Veterinary is currently an emerging field in medical science, it has been there in the past but with time, this career option and field has evolved a lot. If you are a passionate science student and love taking care of the animals or have a deep interest in Science, this field can be the right career choice for you. But before proceeding with the details of this career option, let us understand the meaning of veterinary in simple words. Veterinary is the branch of medical science that deals with prevention and cure of the disease or injury of animals.

This branch of the medical science will help those students who dream to treat and care for animals. In the coming years, this field is going to be one of the top career options available.

Eligibility Criteria:

To enroll in veterinary courses, you must have completed your 10+2 exam with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as a subject from a recognized board with a minimum aggregate of 50 marks in PCB. Some colleges also require English as a necessary subject.

The minimum age to enroll in the bachelors course is 18 years and the maximum is 25 years as on 31st December of the admission year.

Admission Process/Exams:

In the past, there was an All-India level entrance exam organized by the Veterinary Council of India known as AIPVT. But it was abolished in the year 2017 and now students have to qualify the NEET exam in order to pursue a career in veterinary courses.

Not just NEET, but there are many other exams available for taking admission in the undergraduate course of this medical branch.

Some of the top exams to get you enrolled in the undergraduate courses are given below:

The above mentioned entrance exams usually follow the MCQ-based exam curriculum. These papers usually consist of objective questions from Physics, Chemistry and Biology of Class XII level.

Some of the top colleges for veterinary in India are:

• Madras veterinary college, Chennai

It is affiliated to Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and is currently one of the best and well reputed college for veterinary course. It is approved by the Veterinary council of India.

Total fees: 1 Lakh (approx)

• Indian Veterinary Research Institute(IVRI), Bareilly

It is a Deemed-to-be University established in 1989. It is under the administrative control of ICAR, New Delhi. It offers courses such as  M.V.Sc., Ph.D and National Diploma in Various Specializations.

Total fees: 85,000 (Approx)

• Gobind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar

Also known as Pantnagar University, it was established in the year 1960. It offers 2 UG, 8 PG and 7 PhD courses. It is approved by UGC and is located in Pantnagar, Uttarakhand.

Total fees: 2.7 Lakhs

• Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Hisar

It was established in the year 2010 and has been playing a crucial role in the development of the livestock sector promoting rural development through its various activities.

Total fees: 12.58 Lakh

• Nanaji Deshmukh Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Visva Vidyalaya, Jabalpur

It was established in the year 2009 and is affiliated to UGC. The University offers different courses in fisheries, veterinary and allied Sciences. The University also offers various orientations and training programmes.

Total fees: 2.5 Lakhs

Courses:

To pursue your career in veterinary there are different bachelors degree available for a student after their 10+2 exam.

Bachelor Courses:

• Bachelor of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry: It is a 5-year undergraduate program and introduces you to the aspects of Veterinary Science and teaches you about basics of Animal Science.

1. Fees: INR 1,00,000
2. Salary: INR- 4-6 Lakhs

• Sc. in Animal Genetics and Breeding: It is a 5-year undergraduate course and teaches you about the concepts of animal feeding, breeding, genetics, health and maintenance.

1. Fees: INR 4,000 to 2 Lakhs
2. Salary 2 to 6 Lakhs

• Sc. in Animal Production & Management: It is a 3-year undergraduate course that deals with concepts like cattle and buffalo management, swine production & management, animal production and integrated farming etc.

1. Fees: INR 2-3 Lakhs
2. Salary: INR 2-6 Lakhs

• Sc. in Veterinary Surgery & Radiology: It is a 3-year undergraduate course and deals with the application of medical and therapeutic principles to various animals. It basically teaches you about the advanced study related to animal surgery and handling.

1. Fees: INR 10,000 to 5,00,000
2. Salary: INR 3-7 Lakhs

After pursuing a bachelors degree one can go for the masters and the doctoral degree after that in the same stream if they wish to continue with higher studies.

Job & Career Prospect:

There are various job opportunities available in both the public and private sectors in this particular course. Not only India, but veterinarians have a great scope for a job in a foreign country as well, especially in the USA or Canada.

You can select your career in any of the following specializations for veterinary:

• Companion animal veterinarians: Usually provide treatment to pet animals.
• Equine veterinarians: Provides treatment to horses.
• Food animal veterinarians: Provides treatment to farm animals.
• Food safety & Inspection veterinarians: Researches about diseases which are transmissible and can be spread between human and animals.
• Research veterinarians: Work in laboratories researching over new techniques.

The various job posts where the candidates can apply after completing their courses in both public and private sector are as follows:

• Veterinary Surgeon: They provide treatment to the wounded animals and surgery if needed. Their estimated average salary is 6 Lakhs.
• Veterinary Officer: It is a public sector job in the Department of Agriculture and the salary is decided as per the guidelines of Government.
• Animal Caretaker: It is a private sector job basically in the zoos and average salary is approximately 6 Lakhs.
• Social Worker for Animals: This is a basically a job profile associated with animal NGOs that provides care and treatment to animals. Their average salary is approx. 4 Lakhs.

A report by Shruti for IHOIK education desk