Veterinarians
Key Tasks
- Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
- Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
- Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
- Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
- Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
- Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
- Counsel clients about the deaths of their pets or about euthanasia decisions for their pets.
- Specialize in a particular type of treatment, such as dentistry, pathology, nutrition, surgery, microbiology, or internal medicine.
- Direct the overall operations of animal hospitals, clinics, or mobile services to farms.
- Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, general care, medical conditions, or treatment options.
- Euthanize animals.
- Attend lectures, conferences, or continuing education courses.
- Inspect and test horses, sheep, poultry, or other animals to detect the presence of communicable diseases.
- Train or supervise workers who handle or care for animals.
- Establish or conduct quarantine or testing procedures that prevent the spread of diseases to other animals or to humans and that comply with applicable government regulations.
- Research diseases to which animals could be susceptible.
- Provide care to a wide range of animals or specialize in a particular species, such as horses or exotic birds.
- Determine the effects of drug therapies, antibiotics, or new surgical techniques by testing them on animals.
- Perform administrative or business management tasks, such as scheduling appointments, accepting payments from clients, budgeting, or maintaining business records.
- Plan or execute animal nutrition or reproduction programs.
- Conduct postmortem studies and analyses to determine the causes of animals' deaths.
Skills
Knowledge
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Abilities
Work Activities
Work Context
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
100%
Telephone Conversations
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
99%
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?
98%
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
97%
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?
96%
Frequency of Decision Making
How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
95%
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
94%
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?
91%
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities
How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?
89%
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
89%
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
89%
How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?
88%
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?
86%
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?
82%
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
80%
Health and Safety of Other Workers
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
80%
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
80%
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?
77%
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
77%
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings
How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
77%
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers
How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
77%
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
76%
Exposed to Radiation
How often does this job require exposure to radiation?
75%
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
74%
Written Letters and Memos
How frequently does your job require written letters and memos?
72%
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
71%
Duration of Typical Work Week
Number of hours typically worked in one week.
69%
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?
68%
Conflict Situations
How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
65%
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
65%
Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection
How often does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?
65%
Level of Competition
To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
57%
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
54%
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?
54%
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body
How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
51%
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
49%
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions
How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?
48%
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling
How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?
47%
Spend Time Walking or Running
How much does this job require walking or running?
43%
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
33%
Public Speaking
How frequently does your job require public speaking (one speaker with an audience)?
32%
Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance
How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?
24%
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
21%
Degree of Automation
How automated is the job?
20%
Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions
How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?
18%
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)
16%
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (like a car)?
15%
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
14%
Outdoors, Under Cover
How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (like in an open shed)?
14%
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working in an environment that is not environmentally controlled (like a warehouse without air conditioning)?
13%
Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People
How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals?
12%
Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
12%
In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment
How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or operating equipment (like a tractor)?
9%
Work Schedules
How regular are the work schedules for this job?
4%
Exposed to Whole Body Vibration
How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (like operating a jackhammer or earth moving equipment)?
3%
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles
How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc.?
3%
Exposed to High Places
How often does this job require exposure to high places?
2%
Education
Doctoral degree
Post-doctoral training
Professional degree
Interests
Realistic
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, t
Investigative
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the f
Conventional
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or hum
Social
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Enterprising
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertis
Artistic
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts,
Work Styles
Work Values
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