What do Veterinarians do?

Veterinarians are educated and trained in the medical and surgical care of animals.

What might Veterinarians do in a workday?

• companion animals, predominantly dogs and cats, but including many other companion species, such as “pocket” mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish. As companion animals assume greater emotional value, veterinarians are increasingly considered to be members of the family-care team.
• food-producing animals, such as cattle, swine, sheep, poultry, and commercial fish; thereby ensuring a plentiful, safe food supply.
• horses, including those used for performance and pleasure.
• zoo animals and wildlife, both terrestrial and aquatic species; and including environmental/ecosystem health and conservation.
• biomedical research and laboratory animal medicine, in governmental, industrial and academic organizations, in support of health research and development.
• public health and food safety, especially protecting against toxic chemicals and drugs and infectious microorganisms that are transmissible from animals to humans. Veterinarians are an integral part of national defense teams organized to counter agro- and bioterrorism.
• disaster response and relief efforts; in addition to providing care for individual animals after natural and man-made disasters, veterinarians protect public health by assisting local authorities in addressing disease risks.
• military veterinarians provide care for military animals as well as educate farmers in undeveloped countries how to keep their animals healthy and safe.
• veterinarians in government service help write and enforce legislation to protect animal health, human health, and the country’s food supply.

How much do Veterinarians earn?

• $92,000 - $167,000

How do I become a Veterinarian?

Students interested in becoming veterinarians should take the most challenging high school courses available in science, math, and English, including advanced placement courses.

To enter a graduate program in veterinary medicine, students must complete a minimum of two years of pre-veterinary study. Most successful candidates complete a four-year program.

Licensed veterinarians must earn a doctoral degree in veterinary medicine from a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education and must pass both national and state examinations.

Where else can I learn about becoming a Veterinarian?

Virginia Veterinary Medical Association
3801 Westerre Parkway, Suite D / Henrico, VA 23233
tel:  (804) 346-2611 or (800) 937-8862 / web:  www.vvma.org

American Veterinary Medical Association
1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100 / Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360
tel:  (800) 248-2862 / web: www.avma.org

American Veterinary Medical Foundation
1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100 / Schaumburg, IL 60173
tel:  (800) 248-2862, ext. 6689 / web:  www.avmf.org

Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
1101 Vermont Ave., N.W., Suite 301 / Washington, DC 20005-3536
tel:  (202) 371-9195 / web:  www.aavmc.org

State License Requirements for Veterinarians:

A license is required to practice as a veterinarian in the Commonwealth of Virginia. For more information on licensure, applications, and forms, visit www.dhp.virginia.gov/vet.

Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine
Perimeter Center
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300 / Henrico, Virginia 23233
Phone: (804) 367-4497 / Email: vetbd@dhp.virginia.gov

Educational Institutions in Virginia for Veterinarians:

• Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine

What do clinical laboratory personnel do?

Clinical laboratory scientists and clinical laboratory technicians (medical technologists and medical laboratory technicians) perform lab tests to detect, diagnose, and treat diseases. Most clinical laboratory personnel work in hospital laboratories. Many are also employed by private physicians, medical groups, public health and environmental laboratories, research facilities, pharmaceutical and biomedical companies, universities, industrial medical laboratories, molecular diagnostic laboratories, and the armed forces.

What might a clinical laboratory technician do in a workday?

• Perform laboratory procedures on the fluids, cells, and tissues of the body.
• Use microscopes, sophisticated precision instruments, and computers.
• Collect blood specimens.
• Inoculate culture media to identify bacteria.
• Monitor the quality of tests and procedures.
• Report unusual or abnormal results to clinical laboratory scientists or pathologists.

What might a clinical laboratory scientist do in a workday?

• Perform complex and standard laboratory analysis.
• Evaluate the effect of a patient’s physiological condition on test results.
• Confirm test results and provide physicians with data needed to determine the presence, extent, cause and treatment of disease.
• Design, establish, and monitor quality control programs to ensure accurate test results.
• Manage financial operations, marketing, and human resources to assure cost-effectiveness and quality of clinical laboratory services.
• Conduct research for publication and evaluate published studies.
• Use information management systems to report laboratory data.
• Evaluate emerging diagnostics, test systems, and interpretive algorithms.
• Provide education and consultative interactions with members of the health care team, customer service, and patients.

Developing a career as in clinical laboratory science?

With additional education, clinical laboratory scientists and technicians can become specialists in the following areas: clinical chemistry, microbiology, hematology, immunology, blood banking, virology, molecular biology, and laboratory safety.

How much salary do clinical laboratory professionals earn?

• Clinical Laboratory Technician:  $27,000 - $47,000
• Clinical Laboratory Scientist:  $37,000- $56,000

How do I become a clinical laboratory technician or a clinical laboratory scientist?

Students intending to pursue a clinical laboratory career should prepare by taking the most challenging high school courses available in science, math, and English.

To become a clinical laboratory scientist, students must either have a bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory science (medical technology) or an acceptable combination of higher education plus laboratory experience.

To become a clinical laboratory technician, an individual must have an associate degree in medical laboratory technology or an acceptable combination of an associate degree and laboratory experience. Individuals seeking to become technicians or laboratory scientists must pass a national certification examination.

Where else can I learn about becoming a clinical laboratory technician or scientist?

Virginia Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
tel: 703-822-6551  /  web: http://www.ascls-va.org

American Medical Technologists
10700 W Higgins Rd, Suite 150 / Rosemont, IL  60018
tel: 847-823-5169  /  web: http://www.americanmedtech.org

American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
2025 M St, NW, Suite 800 / Washington, DC  20036
tel:  202-367-1174 / web:  http://www.ascls.org

Educational Institutions in Virginia for Clinical Laboratory Science:

• Norfolk State University
• Old Dominion University
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Jefferson College of Health Sciences
• J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
• Wytheville Community College
• Northern Virginia Community College - Alexandria

What does a physician assistant do?

A physician assistant (PA) is authorized to practice medicine as part of a team with a physician. PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illness, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and write prescriptions.

What might a physician assistant do in a workday?

• take detailed medical histories and perform physical examinations.
• order laboratory tests, X-rays, EKGs, and other diagnostic studies.
• diagnose patients and decide treatment plans.
• prescribe medications.
• initiate therapy or treatment.
• suture wounds, assist in surgery, apply and remove casts, and perform other therapeutic procedures.
• make hospital rounds to observe and record patients’ progress and order or carry out indicated therapy.
• provide continuous medical care to patients at home, in nursing homes, or other extended health care facilities.
• coordinate and supervise other health care professionals.
• counsel patients and their families on preventive care, medical problems, and prescribed treatments and drugs.

Developing a Career as a Physician Assistant:

Physician assistants may have specialized training in geriatrics, surgery, neonatology, pediatrics, emergency medicine, or in almost any medical specialty or sub-specialty. The duties of physician assistants are determined by the physician/PA team, by the physician and by state and federal law. PAs practice with autonomy and may work alone or as part of a medical team.

How much does a physician assistant earn?

• $76,000 - $116,000

How do I become a physician assistant?

Students wishing to pursue a physician assistant career should take the most challenging high school courses available in science, math and English, including advanced placement courses.

Licensed physician assistants must complete approved and accredited courses of study. Applicants also must pass examinations given by the National Commission for Certification of Physician Assistants.

To enter a program for physician assistants, students often are required to have completed one or more years of direct patient care. The curriculum includes courses in the basic medical sciences along with clinical clerkships.

Where else can I learn about becoming a physician assistant?

Virginia Academy of Physician Assistants
250 W. Main Street, Suite 100 / Charlottesville, VA 22902
tel:  (434) 977-3716 / web:  www.vapa.org

American Academy of Physician Assistants
2318 Mill Road, Suite 1300 / Alexandria, VA 22314
tel:  (703) 836-2272 / web:  www.aapa.org

State License Requirements for Physician Assistant:

A license is required to practice as a Physician in the state of Virginia. For more information on licensure, applications and forms, visit www.dhp.virginia.gov/medicine.

Virginia Board of Medicine
Perimeter Center
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300 / Henrico, VA 23233
Phone: (804) 367-4600 / Email: medbd@dhp.virginia.gov

Educational Institutions in Virginia for Physician Assistants:

• Eastern Virginia Medical School
• James Madison University
• Shenandoah University

What do histology personnel do?

Histologists and histologic technicians prepare tissue samples for examination by a pathologist. Their work is an essential part of determining whether a patient is suffering from a disease dysfunction or malignancy.

What might histology personnel do in a workday?

• Prepare sections of human, animal or plant tissue for diagnostic, research, or teaching purposes.
• Process tissue and embed into paraffin blocks, then mount thinly-sliced tissue sections onto a glass slide for microscopic study.
• Stain tissue to differentiate various structures or components. The slide is then evaluated by a pathologist or other scientific investigator.
• Supervise and manage a histology laboratory.

Developing a career in histology?

Histologists/ histotechnologists receive more training and perform more complex procedures than histologic technicians. Histologic technicians perform routine specimen preparation procedures and assist histologists.

Most histology personnel work in clinical pathology labs; some may work in veterinary, plant or marine histology, pharmacology, and medical or research laboratories.

How much salary do histotechnologists earn?

• Histotechnologist:  $36,000-$52,450

How do I become a histotechnologist or histologic technician?

Students intending to pursue one of these careers should prepare by taking challenging high school courses in science, math, and English.

Histotechnologists must either have a bachelor's degree in an approved major (e.g. biology, chemistry) and one year of experience in a histopathology lab or complete a formal histotechnology educational program. They also must pass a national exam.

There are three paths to becoming a histologic technician. Students can earn a high school diploma and complete two years of clinical laboratory experience in histopathology. They can complete accredited program in histotechnology, or they can earn an associate degree and complete one year of clinical lab experience in histotechnology. They also must pass a national exam. Certification may be obtained from the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

Where else can I learn about becoming a histologist or histologic technician?

National Society for Histotechnology
10320 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 804 / Columbia, MD  21044
tel: 443-535-4060  /  web: http://nsh.org

American Society for Clinical Pathology
33W. Monroe Street Suite 1600 / Chicago, IL  60603

Educational Institutions in Virginia for Histology:

• Old Dominion University