What to study to be a veterinarian? | Requirements to study veterinary
If you love animals and have a great interest in caring for animals, veterinary medicine may be the ideal profession for you. It is the medical science that deals with all tasks related to the prevention, diagnosis and cure of animal diseases, whether domestic, wild or farmyard. In addition, a veterinary professional has other functions, such as reproductive assistance or health control of food of animal origin to prevent any disease from being transmitted from animals to humans.
For those who still have doubts about choosing their studies and want to focus their professional career on the world of animals, we have prepared this brief guide on the academic requirements necessary to be a veterinarian and the skills that must be developed to practice this profession.
Necessary studies to be a veterinarian
To qualify as a veterinary doctor, it is recommended to choose the Baccalaureate of Health Sciences and then study the University Degree in Veterinary Medicine, which lasts 5 years and in which the most important theoretical and practical foundations are studied to practice this medicine.
Currently, if you want to study Veterinary Medicine in Spain, you are interested in knowing that you can do it at the Complutense University of Madrid, at the Cardenal Herrera-CEU University, at the Catholic University of Valencia and at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, among others. In addition, some of the subjects studied in the Veterinary Degree at the university are:
- Ethnology and Bases of Ethology and Animal Protection
- Legal Aspects of Veterinary Practice
- animal physiology
- Hygiene, inspection and food control
- Ecology and Environment
- Scientific English for Veterinary
Likewise, there are students who choose to study a master's or postgraduate degree in Veterinary Medicine to complete their training or specialize in a specific area. In this sense, you may be interested in studying a Master in Small Animal Surgery and Anesthesia, in Instruction of Canine Work Units, in Animal Law and Society, in Marine Mammal Care, etc. In general, these degrees last one or two years and you can take them both in person and online.
What skills should a veterinarian possess?
In addition to the academic requirements that we have indicated, it is important that the professional profile of a good veterinarian has the following skills and abilities:
- Capacity for analysis and synthesis , for relationships and interpersonal contacts, rigor and attention to detail.
- Interest in research, health, biology, ecology , the environment and, especially, in animals.
- Sensitivity for animals and nature, dynamism in actions, patience and initiative.
What are the professional opportunities of the veterinary career?
One of the great concerns among those who study Veterinary medicine has to do precisely with finding a job related to their studies when they finish university . To serve as a guide, we are going to give you a series of examples of job opportunities for veterinarians that you can choose from once you finish your veterinary degree and embark on the adventure of the labor market:
- Veterinary clinics for domestic or wild animals
- Food inspection and slaughterhouses
- Pharmaceutical industries and laboratories
- Animal Production Clinics
- Scientific investigation
- Feed manufacturing industries
- Public health surveillance and control entities
In addition to working in the private sector, you will be able to present yourself to the competitions for veterinarians that are convened at the state, regional and local level. In this way, you will be able to get a permanent and stable job in the public administration in the profession that you like the most.
How much does a veterinarian earn in Spain?
In addition to job opportunities, you are probably wondering how much you will earn as a veterinarian once you start practicing this profession. In general, the average gross annual salary of a veterinarian in Spain is between 19,000 - 22,000 euros , although this amount may vary depending on your studies and your professional experience, as well as the institution or entity for which you work.