Your Veterinary Career – Time To Hit Refresh?
Nobody really saw it coming…a pandemic…there were rumblings and mentions but it’s a shock to anyone’s system when it really happens…but once we get over that initial world-altering jolt, there is opportunity and still room for optimism…they say “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”…
With some time available for some reflection, most of us remain generally happy with our career, but for some, there’s something about going to work every day which is beginning to wear on you or maybe there are just not enough surprises any more…or too many.
It seems like every day there’s that dog who is always swallowing socks, the cat who is coughing up too many hairballs, or the lizard who’s suddenly lethargic. It’s not that you don’t care about these cherished pets, or about their owners’ peace of mind – we know that you always will. It’s just that, after a few years of this, some Vets find themselves looking for something new – new challenges, new procedures, new ways to learn and grow…and sometimes a new approach to Vet Life as we know it, with a little Work-Life Balance too.
If you think, “well, I made my bed, so I guess now I have to lie in it,” think again – this pandemic, as awful as it is, brings with it the prospect of diversification and new veterinary career opportunities in a post-COVID-19 world.
You don’t need to give up your veterinary career to freshen up your days, and of course, your training doesn’t need to stop (they don’t call it Continuing Education for nothing). If you’re willing to research and explore new horizons with an open mind (which could be quite an adventure in its own right), you’ll find a host of interesting (and in some cases surprising) veterinary career specialties that you may not have considered that may reinvigorate your veterinary career as things begin to return to some modicum of normal, including these…
Put on Your Detective’s Hat
The increased concern in the public regarding animal welfare and abuse has created an interesting intersection between veterinary medicine and the law. Specifically, there is an increasing number of legal cases in which questions touching on forensics and forensic pathology come to the fore.
As a specialist in veterinary forensic pathology, you’ll help detectives and lawyers gather, handle and assess critically important evidence that can make or break one of these cases. An increasing number of schools (like the University of Florida, for example) now offer advanced degrees in areas like veterinary forensic sciences. or you can explore further at the British Veterinary Forensic & Law Association.
From Your Heart to Theirs
Animals, like people, sometimes suffer from cardiological problems and need the help of a veterinarian with specialized training in this area. As a veterinary cardiologist, you’ll become an expert in treating heart conditions. You’ll learn how to diagnose problems with the heart muscle, identify instances of heart valve damage, manage critical respiratory problems, and treat congenital heart diseases. Achieving specialization in cardiology will require more study and clinical training, but this could be the opportunity for you to change gears…and your gear!
Putting Your Love and Caring to Best Use
There are many reasons people decide to pursue a veterinary career, but for many, the reason is their love of animals and desire to alleviate their suffering. If you’re motivated by a desire to help animals in this way, you might consider a career in animal welfare.
As an animal welfare specialist, you’ll work on a wide variety of issues, everything from creating more humane methods in slaughterhouses to rehabilitating injured wildlife. You can even become board certified from the American College of Animal Welfare.
Help the Effort to Stop Terrorism
When you think about “anti-terrorism,” you probably conjure up images of 9/11 or ISIS trying to build its much-vaunted caliphate—but terrorism takes many forms. For example, among the top concerns of anti-terrorism experts is the possibility that terrorists might poison the food supply. What would happen, for example, if a terrorist managed to implant a lethal virus into the country’s milk supply, or into animal feed?
If helping the country by countering terrorists appeals to you, you could become a bioterrorism prevention specialist. If this is up your alley, you’ll be pleased to learn that the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine now certifies this veterinary specialty.
Make Shelter Animals’ Lives More Livable
Most vets spend at least part of their time at animal shelters, but some become dedicated shelter medicine specialists. The challenges which exist in these facilities are diverse, and the veterinarians who become expert in meeting those challenges can have a rewarding and energizing career in the field. As a shelter medicine specialist, you’ll learn how to create conditions which ensure that shelter animals receive the love, caring and medical treatment they deserve. Go to the Association of Shelter Veterinarians to discover more.
Promote Humane Conditions in Animal Testing Facilities
As a vet, you know that animals used in testing and experimentation are often exploited and the victims of cruel abuse. Fortunately, you can help by specializing in laboratory animal medicine. Your job won’t be able to end all such experimentation; you will be able to ensure that the conditions in experimental facilities are as humane as possible. This is another area in which you can achieve board certification (in this instance, from the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.)
Service Our Feathered Friends
As a working vet, you probably see the occasional bird or two. If treating them is something that especially appeals to you, you can become a veterinary avian specialist. You’ll undergo rigorous training that will cover topics like the illnesses which primarily affect birds (and how best to treat them), bird behavior, and more. You’ll practice how to conduct examinations, inject medicine, and take blood samples. If working with birds is something that appeals to you, the good news is that you can now make a career of it.
Sink Your Teeth into Your Veterinary Career
In your regular work as a vet, you more than likely encounter a dog or cat suffering from dental problems, like broken teeth and issues with oral hygiene. You’ve also seen the relief those pets experience when their problems (which are often quite painful) are resolved. If you’re willing to put in the work (and pass the examination) you can become certified as a veterinary dentist specialist and perhaps join an organisation such as the British Veterinary Dental Association. As such, you’ll work in a number of areas, from taking complex dental x-rays and MRI’s to providing complicated cleanings and conducting more advanced dental treatments such as reconstructions and implants.
In Conclusion…
Taking on advanced training can be challenging at times, but odds are you didn’t choose a career in Veterinary Medicine because you wanted to take the easy path. You did it because you care about animals and are willing to work hard to enhance the quality of their lives in any way you can.
If you truly want to freshen up your veterinary career, choose a specialty which piques your interest and start exploring…you’ll look back one day and be so glad you made the decision to Hit Refresh with your Veterinary Career.
Here at Vet & Pet Jobs our vet jobs Campaigns reach across the complete range of veterinary jobs – Veterinarian jobs, Emergency Veterinarian jobs, Veterinary Nurse jobs, Locum Veterinarian jobs and many more. Browse by job type, state or city and click through to each Job Campaign for all the details plus each one has a quick video to help you drill down to the key elements in each veterinary job to help you decide on which ones to apply for.
Job Seekers can register and create daily or weekly Job Alerts to notify you when new career opportunities are posted. So, whether you are looking for veterinary jobs in Greater London or Birmingham or Edinburgh or Liverpool or Manchester and all points in between in the UK, as well as across all of Europe, you can find the best veterinary jobs for your next career step.
And for Veterinary Hospitals and Vet Clinics, you can find the best veterinary professionals – GP Veterinarians, Emergency Vets, Associate Vets, Vet Nurses and Relief Vets and Nurses – across the United Kingdom and Europe and build your team – register and post your Job Campaign today.