Are you trying to decide which career to pursue as a veterinary science graduate? We’ve assembled a few examples of career paths that may spark your interest, some being more unusual than others. There really is no limit to the field when it comes to veterinary science careers, and there are jobs out there for all interests. Veterinary nursing and surgery are two of the most common degree paths followed by university curricula, but veterinary science degrees can take you far further than veterinary surgeries or animal hospitals. Just as students of human medicine eventually branch out into fields of physiotherapy, behavioural studies, pathology, nutrition, charity management and more, so can students of animal medicine.
Animal physiotherapy positions sometimes require a degree in human Physiotherapy, but this is not always compulsory. An animal physiotherapist treats animals manually, with electro-therapy techniques and with hydrotherapy and plans short and long-term exercise programmes for a range of injuries, aiming to reduce pain and facilitate an improved range of movement. Depending on your placement, you’ll treat pets and working animals. You could also find yourself dealing with farm or zoo animals. Physiotherapy work is available in private practices, larger veterinary centres, animal sports clinics or universities with leading veterinary science research programmes. An animal behaviourist or behavioural counsellor is another option for those looking into a veterinary science career. They work through pets’ troublesome characteristics, such as excessive barking or crying, toileting trouble, aggressive or destructive habits, fears, phobias and separation anxiety. A behaviourist will take referrals from vets and hold consultations in their own practices. They will suggest behavioural modification programmes and track the progress with each patient. The growing field of animal nutrition could offer a fantastic veterinary science career for those more interested in health and wellbeing than the medical side of things. An animal nutritionist analyses the nutritional value of animal feeds, to provide dietary advice to the farming, agricultural and public sectors. A small number of universities offer specialist degree courses in animal. Jobs can range from advising pet owners on weight-loss/gain diets, meal planning for zoo animals or for livestock. If you
chose to go down this veterinary science career path, you would require knowledge of chemistry,biochemistry, mathematics, physics and ethology (animal behaviour). Economics, food processing and packaging are also areas in which an animal nutritionist can work. If there is a specific kind of animal you’re looking to work with, there are plenty of species-specific employment opportunities. Dog training and handling careers, such as assistance-dog training, are perhaps less obvious veterinary science careers – as are multiple roles in equine welfare, such as stud managers, bloodstock agents and trainers. If you have work experience in animal conservation or habitat preservation, your CV will stand out in
applications for zookeeping positions. Zookeeping careers range greatly in terms of the kinds of animals you could work with, the roles you could play (such as nutrition, education, management), and may even offer the opportunity to travel if the zoo is twinned with other parks or conservation projects overseas.
So there you have it, there are a whole host of career options for someone with a veterinary science degree. There are incredibly niche jobs out there and, if you’re willing to test the waters in multiple areas, you’re sure to find an area of veterinary science that is perfect for you.