“Just” a Vet? by Bud Stuart D.V.M.
Years ago, when I expressed interest in becoming a veterinarian, my dear Aunt Mary wrote me a worried letter. She urged me to rethink my choices, since all the working horses in the country were soon to be a memory. Well, despite Aunt Mary’s fears, and thanks to pleasure horses of all kinds, there are now more horses in our country than at that time. Plus, what she was not aware of was that the scope of veterinary medicine is very broad and one can wear a great many hats.
My own career is an example. After graduation from Cornell, I joined a farm animal practice in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. After a year in this position I became an instructor in farm animal medicine at Cornell. Then I worked a few months as a state veterinarian doing dairy cattle milk studies until I entered the U.S. Air Force for two years as a veterinary officer. In the military my duties were food inspection and public health.
Upon leaving the Air Force I moved to northern Virginia where I became director of Georgetown University’s medical research facility for three years. At Georgetown it was my good fortune to be involved in supporting the research of Dr. Charles Hofnagel, who was doing some of the first studies in open-heart surgery. These were baby steps toward total heart replacement and other remarkable surgeries that we have today.
During this time I was a reserve officer at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology at Walter Reed Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Here I had the chance to work with the first Rhesus monkeys, such as Able and Baker, who were being launched into space, opening our solar system to exploration. Then I went on to open a pet practice in Fairfax, Virginia, where I remained for almost four decades.
That period saw the beginning of the specialty practices. We now have veterinarians with advanced degrees in dermatology, ophthalmology, neurology, orthopedics, behavior and many other fields. At one time a pet practice covered all household animals. Many practices are now limited to felines or birds or exotics. In farm animal medicine we have specialists in equines or bovines or poultry. There are veterinarians involved in research at many levels. Some are employed by state or federal agencies, while others are on the staff of corporations involved in the production of animal products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture employs veterinarians to supervise international and interstate shipment of birds and animals. In addition, this agency employs vets to maintain the health and sanitation of the nation’s meat and poultry supplies.
As you can see, the scope of veterinary medicine is a broad one. From the many subdivisions of private practice, to state and federal positions, to military service, a lot of ground can be covered once one has that coveted veterinary degree.
Unfortunately the monetary rewards of the profession rank quite low when compared with other medical fields. But as someone who has been at it for quite a while, I can vouch that the personal satisfaction the profession returns is second to none.
If you know a young person with an interest in the field of veterinary science, I would urge you to give that person your encouragement. They will enter a profession which is well worth the effort they must put forth to achieve their degree. Whatever particular career path he or she decides to follow, the person will enjoy challenge, stimulation, service to society and knowledge of a lifetime well spent.
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