Maintaining the general health of pets and other animals is the primary responsibility of a veterinarian. He diagnoses and controls animal diseases, performs surgeries, prevents transmission of animal diseases to humans, treats sick and injured animals, provides advice to pet owners regarding proper care of livestock and pets, etc. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a person who wishes to work as veterinarian must have a degree in Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). Bachelor’s degree enables you to work as clinical veterinarians. A clinical vet is responsible for diagnosing, treating and curing injuries and diseases of animals. They usually have specialization in large animals like cows or horses, mixed animals, small companion animals, etc. Clinical vets conduct surgery, bandage wounds, administer medications, position fractures, vaccinate animals, etc.
Online veterinary degree allows a person to attend courses in veterinary science. It includes animal nutrition, biology, animal zoology, systematic physics, etc. Veterinarians are highly educated specialists and they can be compared with medical doctors. They must get their first graduation from a veterinary school. Then they need to undergo internship and residency. The final stage of education process is a rigorous examination. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has approved excellent veterinary medicine schools from at least 26 states.
You can pursue online veterinary degree if you either have an existing degree or have required coursework in the field of mathematics and science. Primary science courses include physics, chemistry, biology, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, zoology, cellular biology, nutrition genetics, and animal biology. Mathematics courses consist of statistics, trigonometry, algebra and calculus and general studies courses include English, social studies and humanities. In order to get an admission in online and campus based veterinary schools, students must also obtain high scores in Medical College Admission Test, Veterinary College Admission Test, Graduate Record Examination or at least Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
Students who wish to earn DVM degree program can select several topics such as equine and small animal veterinary medicine. The course work includes:
- Study of anatomy,
- Clinical rotations,
- Treatments including surgery for small and large animals.
After completing this course, you can appear for the North American Veterinary Licensing Examinations (NAVLE) for getting certification. This exam is offered by the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. This is a computer based test and you need to answer 360 multiple choice questions.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, an experienced and certified veterinarian can earn around $126,550 annually. However, the earning depends on experience, ability, location of work, skills, etc.
Associate of Science in Veterinary Technology
Associate of Science in Veterinary Technology is the other online veterinary degree offered by various schools and colleges. This program empowers students to work in the offices of veterinarians. This is a two year course and during this period, students learn to perform various tasks such as taking X-rays, laboratory tests, nursing care for animals, etc. You can enroll in this program if you have a GED or high school diploma. The topics of this course include:
- Radiology,
- Anesthesia,
- Medical terminologies,
- Nursing procedures,
- Pathology,
- Pharmacology,
- Parasitology,
- Laboratory animal science,
- Surgical assisting,
- Diagnostic imagine, etc.
Bachelor of Science in Pre-Veterinary Medicine
This is a 4 year course and it is meant for aspiring veterinarians. Before getting admission in DVM program, the students need to undergo classes in Bachelor of Science in Pre-veterinary Medicine. You can also enroll in online veterinary colleges for getting online veterinary degree. The students need to undergo classroom studies and laboratory training. A high school diploma is essential for admitting in this course. The coursework include:
- General chemistry,
- Zoology,
- Microbiology,
- Biology,
- Animal nutrition,
- Physiology,
- Genetics,
- Principles of animal science, etc.
The pre-veterinary degree program aims to prepare students for entering in doctoral programs. After the completion of this course, students can seek jobs in veterinary healthcare filed and they can also earn upto $ 80,000 per year depending on their skill, experience and location.