What a veterinarian really does
You figure out what is wrong with patients who cannot talk, then guide worried owners through the choices, the costs and sometimes the goodbye.
FieldHealth
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Extensive preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for veterinarians, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Back to back exam room appointments: wellness visits, vaccines and sick pets with vague signs like vomiting or limping
- Reading bloodwork, urine results and radiographs between appointments and deciding what to run next
- Calling owners with results and walking them through treatment options and estimates
- Surgery or dental blocks on some mornings, with a technician running anesthesia
- Quality of life and euthanasia conversations, often several a week
- Writing medical records and callbacks at the end of the day, which often runs past closing
- Directing technicians and assistants on treatments, holds and sample collection
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- Long days are the norm for most vets. Duration of Typical Work Week: 56% more than 40 hours (O*NET Work Context)
- Grief work is part of the core job, not an edge case. Counseling owners about death and performing euthanasia are both rated core tasks. Task 7, counsel clients about pet deaths or euthanasia decisions: importance 86, Core; Task 9, euthanize animals: importance 82, Core (O*NET Tasks)
- You will deal with upset owners regularly, often about money or outcomes, not just about the animal. Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People: 15% every day, 40% once a week or more (O*NET Work Context)
- The clock is always running. Appointments run late and emergencies get squeezed in. Time Pressure: 61% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- Bites, scratches and exposure to sick animals are routine hazards. Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings: 55% every day; Exposed to Disease or Infections: 53% every day (O*NET Work Context)
How people get into it
A four year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree after undergraduate science coursework, then passing the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) and getting a state license. O*NET respondents report a doctoral degree (79%), post doctoral training (12%) or a professional degree (9%). Some do an internship or residency to specialize.
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: This trial cannot show the physical side of the job: handling and restraining frightened animals, doing a hands on physical exam, drawing blood, placing catheters, performing surgery or dentistry, or physically performing euthanasia. It also cannot show the smells, the noise of a busy hospital, or the emotional weight of several hard cases in one day. You act as a veterinary student on clinical rotation, so a licensed veterinarian signs off on every diagnosis, prescription and procedure.
Reading about it is one thing.
Find out how the work feels to you before you spend on a degree, course or job change. Your first trial is free.
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Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 29-1131.00. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.