A veterinarian entering the job market today has a very bright outlook. Approximately 2800 new graduates are matriculated each year and this number is far below what's needed for the growing profession.

  

It's clear that this demand will continue well into the future, partly driven by the increasing need for veterinary services for felines, as well as the growing number of exotic pet owners who are purchasing wellness plans. From the animal shelter to the veterinary clinic, this increase has been having profound effects on the industry. The increased demand placed upon the 28 accredited veterinary schools in the United States however, means that the competition a prospective applicant must face is fierce.

The typical new pet vet ends up pursuing a career in veterinary care of small animals, i.e. pets. There is however, a need for veterinarians in other, sometimes more non-traditional areas such as the role of zoo veterinarian, animal research vet and even government watchdog agencies. The point is, if you love working with animals, there is a place for you almost anywhere you choose to be.

21st Century Veterinary Medicine

What's the difference between a pet doctor who works in a clinic and one who works in a hospital?

Here's the only difference, an animal doctor working in a clinic may just be working in smaller facilities, though, that's not always the case. Many animal hospitals today, started out as pet clinics yesterday. As they grew, they never bothered to change their branding.

The majority of veterinarians graduating over the last 10 or more years have been women, though, over the last couple foof years, an increasing number of applicants has been male. A large percentage of new veterinarians now earn their living taking care of pet dogs, cats, and horses. There is still a good chance however, that your next veterinarian will be female.

Guess what? This has not always been the case however. Up to about thirty years ago, a female animal veterinarian was a rarity. Even worse, in as little as fifty years ago, men who dedicated themselves to treating pets were considered as having a "sissy" occupation. The field has come a long way and still has a ways to go.

If you were around prior to World War II and owned a pet, chances are you would have hesitated to pay a vet more that a fraction of what pet owners are willing to pay today, if it was before World War I, chances are you wouldn't have even considered taking your pet to an animal doctor. These doctors were more focused on caring for domesticated farm animals and work horses. The term "pet doctor" didn't make a whole lot of sense back then.

In the early to mid-1900's, veterinarians have been at the forefront of getting major diseases like rabies, hog cholera, hoof and mouth disease, brucellosis and tuberculosis under control. On a darker side, or lighter depending upon whom you speak to, veterinarians have been involved with experimental medicine and surgery. Whenever a new technique or surgery was being developed or tried, it was often done on animals first, by veterinarians, or at least they were present when the procedure were done.

When one looks at all of the contributions that have been made to our society by the veterinary profession, it quickly becomes obvious that a veterinarian can and has touched almost every aspect of our lives and has improved it in the process. Hats off to the veterinary profession.