What is a doctor of veterinary medicine and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Donna Bouley DVM, PhD

A doctor of veterinary medicine specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases in animals. They work with pets, livestock, and wildlife. Their duties include conducting exams, administering vaccines, performing surgeries, and providing preventative care. They also work to educate pet owners and farmers about animal care and nutrition. In addition, veterinarians may research ways to improve animal health and develop treatments. A doctor of veterinary medicine ensures the well-being of animals and communities.

What general advice would you give to a doctor of veterinary medicine?

Donna Bouley DVM, PhD

PROFESSOR OF COMPARATIVE MEDICINE, Stanford University

In addition to everything scientific and technical that they learn in vet school, they will need to have good people skills, patience and understanding (pet owners may not be able to afford to treat their animals and this can be stressful for vets), therefore a creative mind - especially if there are alternative ways to treat an animal if the proposed treatment is beyond the owner's reach. A vet must have a strong work ethic, be willing to work in a team, should be willing to give back (ie - volunteer to work with the homeless community's pets), be a lifelong learner (vets must attend continuing education to maintain their licenses). And the passion to still want to work as a veterinarian, despite the fact that they most likely have tremendous debt due to the outrageous tuition costs of veterinary school, and this debt will impact their lives for decades after graduation. Since veterinarians in general will never make the salary that MDs do, this potential financial burden can lead many young people to decide against going to vet school in the 1st place.

ScoreDoctor Of Veterinary MedicineUS Average

Salary

8.5

Avg. Salary $136,242

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 19%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.26%

Asian 4.90%

Black or African American 1.42%

Hispanic or Latino 6.22%

Unknown 4.32%

White 82.89%

Gender

female 49.34%

male 50.66%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a doctor of veterinary medicine?

Pros

Job security and high demand for veterinary services
Potential for high salary and earning potential
Chance to work with supportive colleagues and team members
Flexible scheduling and work-life balance options
Ability to run own practice and be own boss

Cons

Long hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays
Work can be physically demanding, especially for large animal veterinarians
Limited job opportunities in certain geographic areas
Heavy paperwork and administrative duties required for running a practice
Difficulty in keeping up with the latest medical advancements and treatments

Key steps to become a doctor of veterinary medicine

Explore doctor of veterinary medicine education requirements

Most common doctor of veterinary medicine degrees

Doctorate

59.3 %

Bachelor's

22.5 %

Master's

11.0 %

Start to develop specific doctor of veterinary medicine skills

Skills	Percentages
Patient Care	79.84%
Veterinary Medicine	16.66%
Patients	1.30%
Medical Care	1.13%
Internal Medicine	0.21%

Complete relevant doctor of veterinary medicine training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New doctors of veterinary medicine learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a doctor of veterinary medicine based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real doctor of veterinary medicine resumes.

Research doctor of veterinary medicine duties and responsibilities

Handle patient medical history, physical examination, diagnosis and treatment.
Gather research data access through EMR.
Perform cardiac surgery including pacemaker, ICD and CRT implantations.
Perform phlebotomy, pap smears, EKG, Spirometry and minor surgeries.

Apply for doctor of veterinary medicine jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a doctor of veterinary medicine job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average doctor of veterinary medicine salary

The average doctor of veterinary medicine salary in the United States is $136,242 per year or $66 per hour. Doctor of veterinary medicine salaries range between $66,000 and $277,000 per year.

Average doctor of veterinary medicine salary

$136,242 Yearly

$65.50 hourly

What is a doctor of veterinary medicine and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a doctor of veterinary medicine?

What are the pros and cons of being a doctor of veterinary medicine?

Doctor of veterinary medicine career paths

Key steps to become a doctor of veterinary medicine

Explore doctor of veterinary medicine education requirements

Most common doctor of veterinary medicine degrees

Start to develop specific doctor of veterinary medicine skills

Complete relevant doctor of veterinary medicine training and internships

Research doctor of veterinary medicine duties and responsibilities

Apply for doctor of veterinary medicine jobs

How did you land your first doctor of veterinary medicine job

Average doctor of veterinary medicine salary

How do doctors of veterinary medicine rate their job?