Ferreyra 1

Samantha Ferreyra
Ms. Lawrence
AP Literature/Composition
22 January 2016
Period: 1
Veterinarian: The Adventures of an Animal Lover
Animals, especially pets, have consistently played a significant role alongside humans.
From their domestication, pets have become an integral part of our lives. Numerous families
and individuals value the comfort and companionship that pets provide, including mine. In my
family, we have had numerous pets, such as a dog, rabbit, and turtle, but currently, I have a cat,
who has essentially become my closest companion. Because of the influence of my internship
and love for animals, I have chosen to become a veterinarian. By learning more about the
general history, educational requirements, and employment opportunities for veterinarians, I am
committed and excited to begin my journey towards becoming a veterinarian. Although the
veterinary career is long, I know I can make a difference in both the animals and peoples lives.
The development of veterinary medicine started before veterinarians were officially
acknowledged by society. According to article History of the Veterinary Profession on the
RCVS Knowledge website, the start of veterinary medicine goes back to Urlugaledinna, who
lived in 3000 BC in Mesopotamia, and was an expert in healing animals. Urlugaledinna is
considered one of the first veterinarians because he attained skills and knowledge to heal
animals. His ability to help animals paved the way for the veterinary field to develop. However,
as stated in the article Origin and Early Development of the Veterinary Profession by John
Fisher published by the University of Sydney, the first officially recognized veterinarians were

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the graduates of the great veterinary schools founded in Western Europe. They graduated from
the veterinary school in Lyon, France by Claude Bourgelat in 1761 ("History of the
Veterinary Profession"). As the population grew, more people became veterinarians so they
could diagnose and treat animals. As a result, the veterinarian field expanded as more and more
veterinarians graduated. It led to the development of additional veterinary schools and the
successful advancement of veterinary medicine. Thus, veterinarians can continually provide the
best care for the animals.
In order to become a veterinarian, I will need to complete a bachelors degree, earn a
doctor in veterinary medicine, and become licensed by passing two exams. The road to
becoming a veterinarian is long, but it starts by attending a college or university. Some
veterinary schools in the United States require applicants to take specific college courses to
better prepare themselves. As reported in the article Veterinary Training on the American
Veterinary Medical Association website, to prepare for veterinary school, the average university
or college student will complete a four and a half years of college courses, such as biology,
chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics, microbiology, anatomy and physiology,
math, animal science, and more. All these college courses enable students to focus on a degree
in biological or physical sciences to enter a veterinary school. I am interested in attending the
University of California Davis because it is the only accredited veterinary school located within
California. According to the article Veterinary Medicine by the US News and World Report,
UC Davis is the number one veterinary medicine school in the entire United States. It is
difficult to gain acceptance to UC Davis due to the high competiveness of their veterinary
medicine programs; however, I am hopeful that I can gain admission to UC Davis so I can
begin my education towards becoming a veterinarian.

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Once I have completed my Bachelors degree, the next step of my journey begins as I
enter a veterinary school. As stated in the article Veterinarians Job Description, Education
Requirements & Salary Information by Diana Wadhwa in the newspaper U.S. News University
Directory, to become a veterinarian, Wadhwa confirms that veterinarians must graduate from a
four-year program at an accredited college of veterinary medicine with a Doctor of Veterinary
Medicine (DVM or VMD). Because there are only about thirty veterinary schools within the
United States, it is extremely difficult to enter a veterinary school. Moreover, to gain admission
to a veterinary school, students need to take certain tests to apply to a veterinary school since
they must submit test scores from the Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT) or the
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), as well as from the Graduate Record Examination
(GRE) (Wadhwa). These tests assess a students knowledge of science and math skills needed
in the veterinary medicine program. In addition to, the tests ensure that students are readily
prepared for the work at veterinary schools.
The veterinary program is highly competitive because students need decent scores on
the VCAT or MCAT and the GRE just to be considered for the program. As reported in the
article Summary on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website, during veterinary school,
students further learn about animals by taking courses on normal animal anatomy and
physiology, as well as disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Also, many veterinary
programs spend about three years doing classroom, laboratory, and clinical work while the
fourth year is spent on doing clinical rotations in a veterinary medical center or hospital
(Summary). The fourth year is crucial for veterinarians because they finally have to rely on
their judgment to assess and treat the animals. At veterinary school, students finally master
skills and knowledge necessary for the veterinary field.

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After successfully completing veterinary school, veterinarians must become licensed in
each state in which they practice (Veterinary Training). Each state within the United States
has different requirements, but in California, a veterinarian has to pass the California State
Board Examination to practice within the state. To practice in the United States, a veterinarian
also has to pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam. Both tests ensure veterinarians
have adequate knowledge to practice within their field. Yet, for veterinarians to keep their
license, they must renew it every two years, but they dont have to retake the exams. According
to Licensee Forms - California Veterinary Medical Board on the California Veterinary
Medical Board website, veterinarians have to renew their licenses through an application that
charges a renewal fee, and they must complete a specific number of hours for completing
education where they attend meetings, seminars, or workshops to learn about new techniques
and information regarding the veterinary field. At this point, veterinarians have numerous
options after gaining their doctorate in veterinary medicine and getting licensed. Many
veterinarians open up their private practices or begin to work at a local hospital or clinic.
Nonetheless, some veterinarians choose to intern for an additional year to gain more experience
while others continue their education to become certified in a specialty ("Summary.")
The job opportunities for veterinarians are vast because the veterinary field continues to
expand. Due to the high competitiveness to become a veterinarian, the veterinary field is
expected to grow and prosper as the employment of veterinarians is projected to grow 12
percent from 2012 to 2022 ("Summary"). As more families and individuals continue to adopt
pets, the need for veterinarians increases. Moreover, the veterinary field will grow since there
will be employment growth in fields related to food and animal safety, disease control, and
public health ("Summary"). Veterinarians are essential to ensure the prosperity of the human

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population. Since the human population is rapidly increasing, more veterinarians will be called
upon to examine the animals involved in the food supply. As a result, veterinarians have
numerous career options. According to Pre-Veterinary Medicine from the University of
California, Davis, veterinarians can work in a variety of settings, such as in the federal
government, private practice, zoo medicine, researching, and teaching. These career options
also accounts for the rapid demand for veterinarians since they are able to work in different
fields. Veterinarians can choose to work in any type of environment that is best suited for them.
During the summer of 2015, I interned at the Family Animal Hospital located in Costa
Mesa, California where I became familiar with working with animals and learning more about
a veterinarians duties. I worked with numerous personal, including veterinarians, veterinary
technicians, and other interns. At first, the experience was overwhelming since I immediately
began to learn how to restrain dogs that were uncooperative. Also, I had to remove catheters
from patients legs, and I had to quickly learn to find certain items like syringes. Gradually, as I
gained confidence and knowledge of the work, I became accustomed to a veterinarians normal
workday. During the days I interned, the veterinarians performed surgeries, such as
neuters/spays and growth removals. My job was to trim nails, put eye glue, recover animals,
remove incubation tubes, clean instruments, and remove catheters. I handled dogs and cats
before and after surgery. The most important part was waking up the animals after their surgery
because its dangerous for an animal to be kept under anesthesia for too long. Even though at
times it was difficult to wake up the animals, I loved spending time being able to care for them,
especially cats.
Normally, the hospital would have at least eight to ten surgeries every Monday and
Wednesday, but occasionally, a workday could consist of only three surgeries. When a workday

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had few surgeries, I would work with pets that needed nail trims, baths, or other basic services.
Each surgery was scheduled beforehand so the veterinarian can know how many patients he or
she would have on that day. A normal workday at the hospital started off by receiving pets,
especially cats and dogs. The dogs were placed in a separate room filled with kennels while the
cats were placed in the x-ray room. First, the veterinary technicians evaluated the animals by
weighing them, checking their heartbeats, and examining their teeth. As soon as the veterinary
technicians were done, the animals are put back to their designated areas. The veterinarian who
performs the surgery arrives as soon as all the surgeries are prepped. Then, as the veterinarian
arrives, he or she reexamines the animals, but more thoroughly. When the veterinarian clears
the animals for surgery, the veterinary technicians inject the animals with drugs. It results in the
animals falling asleep so then I begin to trim nails, glue the eyes (to prevent eye damage), place
ropes, and vacuum off any debris. While I am completing my tasks, a veterinary technician
inserts an incubation tube, a tube that connects to a machine and keeps the animal breathing
while under anesthesia, and places a catheter in the animals leg. Sometimes, if the patients
owner paid for other services like inserting a microchip, I would have to go get the necessary
supplies, and then the veterinary technician would inject the microchip on an animals back.
As soon as the veterinary technician and I are finished, the animal is transferred to the
surgical table, and the veterinarian begins his or her task. The veterinary technician starts the
process all over again with another animal while I recover the animal after it already had
surgery. I would shake them or open their mouths to stimulate them so they would wake up.
Most of the time, the animals would wake up after five minutes of stimulation, but it all
depends on the animals. At this time, after the animals are alert and awake, I would remove
their catheters, clean any bloody wounds, and remove incubation tubes. Afterwards, when all

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the surgeries were finished, I would clean the surgical area and instruments used by the
veterinarian.
Throughout my internship, I viewed animals behaviors to determine how to handle
certain animals, especially aggressive or extremely timid ones. I successfully mastered the way
to properly scruff a cat by grabbing a cats neck with all my fingers. Additionally, I learned to
restrain a dog on the ground by pressing my body weight on top on the dog and grabbing all of
its legs. Yet, the most important knowledge I gained was learning about the duties of a
veterinarian. Apart from caring for the animals, veterinarians have to interact with the patients
owners by either calling them or meeting them in person. Each veterinarian has similar, but also
different duties. My mentor Ashly Putt is the manager of the hospital, and she has to handle the
finances of the animals care. However, many times, she helps out veterinarians by injecting
vaccines, restraining animals, and bathing animals depending on the workload and number of
patients. I also worked alongside many veterinary technicians, whom prep the animals for
surgery and place anesthesia on animals. Their responsibility is to notify patients owners of the
details of the animals care. After surgeries, the veterinary technician would call the patients
owner to update him or her on the condition of his or her pet.
Through my experience, I realized that I am not afraid of choosing a career involved
with medicine because I thought I couldnt handle performing surgeries animals, viewing
blood, or injecting needles. I am more confident in my skills and abilities that will guide me in
becoming a veterinarian. The internship allowed me to view the duties of a veterinarian and get
hands-on experience with various animals. Overall, it expanded my view on the veterinary field
as I was exposed to different patients and gained experience on handling animals.

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Although I wasnt interested in the veterinary medicine until recently, I have become
fascinated with the field in veterinary medicine. Everyday, as a veterinarian, I can work
alongside loved animals to alleviate and relieve their pain or perform normal check ups to
maintain an animals health. Moreover, I interested in the veterinary field due to the numerous
career options, including working in a laboratory, teaching, or owning your practice. As a
veterinarian, I can choose my career path depending where I feel most comfortable and enjoy
my job. I like the variety of the veterinary field since I can help the animals, but also society as
well. If I work in a laboratory, I can find treatments or cures for current diseases that harm the
human population. Similarly, if I become a teacher, I can teach students as they advance to their
veterinary career. By becoming a veterinarian, I will have an exceptional salary that will allow
me to pay off my school debts, and enjoy a suitable life. Apart from the diversity of the
veterinary field, Im interested in becoming a veterinarian since I choose a specialty area. I
decide which animals I will work with, but it will most likely be with pets, specifically cats and
dogs.
The importance of the veterinary field is that veterinarians save animals, especially treat
or cure their diseases and illnesses. They diagnose and heal animals allowing many families
and individuals to own pets for a longer period of time. According to the article On the
Importance of Veterinary Medicine in the 21st Century on the website Food and Agricultural
Organization of the United Nations, veterinarians protect the human population by making
sure that only healthy farm animals are exported, imported and distributed, preventing the risk
of introducing detrimental, high-impact diseases into a region or country. Without the
veterinarians, thousands of animals would suffer and eventually die causing diseases and
viruses to quickly spread to the human population. Humans would encounter more challenges,

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especially in developing vaccines and medicine to combat the sudden increase of illnesses.
Also, the livestock system would deteriorate because animals would keep dying due to their
poor health. As the livestock dies, people wont be able to consume livestock leading to a
decline in economic systems of entire nations. Veterinarians are essential to society because
they ensure the health of animals and contribute to maintaining a well-functioning livestock
system.
By learning about the veterinary career, I discovered the history behind veterinarians, the
steps to become a veterinarian, and the important roles of veterinarians, especially to society. I
learned that a veterinarian has countless career options after successfully graduating from
veterinary school and attaining the veterinary license. By interning at a local animal hospital, I
gained valuable experience with managing animals and viewing veterinarians tasks. As stated
by my mentor Ashly Putt during my internship, she suggests that I choose a career that I am
most interested and passionate about. Even though the path to a veterinary career is tough and
lengthy, my love for animals has highly influenced my career in veterinary medicine because
Im passionate about treating and caring for animals. By becoming a veterinarian, I have the
ability to protect the lives of many beloved animals and humanity in general. Hopefully, by first
gaining admission to a university, I can achieve my goal to become a veterinarian and even
influence others to pursue a veterinary career.

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Works Cited
Balcom, Sarah. Pre-veterinary Advising Guide (n.d.): 1-19. UMD Dept of Animal
Avian Sciences. Web. 8 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.career.vt.edu/HealthProfessionsAdvising/CareerFieldPrep/PreVetAdvisingGuideRev17Nov2010.pdf>.
Fisher, John. "Origin and Early Development of the Veterinary Profession." Origins (revised)
.pdf (n.d): n. pag. University of Sydney, June 2002. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.
"History of the Veterinary Profession." RCVS Knowledge. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.
<https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/heritage-and-history/history-of-the-veterinaryprofession/>.
"Licensee Forms - California Veterinary Medical Board." Licensee Forms - California
Veterinary Medical Board. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.vmb.ca.gov/licensees/forms.shtml>.
"On the Importance of Veterinary Medicine in the 21st Century." FAO - Animal Production and
Health. N.p., 3 Aug. 2015. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/home/en/news_archive/2011_vet2011_medicine.html>.
"Pre-Veterinary Medicine." (n.d.): n. pag. University of California, Davis, Sept. 2010. Web. 27
Oct. 2015. <https://admissions.ucdavis.edu/info/Pre-Vet.pdf>.
Putt, Ashly [Manager of Family Animal Hospital] Internship. 7 August 2015.
"Summary." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8 Jan. 2014. Web.
27 Oct. 2015. <http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/veterinarians.htm#tab-6>.

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"Veterinary Medicine." Best Veterinary Medicine Programs. US News and World Report, 2015.
Web. 24 Nov. 2015. <http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/bestgraduate-schools/top-health-schools/veterinarian-rankings>.
"Veterinary Training." Veterinary Training. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.
<https://www.avma.org/public/YourVet/Pages/training.aspx>.
Wadhwa, Diana. "Veterinarians Job Description, Education Requirements & Salary
Information." U.S. News University Directory. N.p., 2012. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/careers/veterinarians_12212.aspx#.Vixef7
wfUb0>.