Veterinary medicine in the United States

Dependent on the jurisdiction, other professionals may be permitted to perform some animal treatment, through either specific exemptions in the law or through a lack of prohibitive legislation.

The Veterinarian's Oath was adopted by the American Veterinary Medical Association's House of Delegates July 1969, and amended by the AVMA Executive Board, November 1999 and December 2010.

As of 2021[update], there were only 33 veterinary schools in the United States and five in Canada which met the accreditation standards set by the AVMA Council on Education.

[1][2][3] Following qualification from the doctoral degree, the prospective veterinarian must receive a passing grade on the North America Veterinary Licensing Exam.

The median salary for starting veterinarians in 2018 was $104,690 in the United States according to U.S. Money News, while the lowest paid graduates earned approximately $87,000 annually.

Veterinary technology as an organized and credentialed career option is relatively young, only existing since the mid 20th century, although it began in 1908 when the Canine Nurses Institute was established in England, and as such is still struggling for recognition in many parts of the world.

The first civilian program was established ten years later in 1961 at the State University of New York (SUNY) Agricultural and Technical College at Delhi.

Veterinary technicians also induce and maintain anesthesia, and administer medications, fluids and blood products as prescribed by the veterinarian.

Tasks in patient care include: recording temperature, pulse and respiration, dressing wounds, applying splints and other protective devices, and dental procedures.

Larger referral practices and teaching hospitals may also find veterinary technicians operating computed tomography equipment, magnetic resonance imagers, gamma cameras and other advanced medical devices.

They may also maintain treatment records and inventory of all pharmaceuticals, equipment and supplies, and help with other administrative tasks within a veterinary practice such as client education.

Those completing a four-year AVMA accredited school gain a bachelor's degree and are considered veterinary technologists, though the distinction is rarely made, with the term "technician" being used generally.

[10] The education a credentialed technician receives is in-depth and crucial for medical understanding and to give proper health care.