Veterinary Medicine

Archaeology BSA Supply No. 35004

The field of veterinary medicine in the 21st century is one of the most exciting medical professions in which to work. The skills of a veterinarian are practiced with cutting-edge technology and treatment options, and the profession offers a wide range of career choices.

Requirements

1. Discuss with your counselor the roles a veterinarian plays in the following:
   1. Companion or small animal medicine, and equine medicine
   2. Food animal or large animal medicine
   3. Exotic animal medicine
   4. Marine animal medicine (mammal and fish)
   5. Poultry medicine
   6. Wildlife medicine and aquaculture medicine
2. Discuss with your counselor the roles a veterinarian plays in the following:
   1. Public health medicine and zoonotic disease surveillance and control
   2. The military
   3. Food safety and inspection
   4. Laboratory animal medicine and research
   5. Teaching and government
3. Describe the training required to become a veterinarian. Where is the veterinary medical college nearest you? Describe the prerequisites for applying to veterinary school.
4. Tell your counselor what a registered veterinary technician (R.T.V.) or animal health technician (A.H.T.) is. Describe the training required to become an R.V.T. or A.H.T. Where is the school or facility for R.V.T. or A.H.T. training nearest you? Describe the role an R.V.T. or A.H.T. would play in assisting a veterinarian working in three of the practice types listed in requirement 1.
5. Discuss with your merit badge counselor the role a veterinarian plays in the human-animal bond.
6. Do ONE of the following:
   1. Visit a veterinary clinic, hospital, or veterinary referral teaching hospital that does work in one of the practices listed in requirement 1. Spend as much time as you can observing the veterinarians and their staff. Write a report on what you observed and learned at the facility. Share your report with your counselor.
   2. Spend as much time as possible with a veterinarian who works in one of the fields listed in requirement 2. Learn what special training beyond veterinary medical school may have been required for that position. Learn about any special or unusual activities required of this position. Write a report on what you have learned about this field of veterinary medicine. Include in your report how this field serves the needs of the general public. Share your report with your counselor.

Resources

Scouting Literature

Animal Science, Bird Study, Dog Care, Fish and Wildlife Management, Horsemanship, Mammal Study, Nature, Pets, Public Health, and Reptile and Amphibian Study merit badge pamphlets

Books

• Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, et al. Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements in the United States and Canada. Purdue University Press, 2003.
• Croke, Vicki, Philip C. Kosch, et al. Animal ER: Extraordinary Stories of Hope and Healing From One of the World's Leading Veterinary Hospitals. Plume, 2000.
• James Herriot. All Creatures Great and Small. St. Martin's Press, 1998.
• --------. All Things Bright and Beautiful. St. Martin's Press, 1998.
• Lee, Mary Price, and Richard S. Lee. Opportunities in Animal and Pet Care Careers. McGraw-Hill/ Contemporary Books, 2001.
• Maynard, Thane, and Jane Goodall. Working With Wildlife: A Guide to Careers in the Animal World. Orchard Books, 2000.
• Maze, Stephanie, and Catherine O'Neill Grace. I Want to Be . . . A Veterinarian. Harcourt, 1997.
• Pavia, Audrey. Careers With Animals. Barrons Educational Series, 2001.

Organizations and Web Sites

American Animal Hospital Association
P.O. Box 150899
Denver, CO 80215-0899
Telephone: 303-986-2800
Web site: http://www.aahanet.org

American Association of Bovine Practitioners
Box 1755
Rome, GA 30162-1755
Telephone: 706-232-2220
Web site: http://www.aabp.org

American Association of Equine Practitioners
4075 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511
Telephone: 859-233-0147
Web site: http://www.aaep.org

American Association of Public Health Veterinarians
Web site: http://www.avma.org/aaphv

American Association of Swine Veterinarians
902 First Ave.
Perry, IA 50220-1703
Telephone: 515-465-5255
Web site: http://www.aasv.org

American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians
Wildlife Health Center
University of California
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616
Web site: http://www.aawv.net

American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
6 North Pennell Road
Media, PA 19063
Web site: http://www.aazv.org

American Veterinary Medical Association
1931 North Meacham Road, Suite 100
Schaumburg, IL 60173
Telephone: 847-925-8070
Web site: http://www.avma.org

Association of Avian Veterinarians
P.O. Box 811720
Boca Raton, FL 33481
Telephone: 561-393-8901
Web site: http://www.aav.org

Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians
P.O. Box 605
Chester Heights, PA 19017
Telephone: 610-358-9530
Web site: http://www.arav.org

Canadian Veterinary Medical Association
339 Booth St.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1R 7K1
Telephone: 613-236-1162
Web site: http:// www.canadianveterinarians.net

Veterinary Medical Schools and Colleges

• Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine - Auburn, Alabama
• Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine - Tuskegee, Alabama
• University of California School of Veterinary Medicine - Davis, California
• Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine - Pomona, California
• Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine ��and Biomedical Sciences - Fort Collins, Colorado
• University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine - Gainesville, Florida
• University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine - Athens, Georgia
• University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine - Urbana, Illinois
• Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine - West Lafayette, Indiana
• Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine - Ames, Iowa
• Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine - Manhattan, Kansas
• Louisiana State University - School of Veterinary Medicine Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine - North Grafton, Massachusetts
• Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine - East Lansing, Michigan
• The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine - St. Paul, Minnesota
• Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine - Mississippi State, Mississippi
• University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine - Columbia, Missouri
• Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine - Ithaca, New York
• North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine - Raleigh, North Carolina
• The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine - Columbus, Ohio
• Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine - Stillwater, Oklahoma
• Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine - Corvallis, Oregon
• University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine - Knoxville, Tennessee
• Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine - College Station, Texas
• Virginia Tech and ��University of Maryland Virginia-Maryland Regional College ��of Veterinary Medicine - Blacksburg, Virginia
• Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine - Pullman, Washington
• The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine - Madison, Wisconsin