The Road Less Traveled: Alternative Career Paths in Veterinary Medicine

1. The Road Less Traveled:Alternative Career Paths in Veterinary Medicine (insert name)

2. The majority • 97% enter clinical practice or pursue advanced training Shepherd AJ, Majchrzak S. Employment, starting salaries, and educational indebtedness of year-2010 graduates of US veterinary medical colleges. JAVMA2010: 237, 795-798.

3. Opportunities

4. The sky’s the limit!

5. But it’s not just learning things that’s important. It’s learning what to do with what you learn… -Norton Juster

6. Academia & Research • Teach • Conduct Research • Care for animals

7. Industry • Develop, test and supervise production • Navigate regulatory processes

8. USDA FSIS USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) • Healthy animals and products enter our food supply

9. USDA APHIS USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) • Veterinary Services • Animal Care • International Services • National Institute of Food and Agriculture

10. Public Health • Investigate animal and human illness, including zoonotic diseases • Ensure the safety of food processing plants, restaurants and water supplies

11. U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps • Epidemiology, pathology, toxicology, lab animal medicine and more.

12. Environmental Protection Agency • Study effects of pesticides and industrial pollutants

13. Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine • Evaluate safety and effectiveness of medicines, medical products, pet foods and food additives

14. Health and Human Services • National Institutes of Health (NIH) • National Library of Medicine • Pathology, toxicology, lab animal medicine, research, and more

15. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • Investigate zoonotic diseases and disease outbreaks • Develop programs to prevent spread of diseases

16. Department of Homeland Security Protect health and safety of animals and people • Develop disease surveillance and antiterrorism procedures and protocols UC Davis

17. Military US Army Veterinary Corps US Air Force

18. State Veterinarian • Protect health and welfare of animals • Target livestock diseases

19. State Public Health Veterinarians • Work for the state health department • Zoonotic disease control and prevention • Protect public health

20. Diagnostic Veterinary Medicine Federal • National Veterinary Services Laboratories State • State diagnostic laboratories

21. Forensic Veterinary Medicine • Apply veterinary knowledge to questions of law • Investigation of animal crime, neglect, and cruelty ASPCA ASPCA

22. Aquatic, Wildlife and Zoo Veterinary Medicine • Zoos • Aquaria • State departments of natural resources • U.S. Dept. of Interior

23. Organized Veterinary Medicine • Local • State • National • Veterinary or veterinary-related organizations

24. Expanding fields • Animal welfare (e.g. humane inspections) • Aquatic veterinary medicine …and even more!

25. Show me the money! Small animal exclusive: $70,000 State/local gov’t $70,000 Military $70-90,000** Industry $88,000 Recent grads, 1-2 years experience ** Comparable civilian pay

26. My story How I got where I am now…

27. My story

28. A foot in the door… • Externships • Internships • Fellowships

29. For more info… www.avma.org/vcc/student_externships/

30. Where are the jobs? www.usajobs.com • BioMed Central Career Network • Career Builder, Monster, and other job search sites • Military recruiters • Specialty organizations www.avma.org/vcc

31. Parting advice • Do what you love…passion is the key to success

32. Parting advice • Don’t hesitate to explore opportunities…often they show up when you least expect them

33. Parting advice • Don’t ever forget why you became a veterinarian in the first place

34. Parting advice • Don’t forget that you have a responsibility to participate in and give back to a profession that enriches your lives, the lives of animals, the lives of your clients and those of the public

35. © American Veterinary Medical Association, 2010