Career Opportunities
Vet Assistants
feed, water, and examine pets and other nonfarm animals for signs of illness, disease, or injury in laboratories and animal hospitals and clinics. Clean and disinfect cages and work areas, and sterilize laboratory and surgical equipment. May provide routine postoperative care, administer medication orally or topically, or prepare samples for laboratory examination under the supervision of veterinary or laboratory animal technologists or technicians, veterinarians, or scientists.
$30980
No degree required
Strong job growth
High job satisfaction
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals. Prepare vaccines and serums for prevention of diseases. Prepare tissue samples, take blood samples, and execute laboratory tests, such as urinalysis and blood counts. Clean and sterilize instruments and materials and maintain equipment and machines. May assist a veterinarian during surgery.
$37860
Associate's degree
Strong job growth
High job satisfaction
Personality Match
Related Majors
Veterinary Administrative/Executive Assistant and Veterinary Secretary
A program that prepares individuals to perform the duties of special assistants and personal secretaries for practicing veterinarians, veterinary health care facilities and services administrators, and other veterinary professionals. Includes instruction in business and veterinary communications, veterinary terminology, principles of veterinary health care operations, public relations and interpersonal communications, software applications, record-keeping and filing systems, scheduling and meeting planning, applicable policy and regulations, and professional standards and ethics.
Veterinary/Animal Health Technology and Veterinary Assistant
A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of veterinarians, laboratory animal specialists, and zoological professionals, to provide patient management, care, and clinical procedures assistance as well as owner communication. Includes instruction in animal nursing care, animal health and nutrition, animal handling, clinical pathology, radiology, anesthesiology, dental prophylaxis, surgical assisting, clinical laboratory procedures, office administration skills, patient and owner management, and applicable standards and regulations.
Veterinary Reception/Receptionist
A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of office managers, veterinary technicians, or veterinarians, to provide customer service, visitor reception, and patient intake and discharge services. Includes instruction in veterinary office and animal care facility procedures, veterinary terminology, interpersonal skills, record-keeping, customer service, telephone skills, data entry, interpersonal communications skills, and applicable policies and regulations.
Veterinary Medicine
A program that prepares individuals for the independent professional practice of veterinary medicine, involving the diagnosis, treatment, and health care management of animals and animal populations and the prevention and management of zoonosis. Includes instruction in the veterinary basic sciences, infectious and noninfectious disease, diagnostic procedures, veterinary clinical medicine, obstetrics, radiology, anesthesiology, surgery, toxicology, animal health and preventive medicine, clinical nutrition, practice management, and professional standards and ethics.
Veterinary Sciences/Veterinary Clinical Sciences
An integrated program of study in one or more of the veterinary medical or clinical sciences or a program undifferentiated as to title.
Comparative and Laboratory Animal Medicine
A program that focuses on the scientific study of animal models of human disease and related experimental procedures, and prepares veterinarians and animal health specialists to manage the laboratory use and care of experimental animals. Includes instruction in laboratory animal husbandry, laboratory animal disease, biohazard control, gnotobiology, breeding, comparative anatomy and physiology, comparative gene mapping, protein function, physical and mathematical modeling, computer modeling, stem cell technology, colony and genetic stock management, cryopreservation, applicable regulations, and bioethics.
Large Animal/Food Animal and Equine Surgery and Medicine
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the internal medicine and invasive and noninvasive treatment of herd, work, sport, and food animals. Includes instruction in equine medicine, swine and dairy medicine, food animal medicine, pathophysiology, large animal diseases, large animal anesthesiology and surgical procedures, preoperative and postoperative care, and specific medical specialties such as dentistry, ophthalmology, oncology, obstetrics/theriogenology, and orthopedics.
Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the internal medicine and invasive and noninvasive treatment of companion and household animals. Includes instruction in avian medicine, pet care, companion animal medicine, pathophysiology, small animal diseases, small animal anesthesiology and surgical procedures, preoperative and postoperative care, and specific medical specialties such as dentistry, ophthalmology, oncology, obstetrics/theriogenology, and orthopedics.
Veterinary Anatomy
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the structure of small and large animal cellular, organ, tissue, and body systems and their relation to physiologic function, disease, and therapeutic treatment. Includes instruction in histology, ultrastructure, molecular biology, biochemistry, developmental biology, neuroscience, electrophysiology, electron microscopy, computer imaging, and applications to specific species.