Are you interested in being a part of the animal kingdom but are unsure about how to go about that? Being a veterinary doctor is your clue to being surrounded by all kinds of animals-brownie points if you are a pet owner yourself!
It’s a very rewarding career filled with veterinary care for animals!
Veterinary Science is a great path for animal lovers and if you have an interest in Medicine, then this blog will provide you with more details about it along with what steps you can take to pursue a career in Veterinary Science.
Read this article to find out how to become a veterinary doctor after 10th or 12th, required qualifications for veterinary doctor.
Who Is A Veterinary Doctor?
A veterinary doctor is responsible to take care of the injuries and manage the health of animals. They can also educate people to maintain the overall wellness of their pets.
As a veterinarian, you might enjoy your job because you are improving an animal's quality of life. If you have always been interested in science and love spending time with animals, becoming a vet could be a great career choice for you.
With pets increasing in numbers today due to factors such as people moving into cities, there have been significant opportunities opening up in this field.
More people are adopting pets nowadays – whether they are kept as companion animals or working animals, such as herding dogs.
To be a veterinarian in India entails studying for several years at the university level to specialize in areas such as tropical medicine and surgery.
Types of Veterinarians
If you are passionate about caring for animals and want to have a job that includes petting them all day, then the following types of veterinarians can be your ideal option:
- Companion Animal Veterinarians: These kinds of vets are entrusted with the responsibility of proving treatment to pet animals in private hospitals. Some of the pet animals they take care of are dogs, birds, and cats among others.
- Equine Veterinarians: They are responsible for treating horses.
- Food Safety and Inspection Veterinarians: A food safety and inspection veterinarian has to analyze and research ways to prevent and mitigate transmissible diseases in animals and between animals and humans.
- Food Animal Veterinarians: They carry out the responsibility of healthy food habits of farm animals and make the farm owners aware of healthy practices.
Research Veterinarians: They are responsible for researching and inventing new ways of surgical techniques and diagnoses to treat animals
What are the required exams, qualifications for veterinary doctor?
A student has to follow these steps to become a veterinary doctor:
1. Complete your 10+2 Course or diploma course after 10th
Students must have completed their 10+2 examination with science (physics, chemistry, and biology) to get admitted to a reputed veterinary college or to get the veterinary doctor qualification in India.
This is the minimum eligibility for veterinary doctor course or degree in India.
Additionally, one can even take up a diploma course after the 10th. Diploma courses help you get specialized in animal husbandry or veterinary science.
Also, note that many colleges take admission based on merit which ranges between 50and 60%.
2. Take the NEET exam
A candidate has to apply for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and qualify to become a veterinary doctor. Students who want to specialize in medical science have to take the NEET entrance exam to fulfill their dreams.
NEET is one of the most important veterinary doctor exam in India.
3. Get a bachelor's degree
After clearing the exam, the next step for a student would be to get admission to a veterinary college.
The bachelor’s degrees that one has to specialize in are veterinary science (B.V.Sc.) and animal husbandry (AH). The subjects that are covered under the courses are:
- Veterinary pathology
- Animal genetics and breeding
- Veterinary surgery and radiology
- Animal husbandry
- Veterinary medicine
- Animal nutrition
- Veterinary gynecology and obstetrics
- Veterinary parasitology
- Veterinary microbiology
4. Pursue A Master's Or Doctorate Degree
After completing your graduation, you can take a post-graduate degree or doctorate in veterinary science or a course that is related to animal husbandry.
However, it is not compulsory to have a master’s or doctorate.
But, having a Master of Science (M.Sc), Master of Veterinary Science (M.V.Sc) or a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree would give an edge to your career and you can scale new heights and take up new opportunities.
Moreover, having a doctorate will also open up the doors to going abroad for higher studies and research.
5. Receive A License
Try pet sitting in high school so that you can lay a foundation for your career and have a great bonding experience with all kinds of animals.
The next step would be to apply for a valid license. The process will require a licensing fee and a few tests too.
Like professional service providers do every day, you might start small and gradually gain clients as more people hear about what you're offering.
6. Pursue A Specialisation
Veterinary certification is a credential earned after the completion of rigorous training coursework, seminars, and examinations.
It indicates that a veterinarian has specific knowledge in specialized areas of treatment, medicinal management, or medical advances.
To qualify for taking the certification examination one must first have several years of practical experience as well as have graduated from an accredited university with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree (DVM).
Skills For Veterinarians
- Knowledge of animal science and healthcare: To work as a veterinarian, you must possess a comprehensive understanding of animal health sciences including their anatomy, biology, and nutrition.
You should ideally also be aware of any risks associated with not only treating animals in need but also the various paths that the diseases they suffer from could take. - Empathy: Veterinarians spend a lot of time nurturing and caring for a variety of people and animals, sometimes all at the same time!
One way that veterinarians demonstrate their compassion for others is by demonstrating their devotion to making sure everyone who comes through the door leaves feeling personally satisfied and fulfilled - whether that's at work or within a relationship! - Teamwork: Veterinarians work with an array of veterinary assistants and other animal healthcare professionals. With your team, you will attempt to solve cases and resolve new animal-related problems daily.
Always making sure that every member can grow is crucial because, to progress as a professional, it is important to have the right tools and instruments needed for each case. - Leadership: A vet must possess leadership qualities that will help them to delegate tasks and make vital decisions. Communication is another essential characteristic of a leader and is pivotal in medical science.
- Analytical skills: While treating animals, a veterinary doctor much has strong observational skills that smooth the process of diagnosis.
- Willingness to learn: A veterinary doctor must be open to learning throughout their career. They should not hold themselves back from adopting new practices and techniques that might be beneficial for their career and chisel their technique.
- Communication: Working with a team will demand smoother communication from your side as a veterinary doctor. You need to give your team precise and simple instructions to ease the process of treatment. Clear directions are an important part of your job.
- Physical stamina: The job of a veterinary doctor can be painstaking, therefore, you should be fit and have a high metabolism to be able to work for longer hours. Some veterinary doctors have to pass fitness tests to prove their ability and agility.
- Technology skills: The new-age technology requires veterinary doctors to use various tools like x-ray machines, radiographs, and many more. One should be well equipped with them as the need might arise to use them during surgeries.
Conclusion
Becoming a veterinary doctor in india is quite lucrative and the average salary is from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 50,000 in a month according to one’s experience and expertise.
In this article topics like required qualifications for veterinary doctor, veterinary doctor course has been covered.
Evenmore, people who love pets may be given the opportunity to work with a wide variety of breeds during their time as a veterinary doctor.
If you are passionate about taking care of pets and want to make a career out of it, you can pursue your studies and become a successful and kind veterinary doctor.
FAQs
Q1. What qualifications do I need to be a Veterinary Doctor?
One has to have a minimum of 50 and 60% marks in their 10+2 exams to take up the NEET exam. After that, one can either finish their graduate degree or go for either Masters or Doctorate to become a veterinary doctor.
Q2. Do Veterinary Doctors earn well in India?
Yes, a veterinary doctor earns somewhere between ₹5,87,269 p.a to ₹11,41,902 p.a.
Q3. How long does it take to be a veterinary doctor?
The duration of a veterinary course differs from one country to another and also the veterinary colleges.
On average, the veterinary course lasts between 3 – 5 years. You need to be very careful in choosing your college or university to save time and money; as it is not at all easy to leave the job and start your course.