What Is Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all animal species, both domesticated and wild, with a wide range of conditions which can affect different species.

Veterinary medicine is widely practiced, both with and without professional supervision. Professional care is most often led by a veterinary physician (also known as a vet, veterinary surgeon or veterinarian), but also by paraveterinary workers such as veterinary nurses or technicians.

Veterinarians are generally responsible for:

· Diagnosing animal diseases

· Treating injured or sick animals

· Advising pet owners on appropriate animal care

· Reviewing veterinary medicine publications and research results

· Treating animals with medical equipment and sometimes sophisticated laboratories

· Contributing to human health

· Food safety testing

· Quarantining animals

A prospective veterinarian must be comfortable working with a variety of animals and owners, and learn how to administer and diagnose illnesses. Veterinary school training offers students a chance to gain skills in bonding with pets and animals of all sizes. Even when a veterinarian career leads to a private practice, or treatment of only small or large animals, some important skills needed include:

· Working with a wide range of sophisticated medical equipment

· Working long hours, both in a lab setting and on location when needed

· Getting along with pet owners

· Forming strong bonds with pets

· Strong communication and business skills

· Being able to promote their private practice