Private Practice

A common veterinary career path where professionals provide medical care, surgery, and preventive services for animals in settings such as small, large, or mixed animal clinics. This path offers the opportunity to build strong client relationships while tailoring a practice to specific interests and community needs.

Corporate Veterinary Medicine

Practice clinical care within larger networks that often provide greater resources, standardized protocols, and career advancement pathways. Veterinarians in this setting may focus on patient care, management, training, or operations while benefiting from the stability and support of a structured organization.

Federal Government

Work for agencies such as the USDA, NIH, CDC, and FDA, contribute to national efforts in biosecurity, public health, environmental quality, meat inspection, and agricultural animal health. Work includes investigating disease outbreaks and protecting both animal and human populations through science-based policy and oversight.

Shelter Medicine

Shelter medicine focuses on promoting the health and well-being of animals in shelters by collaborating with communities and public or private agencies. Veterinarians in this field focus on disease prevention, population management, and overall care to enhance outcomes for sheltered animals.

Research

Research contributes to scientific discovery in academic institutions, government agencies, or private companies. Their work may involve studying disease mechanisms, developing new treatments and vaccines, improving animal health and welfare, or advancing knowledge that benefits both animal and human populations.

Teaching

Growing demands for qualified veterinary educators in academia and related fields, as nearly 40% of current faculty are eligible for retirement within the next decade. This trend highlights the increasing need for skilled professionals to teach across all disciplines of veterinary medicine.

Armed Forces

Veterinarians in the military serve in roles focused on food safety, public health, and the care of military working dogs. Service members may also receive advanced training in specialized areas of veterinary medicine as part of their military career.

Public Health

Public health often collaborate with government agencies, such as the United States Public Health Service, to monitor and control the transmission of zoonotic diseases—those that spread between animals and humans—safeguarding both community and animal health.

Global Veterinary Medicine

Veterinarians in this field work in private practice or with international organizations focused on food production, safety, and the control of emerging diseases worldwide.

Public Policy

Veterinarians work for government agencies addressing animal and zoonotic diseases, animal welfare, and public health, or serve as consultants for non-governmental organizations.