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Veterinarians Occupation Detailed Description

Veterinarians career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Veterinarians

The main tasks and work activities of Veterinarians are to examine patients to assess general physical condition, prescribe medications, operate on patients to treat conditions, treat acute illnesses, infections, or injuries. In general, for the Veterinarians, active Listening, reading Comprehension, active Learning, judgment and Decision Making and other 16 skills are required.
Veterinarians Job Description
EducationMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related ExperienceExtensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job TrainingEmployees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
ExampleThese occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Veterinarians jobs.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
0.00%
Post-Secondary Certificate
0.00%
Some College Courses
0.00%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
0.00%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
100.00%

Tasks and Work Activities of Veterinarians

  • Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
  • Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
  • Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
  • Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
  • Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
  • Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
  • Train or supervise workers who handle or care for animals.
  • Provide care to a wide range of animals or specialize in a particular species, such as horses or exotic birds.
  • Euthanize animals.
  • Establish or conduct quarantine or testing procedures that prevent the spread of diseases to other animals or to humans and that comply with applicable government regulations.
  • Conduct postmortem studies and analyses to determine the causes of animals' deaths.
  • Direct the overall operations of animal hospitals, clinics, or mobile services to farms.
  • Drive mobile clinic vans to farms so that health problems can be treated or prevented.
  • Specialize in a particular type of treatment, such as dentistry, pathology, nutrition, surgery, microbiology, or internal medicine.
  • Inspect and test horses, sheep, poultry, or other animals to detect the presence of communicable diseases.
  • Plan or execute animal nutrition or reproduction programs.
  • Research diseases to which animals could be susceptible.
  • Inspect animal housing facilities to determine their cleanliness and adequacy.
  • Determine the effects of drug therapies, antibiotics, or new surgical techniques by testing them on animals.
  • Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, general care, medical conditions, or treatment options.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Documenting/Recording InformationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the PublicPerforming for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersTranslating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsMonitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Examine patients to assess general physical condition.
  • Prescribe medications.
  • Operate on patients to treat conditions.
  • Treat acute illnesses, infections, or injuries.
  • Immunize patients.
  • Collect biological specimens from patients.
  • Operate diagnostic imaging equipment.
  • Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
  • Communicate health and wellness information to the public.
  • Supervise medical support personnel.
  • Train medical providers.
  • Provide care for animals.
  • Treat animal injuries or illnesses.
  • Determine protocols for medical procedures.
  • Analyze medical data to determine cause of death.
  • Manage healthcare operations.
  • Drive vehicles to transport individuals or equipment.
  • Develop medical treatment plans.
  • Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
  • Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.

Skills and Abilities for Veterinarians

  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • MathematicsUsing mathematics to solve problems.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • InstructingTeaching others how to do something.
  • Learning StrategiesSelecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • Management of Personnel ResourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
  • Systems EvaluationIdentifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Flexibility of ClosureThe ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Mathematical ReasoningThe ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
  • Finger DexterityThe ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Arm-Hand SteadinessThe ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Number FacilityThe ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Far VisionThe ability to see details at a distance.
  • Resuscitation masks or accessoriese.g. Ambu bags
  • Angiography contrast medium delivery sete.g. Angiography catheters
  • Animal catching devicese.g. Animal catching poles
  • Veterinary electrocardiograph ECGe.g. Animal electrocardiograph ECG units
  • Animal catching devicese.g. Animal snares
  • Arterial line catheterse.g. Arterial line catheters
  • Endoscopic instrument setse.g. Arthroscopic surgical equipment
  • Veterinary injection or suction units or accessoriese.g. Aspiration catheters
  • Chemistry analyzerse.g. Automated chemistry analyzers
  • Microbiology analyzerse.g. Automated microbial identification systems
  • Laboratory animal restraints or harnessese.g. Avian restrainers
  • Bandage scissors or its suppliese.g. Bandage scissors
  • Bar code reader equipmente.g. Barcode scanners
  • Surgical pneumatic or battery or electric saws or drills or pin drivers or accessoriese.g. Battery-operated orthopedic drills
  • Benchtop centrifugese.g. Benchtop centrifuges
  • Surgical punches or punch holder or accessoriese.g. Biopsy punches
  • Blood collection syringese.g. Blood collection syringes
  • Blood gas analyzerse.g. Blood gas analyzers
  • Surgical chisels or gougese.g. Bone chisels
  • Surgical clamps or clips or forceps or accessoriese.g. Bone clamps
  • Medicine and DentistryKnowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  • BiologyKnowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • MathematicsKnowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Education and TrainingKnowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • ChemistryKnowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
  • Personnel and Human ResourcesKnowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
  • Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • PsychologyKnowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.