- A veterinary surgeon or veterinarian, often shortened to vet, is a physician for animals and a practitioner of veterinary medicine.
- Approximately 80 percent of admitted students in veterinary schools are female.
- The word veterinarian comes from the Latin veterinae meaning "working animals".
- "Veterinarian" was first used in print by Thomas Browne in 1646.
- Unlike physicians of whom an academic internship is generally required veterinarians can enter practice after graduation and licensure.
- Veterinarians were in the fore-front in the effort to suppress malaria and yellow fever in the United States.
- There are approximately 73 million owned dogs in the U.S.
- In the United States and Canada, Small Animal Veterinarians predominantly provide medical care for small companion animals, such as cats, dogs, hamsters, birds and rabbits.
- 61 percent of all agents causing disease in humans are zoonotic.
- Small Animal Veterinarians may perform surgery, such as spaying, neutering and, in some cases, dental surgery.
- 61-68 percent of veterinarians will suffer an animal-related injury resulting in hospitalization or significant loss of work during their career.
- Veterinary technicians are, essentially, veterinary nurses, and are graduates of two or four year college-level programs and are legally qualified to assist veterinarians in many medical procedures.
Starting salary for an associate veterinarian in the United States is US $ 70,000. Starting salary for a Veterinary Specialist is US$ 150,000.
Interesting facts about veterinarians
