So you want to be a vet! Bachelor of Veterinary Science

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So you want to be a vet!Bachelor of Veterinary
Science
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Overview

• Life as a veterinarian
• Who can work as a veterinarian?
• Why become a veterinarian?
• What makes a good veterinarian?
• Areas of veterinarian work
• Where veterinarians work

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Overview (cont)

• Becoming a veterinarian
• Can I become a veterinarian?
• School subjects needed
• Eligibility criteria for Vet School
• Selection criteria for Vet School

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Overview (cont)

• Becoming a veterinarian (cont)
• About the BVSc degree
• Veterinary degree cost
• Life after graduation
• Related study options at Massey
• Find out more

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Who can work as a veterinarian?

• By law, must be registered with the Veterinary
  Council of New Zealand
• Must have a degree in veterinary science
  recognised by the Veterinary Council
• Veterinarians can also become registered
  specialists with more study

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Why become a veterinarian?

• Its an awesome lifestyle
• Worthwhile contribution to society
• Highly respected and trusted profession
• High earning potential
• Broad range of work
• Travel opportunities

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What makes a good veterinarian?

• Outstanding interpersonal skills
• Good analytical skills
• Common sense
• Experience with handling animals
• Realistic job expectations

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Areas of veterinarian work

• Clinical practice
• Treating sick or injured animals
• Diagnosis of cause of disease
• Surgery
• Anaesthesia
• X-rays
• Disease prevention
• Vaccination
• Design health programmes forfarm animals

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Areas of veterinarian work (cont)

• Clinical practice (cont)
• Different types of clinical practice
• Dogs and cats
• Horses
• Farm animals
• cattle
• sheep
• deer
• pigs
• poultry
• other, eg. alpacas, ostriches
• Zoo animals

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Areas of veterinarian work (cont)

• Other
• Food safety
• overseeing production of food from animals, eg.
  meat
• Biosecurity
• making sure exotic animal diseases dont getinto
  New Zealand
• Laboratories
• finding causes of diseases in animals
• Animal health companies
• developing and marketing veterinarymedicines

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Where veterinarians work

• Veterinary clinic
• companion animals (dogs and cats)
• Farm visits
• horses
• dairy cattle
• sheep
• beef cattle
• deer
• pigs
• poultry

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Where veterinarians work (cont)

• Zoo or SPCA
• Specialist hospital or referral centre
• Government
• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)
• New Zealand Food Safety Authority
• Biosecurity New Zealand
• Government veterinarians can be based in office,
  food processing plant, port, other or
  combination
• Animal health industry
• Laboratory

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Can I become a veterinarian?

• Definitely! So long as you...
• are relatively smart
• have a great work ethic
• have common sense and lots of determination
• like people as well as animals
• can communicate well

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School subjects needed

• Chemistry
• Physics
• Biology
• Mathematics
• English (or English-rich subject)
• Recommendation that applicants have studied at
  least 20 credits at NCEA Level 3 in Biology,
  Chemistry and Physics and achieved a minimum of
  14 credits.
• Also recommended to take one mathematics subject
• (either Calculus or Statistics).
• English is also an important subject, but must
  have minimum of
• NCEA Level 2 to meet University Entrance
  requirements.

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Eligibility criteria for Vet School

• University Entrance or equivalent (info for 2011
  University Entrance at http//vet-school.massey.ac
  .nz)
• Sit an IQ type test called the Standard
  Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT type F) test (more
  info www.acer.edu.au/stat)
• Passed all four pre-selection papers of BVSc 1
  Semester 1 (or equivalent from a NZ University)
• Complete at least 10 days veterinary work
  experience

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Selection criteria for Vet School

• School Leavers
• Must be eligible for selection
• Weighted grade point average counts for 80
• Recommendation of approximately an A- average to
  have a chance of being near the cutoff for
  selection.
• STAT F test counts for 20

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Selection criteria for Vet School (cont)

• Graduates or part-graduates
• Must be eligible for selection
• No limit on number of times you can apply for
  selection
• Two-year rule (grades obtained over last four
  full-time semesters of study count towards GPA)
• Three-year rule (if an applicant has had a break
  from university study for 3 years, then only
  grades obtained since re-starting full-time study
  are used in the GPA calculation)
• STAT F test - can be carry forward result or
  re-sit. If re-sit, then the new score is used
  not the highest score

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About the BVSc degree

• Massey is the only NZ University offering the
  bachelor of veterinary science degree
• Limited number of places and competitive
• Five-year duration
• Selection at end of first semester (pre-selection
  papers can be completed at campus in Albany or
  Palmerston North)
• Professional Phase of course in Palmerston North
• Extended final year of 40 weeks duration

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About the BVSc degree (cont)

• Pre-selection (semester one) 4 compulsory
  subjects
• Chemistry and living systems
• Physics for life sciences
• Biology of cells
• Biology of animals

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About the BVSc degree (cont)

• Post-selection
• Normal structure, function and management
  (Anatomy and Physiology)
• Abnormal structure and function (Pathology)
• Causes of abnormality
• Microbiology
• Parasitology
• Toxicology
• Return to normal
• Medicine
• Surgery
• Pharmacology

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About the BVSc degree (cont)

• Post-selection
• Preventive medicine and enhancement of
  performance
• Personal wellbeing and self-care
• Veterinary professional studies
• Law
• Business
• Ethics
• Management

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About the BVSc degree (cont)

• Post-selection
• Must pass all papers each year to move to the
  next year
• Course includes lectures, seminars, practical
  classes and working in the Veterinary Teaching
  Hospital
• Practical work
• 14 weeks of practical farm work
• 6 weeks of practical veterinary work

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Veterinary degree cost

• University fees are approximately 9,054 for each
  year of BVSc degree (2010figures)
• There are other associated course costs
• Practical work must be done which limits earning
  potential during holidays
• Scholarships are available

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Life after graduation

• Can sit registration exams in United States and
  Japan
• Graduates are automatically registerable in
• New Zealand
• Australia
• United Kingdom
• South Africa
• Papua New Guinea

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Life after graduation (cont)

• Job prospects are good
• Worldwide shortage of veterinarians
• Baby boomer generation retirement
• Starting salary package approx 55,000
• Great future earning potential (six figures )

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Related study options at Massey

• Bachelor of AgriScience
• Equine Studies
• Agriculture
• Bachelor of Science
• Animal Science
• Zoology
• Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science

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Related study options at Massey (cont)

• Bachelor of Food Technology (Hons)
• Bachelor of Engineering (Hons)
• Bachelor of Veterinary Technology
• Diploma of Veterinary Nursing

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Find out more

• Veterinary school website
• http//vet-school.massey.ac.nz
• Veterinary Teaching hospital
• http//vethospital.massey.ac.nz
• Massey University website
• http//www.massey.ac.nz
• Email vet_at_massey.ac.nz