Profession of Veterinary Medicine

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Profession of Veterinary Medicine

• Angie Dement
• Extension Assistant Veterinary Medicine
• Texas AgriLife Extension Service
• College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical
  Sciences
• Texas AM System
• http//extensionvetmed.tamu.edu

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Profession of Veterinary Medicine

• To learn and accomplish
• Specific diagnosis (Accurate) (Diagnostician)
• Specific treatment regimen (Correct, Effective)
• Drug therapy (Pharmacologist)
• Surgical therapy (Surgeon)
• Physical therapy (Physiologist)
• Dietary therapy (Nutritionist)
• Specific prevention, control and eradication
  protocols (Epidemiologist)

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• To understand advanced sciences
• Know why, not just what and how
• No guess diagnosis
• No shotgun therapies

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• To improve the quality of life of people and
  animals
• Foster health and well-being of animals
• Enhance production of animal populations
• Increase economic efficiency and profitability of
  animal operations
• Improve production of safe and wholesome food
• Improve the recreational or working relationship
  of owners and their animals
• Companionship, human-animal bond, pleasure

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Careers in Veterinary Medicine

• Positions of employment
• Veterinarian 4 yrs pre-vet college, 4 yrs vet
  college (8 yrs college)
• Veterinary Technician 2 yrs college
• Veterinary Assistant study courses, work
  experience
• 4-H Veterinary Science Project
• Career-oriented curriculum (5 yr)
• Job trained

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• Fields of employment
• Companion animal health
• Exotic animal health
• Food animal health
• Laboratory animal health
• Human health

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• Kinds of employment (types)
• Private Veterinary Practice
• Clinical service individual animals, animal
  populations
• Laboratory service
• Consultant service

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• Public Veterinary Practice
• Education teaching, extension (university)
• Research (university, military)
• Clinical service (university, military)
• Laboratory service (university, government)
• Regulatory (government-USDA, TAHC)
• Industry Veterinary Practice
• Research (pharmaceutical, food companies)
• Sales (pharmaceutical, food companies)

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Professional Career Development

• Evaluate interests and abilities
• Advanced sciences
• Animal well-being
• Kinds of employment
• Involvement of sick, diseased animals (live and
  dead) (blood, odor)
• Compassion and caring for people and animals

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• Communication skills (people person) (people
  skills)
• Business skills (private practice)
• Long work days (night, week-end emergencies -
  private practice)
• Not based on I love animals.

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• Make commitment (focus, blinders)
• Highly motivated and dedicated
• Work with veterinarians
• Develop veterinary experience
• Work with animals
• Develop animal experience

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• Plan HS curriculum with advanced sciences
• Calculus
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Zoology (genetics, nutrition, biology)
• Microbiology
• Animal science (Ag Sc)

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• Participate in extra-curricular leadership and
  citizenship activities
• 4-H Veterinary Science Project/Curriculum and 4-H
  Animal Projects
• FFA Program animal projects
• Ag Co Op Program
• Animal Associations/Societies Memberships
• Animal Publication Subscriptions
• Animal Show/Performance Clubs

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Pre-professional Academic Programs in College

• Alternate career program - B.S. Degrees
• Biomedical Science (TAMU)
• Animal Science (TAMUS-CS, Commerce, Kingsville,
  Stephenville, Canyon) Texas Tech, SFA, SHSU, Sul
  Ross, SWTU, others
• Zoology (many)

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• Initial enrollment
• Junior college (transfer after 31 hrs)
• Senior college (study habits, time management,
  focused, large classes) - know how to study

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• Prerequisites completed 2 - 4 yrs (64 hrs)
• Biology
• Animal Science
• Microbiology
• Genetics
• Nutrition
• Inorganic chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Calculus
• Physics
• English

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• Extra-curricular
• Leadership activities
• Citizenship activities
• Veterinary experience
• Animal experience

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• Veterinary Technician Program
• Associate Degree (2 yrs colege)
• Veterinary Technology (Tomball College, Cedar
  Valley College, Palo Alto College, Sul Ross,
  Midland College)
• B. S. Degree
• Biomedical Science (TAMU)
• State/National Board Exam
• Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)

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Professional Program Application Process CVM-TAMU

• Submit application by October 1
• (400 applicants)
• Application score 300 pts

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• Academic Performance Score 180 pts
• OA GPA 40 pts
• Sci GPA 40 pts
• L45 hrs GPA 40 pts
• GRE 60 pts (Analytical-25,
  Quantitative-25,
• 
  Verbal-10)

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• Professional Preparation Score 120 pts
• Veterinary experience 16 pts
• Animal experience 12 pts
• Course load 12 pts
• Academic rigor 12 pts
• Interview score 40 pts
• Background 28 pts

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• Interview 225 applicants
• Top academic and professional preparation scores
  (vet and animal experiences)
• Select 132 applicants in March
• Successfully complete professional curriculum
• Have personal qualities, motivation and
  dedication to be a veterinarian
• Top academic and professional preparation scores

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Professional Program CVM TAMU

• Curriculum
• Four years (off summers VM1 and VM2)
• 167 credit hrs
• 1VM
• 20 and 19 credit hrs
• Anatomy, microbiology, physiology

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• 2VM
• 20 and 20 credit hrs
• Nutrition, parasitology, pathology, pharmacology,
  toxicology, surgery/anesthesiology, radiology
• 3VM
• 22 and 20 credit hrs
• Public health, large animal medicine, small
  animal medicine, surgery, clinics, clinical
  skills, electives, practice management

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• 4VM
• 46 credit hrs clinics
• 30 wks basic case rotations
• 12 wks elective rotations
• 4 wks internship
• 2 wks vacation
• State and National Board Exams
• Licensed Veterinarian by State
• http//www.CVM.tamu.edu
• http//extensionvetmed.tamu.edu