One of the fastest growing fields in veterinary sciences is veterinarian public health, which is a field that focuses on the care and treatment of animals in a larger group and animals that have a connection to the general public. Many veterinary science programs at colleges and universities now offer graduate programs that let students earn a degree in VPH. These programs allow students to gain some field experience before they finish their studies too. Graduates of those programs can work in a variety of fields and settings.
Facility Inspector
Getting a VPH degree can qualify a student to work as a facility inspector. These inspectors often work for an organizing body but can work for an individual facility or for a company that owns and operates multiple facilities. They are the ones who inspect the facilities to ensure that it takes care of the health and safety of all its animals. Inspectors can visit zoos, aquariums and other facilities that are open to the public. They make sure that the animals are safe and that they do not have any diseases that they can spread to other animals or to the guests visiting the facilities.
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Fish and Game Warden
The Department of Fish and Wildlife is a government organization concerned with animals living in the United States. Each state has its own department that hires agents and wardens too. Working as a fish and game warden is a good choice for anyone who likes animals and enjoys being outside because wardens often spend long hours outside. They may travel all across the state to meet with agents and investigate potential crimes too. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 6,600 wardens working in the United States who earn a mean annual wage of almost $55,000 a year.
Disease Control Specialist
Some Veterinarian Public Health graduate programs allow students to take more courses in science and epidemiology, which is the study of diseases and how those diseases spread. Those working as disease control specialists are the ones who investigate issues relating to infectious diseases spreading around animal groups and populations. They might travel to a farm after a farmer calls in with a question or a claim about his or her animals, but they’ll also visit facilities when they receive a report from anyone in the general public. Specialists work to stop those diseases from spreading.
Research Scientist
Graduates of a VPH program who like protecting animals but do not want to work directly with those animals may prefer working as research scientists. Research scientists work in facilities that study different types of animals, the behaviors of those animals and how those animals work together. They might work on a study that looks at how changing environments can harm an animal or how one disease can spread from one type of animal to another. Research scientists can also investigate how certain diseases can spread between humans and animals and the best ways of preventing the diseases from jumping across species.
Though may people think that veterinary science students all graduate and become vets, many choose to work in other fields. These students attend Veterinarian Public Health programs and get a VPH Master’s degree because they want to work as disease control specialists, research scientists, game wardens and facility inspectors.
