialist in animal diseases. According to statistics, most of the veterinarians work in the field of animal husbandry. Another, extensive area of \u200b\u200bwork is the treatment of domestic animals (mainly dogs and cats). In addition, individual veterinarians also specialize in wild animals, working in reserves, or at circuses and zoos.
Working as a veterinarian, like many centuries ago, involves monitoring the health of the herd, identifying sick animals and isolating them from the rest. The doctor then decides to either cure or put him to sleep. Among other things, the veterinarian, together with the paramedic, deals with:
artificial insemination;
taking delivery of females;
surgical operations;
taking samples and analyzes from the herd;
vaccination and chipping of young animals.
In private veterinary clinics, the duties of a veterinarian are about the same, but most often he deals with the following duties:
sterilization of cats and dogs;
examination and treatment prescription;
surgical operations (including abdominal), fracture treatment;
cosmetic procedures, cleaning of fangs and haircut (grooming);
often - consultations on the sale of medicines, feed and products for animals;
records management.
The very profession of a veterinarian is very different from that of a doctor. An animal, unlike a person, cannot tell what hurts him. To any of them you need your own approach, you need affection and special intuition. The veterinarian must be well versed in the habits of the animal, be able to distinguish the sick from the healthy not only by external signs, but also by behavior.
Veterinary medicine is a fairly ancient industry. Attempts to treat animals have been made by man almost from the very moment he began to tame them. The goal, of course, was utilitarian: so that the sick animal would continue to benefit and not infect the rest of the herd. The profession of animal healer was in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, where there was a whole institution of hippiators (doctors who treated horses).
For centuries, however, knowledge of animal disease has been largely superficial. In the Middle Ages, not every person could count on qualified medical care - what can we say about animals? And for a very long time, the same doctors (healers) were engaged in the healing of animals, who treated people.
The first specialized veterinary school opened already in modern times in France. The exact date of its appearance is also known - 1761. He was ordered to open an educational institution personally by Louis XV, who was extremely concerned about the mass death of livestock. It was from this period that the treatment of animals switched to a completely scientific track.
Closer to the 20th century, veterinary medicine in most developed countries began to take on the shapes and functions that we all know now. In other words, veterinarians, paramedics, and laboratory services have appeared to control the epizootic situation in the country. The main functions of veterinary medicine are:
treatment of animals;
suppression of epidemics (including those dangerous to humans);
livestock control (breeding).
In the USSR, unfortunately, for a long time there were almost no veterinary clinics that would deal with the treatment of pets. Veterinary medicine has mainly focused on the treatment of farm animals. Nowadays, the situation has gradually improved, in every large city there are qualified specialists who are exclusively engaged in the treatment of companion animals.
Veterinarian work place
The most common veterinarians can be found:
in private veterinary clinics and pet shops;
at agricultural enterprises and livestock farms;
in circuses, zoos;
in nature reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
It should also be noted that the work of a veterinarian is not limited to working with animals alone. There is also a third area of \u200b\u200bwork - sanitary and epidemiological services, which monitor and prevent the spread of mass diseases among animals. Many of these diseases (such as rabies) can be dangerous to humans as well.
Characteristics of the profession of a veterinarian
A good veterinarian has several other characteristics:
- great experience and experience. The presence of specialized education and a certificate is required;
individual selection of treatment and competent advice in the field of feeding and caring for the animal;
honesty - a good veterinarian will definitely tell you what issues he understands, and, if necessary, will advise a more specialized specialist;
propensity for continuous learning - a veterinarian, like an ordinary physician, must constantly improve his skills and master new techniques.
Some clinics also provide a veterinarian home call service. In this case, you should always clarify what is included in the list of the specialist's duties, what equipment he has, etc.
Where to study to become a veterinarian?
To work as a veterinarian, you need to get specialized education. Such specialists are trained, as a rule, by agricultural universities in the direction of "Veterinary Medicine". However, they train mainly specialists in the treatment of cattle, sheep, horses and other "useful" animals.
To work in a private clinic, a veterinarian will also have to go through special two-month courses - sometimes they are organized right at the university, during training.
Vacancies for veterinarians, average salary
Veterinarians are in high demand in the labor market, which is not surprising given the number of pets. The market for veterinary services is very extensive, so vacancies for veterinarians in the public domain come across very often.
As a rule, this means working in private veterinary clinics. Work for veterinarians on farms and agricultural enterprises is the second most popular. Veterinarian vacancies for rare and exotic animals are not so common. Characteristically, veterinarians with the skills of orthopedists and traumatologists are in much greater demand. Their wages are also slightly higher.
The average salary of a veterinarian in Moscow is about 90 thousand rubles, in the provinces it is much lower - up to 30-40 thousand rubles.
Pros and cons of being a veterinarian
a positive profession for loving animals;
high demand for veterinary services;
good wage.
- high risk of illness or injury;
work on an irregular schedule;
stressful situations, conflicts with clients are possible.
When Russia celebrates veterinarian's day
This holiday appeared only five years ago - in 2014, when the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation decided to officially establish it. Since then, Veterinarian Day has been celebrated annually on 31 August. 
The profession of a veterinarian is a profession that is not chosen for the indicators of prestige, career experience and high income in the future, but it is a profession that is chosen according to one's liking. A person must consciously choose this type of activity, and he simply must be madly in love with animals. Love for animals, the desire to help them free of charge - this is the main quality of the veterinarian, which is the leading one when choosing this profession.
It should be immediately emphasized that a person who decides to devote his life to saving and treating animals must have a number of qualities:
- the most important thing, as mentioned above, is love for animals, without the presence of this love, you should not stop your choice on this profession;
- have patience, because animals cannot, as a person, explain what hurts them, tell about the symptoms of the disease and suggest what kind of disease they have;
- lack of fear, all animals get sick, regardless of their appearance size;
- possess composure and fortitude, since you will have to work with various animals, diseases, injuries, which are very unpleasant and can cause disgust.
Students who have chosen their companions in the life of the profession of a veterinarian should be prepared that they will have to study almost as much as doctors, they will not have any concessions and a shortened course of study. As a rule, the duration of the educational process is five years, accompanied by compulsory practical training. The anatomical and pharmaceutical direction is of great importance in the learning process, in order to know who and what can be treated. Since different types of animals require different medical treatment and different diagnostic methods.
The advantages of being a veterinarian can be highlighted:
1) If a person has chosen the profession of a veterinarian, it means that he loves animals very much and is ready to spend a lot of time with them. Therefore, this is a happy person who enjoys his work, because he made a conscious choice.
2) Now it has become quite fashionable and important to keep pets at home. If earlier the presence of animals was considered mandatory only in the countryside, now almost every second city dweller keeps a pet at home, and not always everyone's favorite cats, dogs, parrots and fish. Wealthier people with financial ability began to give preference to more exotic pets, it can be ferrets, rabbits and even larger wild animals. That is why the work of a veterinarian is now very, very much in demand. We open many private clinics for pets and hotels that meet high European standards, where they will gladly accept a good specialist in this field. Therefore, we can definitely say that this profession is in great demand.
3) The profession of a veterinarian is well paid today. Even novice specialists, students who have just graduated from educational institutions, who have absolutely no work experience, are hired for work. Private clinics are ready to bail young specialists capable of becoming brilliant doctors for animals in the near future.
4) Sufficiently comfortable working conditions. Modern veterinary clinics are equipped with the latest technology, they have all the necessary equipment and medicines.
5) Acceptable work schedule. As a rule, veterinary shops and clinics are open on weekdays. Of course, there are times when you have to work overtime, but this is the profession of a doctor and it does not matter he treats people or animals. Usually all overtime hours worked are well paid.
6) Lack of competition in this area. Every year, veterinarians are released several times less than doctors. Not everyone is able to devote their entire life to saving animals. Therefore, there is a fairly large choice for a future place of work without fear that it will be difficult to pass the competitive selection.
(profession veterinarian photo)
We also invite you to familiarize yourself with the professions hairdresser, accountantand
Cons of the profession of a veterinarian:
1) Almost complete lack of career growth. It will be lucky if a specialist gets a job in a large veterinary institution, where he can grow from a novice doctor to the head doctor of a department. As a rule, the work of a veterinarian does not initially imply the growth of the career ladder.
2) You have to work with completely different animals, today it can be cats and dogs, and tomorrow lizards and parrots. You need to know the specifics of treating each type of animal, how they can be treated, and what cannot. Possess excellent anatomical knowledge.
3) You have to constantly develop yourself, since you need to be aware of absolutely all new drugs that help some animals, and are contraindicated for others. Therefore, you need to study the composition, side effects, dosage and method of administration. Be careful, since a number of drugs periodically become prohibited, and newer and more effective drugs are released to replace them.
4) Animals cannot explain what hurts them. And the owners are not always particularly observant and cannot clearly list the symptoms of the disease of their pets. On the contrary, most often by their observations, they can provide false information, initially directing the doctor in the other direction. That is why the veterinarian, when choosing a method of treatment, should start only on the basis of personal knowledge and practical skills in order to determine the severity of the disease and prescribe a further course of treatment, or send it for the necessary tests.
5) Unfortunately, not all animals can be saved. Some of them die. This is always very frustrating for the owners. Therefore, cold exposure and nerves of steel are an indispensable factor in the profession of a veterinarian. For especially stressful, sensitive people, this profession can negatively affect their overall emotional well-being.
The essence of the profession of a veterinarian is that it is suitable for people only sincerely loving animals, the purpose of which will not be enrichment and obtaining material independence, but the provision of assistance and rescue of absolutely everyone, both domestic and wild animals.
In addition, the presence of fortitude, composure, lack of disgust and just a desire to work is required. Of course, veterinarians do not give the Hippocratic Oath, but this should not affect the quality of their work. Only a person with the above qualities is able to become a really good professional in this field.
Want to know even more about the work of a veterinarian? Profession veterinarian video:
Details Updated: 1/23/2020 4:47 PM
A veterinarian is a doctor who treats various animals.
The origins of this profession go back to the time when people tamed the first animals, the treatment of which fell on the shoulders of healers and skillful observers of wildlife.
At a time when horses and beasts of burden became of strategic importance, without which both armies and trade caravans could not do, the importance of the veterinarian profession greatly increased.
The first veterinary schools appeared in the Middle Ages. Mostly, they were opened on the territory of existing medical institutions.
Features of the profession
Today this profession is in average demand on the labor market.
The veterinarian is a specialist who deals with more than just cute pets. Experienced professionals are able to provide qualified assistance even to exotic animals and predators.
Veterinary clinics often employ specialists of narrower profiles. It is better for the future veterinarian to decide on the direction in the first days of study. Based on interests and personal preferences, you can opt for such specialties as traumatology, surgery, ophthalmology and others.
Before choosing this profession, it is worth considering that veterinarian work not suitable for everyone, as it provides for frequent visits to the patient's house and business trips.
People who constantly experience discomfort from frequent travel may be better off choosing a different type of activity.
The profession of a veterinarian has its own visible advantages and disadvantages.
Work in this field is suitable for people who truly love animals and sincerely want to help them. At the same time, the doctor must be extremely careful, because the risk of getting a bite or a scratch from a frightened animal during an examination, or a disease carried by his ward, is not excluded.
Duties
The veterinarian is a specialist who deals with the treatment and prevention of many diseases, performs various types of surgical interventions. He must also provide qualified assistance to animals during childbirth, by the method of euthanasia, to relieve the torment of pets who have no chance of further recovery.
Specialists in this profile also monitor the quality of animal products that are sold in markets and stores. In the event of the slightest inconsistency with the fixed GOST standards, veterinarians issue a conclusion according to which the product will be recognized as hazardous to health.
In the future, this kind of goods are not allowed for sale, and then they are withdrawn.
Important qualities
The necessary qualities that a veterinarian must possess:
- no allergy to wool;
- love to the animals;
- a responsibility;
- the ability to memorize a lot of information;
- fine motor skills are well developed;
- self-control;
- the ability to act harmoniously in case of emergency;
- endurance;
- stress tolerance.
Skills and knowledge
Veterinarian work is impossible without knowledge of the physiology and variety of animal diseases, key methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of ailments. Additionally, a good specialist should know the peculiarities of the correct maintenance of almost all types of living creatures.
Prospects and career
The Association of Veterinarians focuses on the fact that graduates of specialized educational institutions are required to start their careers as an assistant. It will not be difficult to get such a job during your studies.
A veterinarian is a doctor. And even if he heals animals, not people, this is a difficult job that requires excellent education and practical experience. Therefore, university graduates are required to work for at least two years as an assistant to a veterinarian, and only after that can they begin general practice. Working with animals is less materially responsible than treating people.
Chances are you won't be jailed for negligence. But from a moral point of view, the responsibility is equal. The profession of a veterinarian is suitable for those who are ready to take responsibility for other people's lives. If that doesn't scare you, let's talk about its features, pros and cons, training, career prospects, and average salaries.
Description of the profession veterinarian
Veterinary medicine is the science of preventing, diagnosing, treating diseases and injuries in animals. And not only at home, as many applicants mistakenly think. Dogs and horses, cats and cows, hamsters and tigers living in the zoo need treatment alike. In the course of training, you can independently focus on the study of certain groups and species of animals, but the educational standards are uniform and you will also have to know, in particular, the features of the anatomy and diseases of cattle.
The veterinarian's responsibilities may vary depending on the position they hold and the organization in which they work.
So the surgeon's assistant cannot perform operations on his own - his task is to help and learn during the work. A zootechnician with a veterinary education can specialize in the breeding of pedigree animals to increase their efficiency. But the basic responsibilities of all specialists are:
- Diagnostics, prevention and treatment of diseases in animals.
- Restoration or elimination of reproductive function.
- Improving the efficiency of animals for the benefit of agricultural enterprises.
- Laboratory tests, observation, research.
- Selection of the optimal course of treatment, medicines, therapeutic methods.
An important duty of veterinarians-surgeons is to carry out operations and rehabilitation. Oncologists - selection of a course of chemotherapy or radiation. In veterinary medicine there are a number of narrow specializations by analogy with the "usual" medical practice. The specialist can be a surgeon, therapist, ophthalmologist, oncologist, psychiatrist, and so on. A veterinarian can be partly the same dog handler, correcting the dog's behavior and studying its psychology. The range of responsibilities is extremely wide and always depends on the position and place of work of a specialist.
Where can you get an education as a veterinarian
It is much easier for a specialist with a higher education to count on a successful career. To do this, it is better to immediately enter a university, or apply to a prestigious college, and then get an accelerated higher education in absentia. The more authoritative the educational institution is, the better.
However, to a greater extent, career growth depends on the personal success of a specialist and his qualifications. A veterinarian needs a good education just like any doctor. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the TOP-5 Russian universities that train specialists in this profession:
- Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology. Scriabin.
- Agrarian University. Timiryazev.
- Peoples' Friendship University of Russia.
- Novosibirsk Agrarian University.
- Kazan Academy of Veterinary Medicine. Bauman.
Among the subjects that must be passed in the USE are biology, chemistry and Russian. Sometimes chemistry is replaced by mathematics. It is necessary to contact the admissions office in advance and clarify the list of items. Remember that the university can independently conduct exams and take into account the various achievements of applicants. We recommend not relying solely on information from the official websites of educational institutions - mistakes can be made everywhere. Do not be lazy to contact the members of the selection committee.
What personal qualities you need to have
First of all, it is love for animals. It's hard to do well what you hate with all your heart. Therefore, listen to yourself: do you really love them? Are you ready not only to spend all your working time with them, but also to devote your life to them? Try to get rid of rose-colored glasses in advance. According to statistics, at least 30% of graduates of veterinary departments do not work in their specialty. It will be sad to spend at least 4 years on training in a profession you do not need.
If you are confident in your decision, pay attention to other personal qualities that a specialist should have:
- Resistant to stress.
- Mindfulness, patience.
- Outstanding intelligence.
- Constant desire to develop.
- Willpower.
What does willpower do on the list? Judge for yourself: in the course of training, you will probably have to dissect the same frogs. For many, this is a trifle, but for some it is a real tragedy. In the course of work, you will have to face hopeless animals, see a lot of tragic deaths. Only a strong-willed person with iron nerves can overcome this and continue to work calmly. The rest try to "run away" from problem clients and focus on private practice related to prescribing medicines and vaccinations.
Pros and cons of being a veterinarian
On the one hand, this is an important, necessary and truly kind profession. Your life is filled with new meaning, you can save animals from imminent death and bring sincere joy to their owners. At the same time, the salaries of specialists in this industry are far from the maximum, especially when working in government agencies. Not everyone succeeds in building a successful career. In addition, the profession is less respectable than the same doctor, although no less important. We recommend weighing the pros and cons in advance.
Key advantages profession veterinarian:
- An important, useful, critical specialty.
- The ability to save the lives of animals every day.
- Decent salaries in private clinics.
- Career prospects for qualified professionals.
- A truly enjoyable job for people who love animals.
Key limitations profession veterinarian:
- Difficult, extremely demanding work.
- Low salaries for assistants and other low-skilled employees.
- The need to contact not always objective animal owners.
- Difficult career growth, the need to work as an assistant after graduation.
- Not the highest salaries.
The pros and cons are best viewed with an objective assessment of your own prospects. If you cannot count on entering a university and are forced to be content with secondary education, if you are not ready to go up the career ladder for at least 5-7 years, there are more disadvantages. If you sincerely love animals, are ready for constant self-education, for regular advanced training, if you are not afraid of responsibility for the lives of someone's beloved pets, this profession will certainly suit you.
Where to work and how to build a career
After graduating from the university, the specialist must work for at least two years as an assistant to a veterinarian.
Without this, it is impossible to start a full-fledged practice. Next, you will need to pass certification, obtain certification documents and start working in a new status. Where veterinarians can work:
- In clinics and laboratories.
- At veterinary stations.
- In circuses and zoos.
- In agricultural enterprises.
- In the field of control of products of animal origin.
- In fisheries, nurseries.
Until recently, many veterinarians were in private practice - they provided services with a visit to the house, a kind of "ambulance for animals" was created. Now they are trying to start controlling the industry, it is possible that in the near future private specialists will be outlawed. At the same time, nothing will prevent an experienced veterinarian from starting his own business - opening a private clinic or laboratory, a pet store or a nursery.
Career prospects directly depend on the qualifications of a specialist and on his place of work. The easiest way to achieve success in work is after graduating from reputable universities. The path of a specialist with a secondary education will be more difficult - he will spend additional time on distance learning and will have a diploma that is less demanded by employers.
How much does a veterinarian earn in Russia
The average salary of specialists in this field is 28 thousand rubles. In Moscow it is 33 thousand rubles, in remote regions - 25 thousand rubles. The most profitable is to start your own business. Veterinarians working in private clinics and laboratories earn on average 3-4 thousand rubles more than their colleagues in similar positions in government agencies.
As for the increase in wages with career growth, it is present, but not as pronounced as in many other specialties.
That is, if the difference between the salaries of an ordinary administrator and a top manager is obvious, then in the salaries of an experienced veterinarian-surgeon and an assistant, it is expressed in 5-7 thousand rubles. However, building a successful career and achieving high wages is real. The key conditions for this are to constantly develop, do your job well and constantly look for vacancies with higher salaries.
Summary
A story about the profession of a veterinarian should begin with a description of the shortcomings of this profession. This is the only way to remove rose-colored glasses from the majority of applicants who dream of "positive work with animals." This is an extremely difficult, responsible, but respected and truly important specialty. But it is important to be ready for it. At the same time, one should not count on high salaries in the first 2-3 years of work. As your career progresses, you will be able to increase your income, but it will only reach its maximum levels when you open your own clinic.
Maria Kositsyna
Editor of the Info-Profi portal, head of the student projects support center of Tyumen State University.
