Aquaculture Veterinary Medicine
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Aquaculture Veterinary Medicine |
After completing my Biology degree
from UW-River Falls, my goal is to attend graduate school to perform research
in the combined fields of toxicology and pathology. While I am keeping my options
open in regards to future employment opportunities, I would ideally like to center
my research around wildlife and aquatic pathology, as well as study the effects
of environmental toxicants on aquatic and/or terrestrial organisms. One possible
career that will allow me to pursue these interests is aquaculture veterinary
medicine, thus it is the subject of my career paper.Specifically, a career in aquaculture
veterinary medicine interests me because it combines many of my career interests
into one job: veterinary medicine, fish/wildlife biology, pathology, and toxicology.
I am interested in determining what diseases and toxicants are effecting organisms
in the environment. I had the opportunity to spend the summer researching amphibian
ecotoxicology, which found very interesting. Fish are an issue of concern due
to bioaccumulation of toxicants in the environment. Many fish found in natural
waters are not safe to eat, and I believe this will fuel the market for commercial
fish farming. I would like to have a career that involves keeping wild and farm-raised
fish free of unneccessary toxicants and disease. PERSONAL REFERENCES
USED IN THIS PAPER:
WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC EDUCATION
REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS CAREER?
Getting accepted to veterinary school requires the sucessful completion of several academic and non-academic feats. Initially, the required coursework must be met before applying to veterinary school. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, these courses include:
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The UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine examines several GPA's to determine elegibility. These include: Cumulative GPA up to the first undergraduate degree, GPA in required courses, and GPA for the 30 most recent semester credits.
The GRE (Graduate Record Exam) score also factors into acceptance. According
to the 2002 statistics of accepted resident students,the mean GRE score achieved
was 1836. Individuals taking the GRE should strive for a score equal (or preferably
better) than this mark.
Non-academic factors that veterinary schools consider in admissions include diversity, experience, goals, leadership, and communication. In general, veterinary school applicants must be well-rounded both academically and non-academically.
References:
IS VETERINARY SCHOOL ENOUGH
EDUCATION TO BECOME AN AQUACULTURE VETERINARIAN? IS IT NECESSARY TO ATTEND GRADUATE
SCHOOL AS WELL?
Dr. Kebus says that veterinary schools are beginning to integrate more aquatic
medicine into their curricula, so obtaining a M.S. or Ph.D. is not necessary
in order to become a sucessful aquaculture veterinarian. If an individual wishes
to pursue graduate research in addition to a D.V.M., fields of study such as
toxicology, parasitology, or epidemiology would be beneficial.
Many schools, such as the University of Idaho, have programs that specialize in aquaculture research. If an aspiring aquaculture veterinarian wishes to obtain a M.S. or Ph.D. in a specific area of aquaculture, they can perform research on topics such as:
Schools such as the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine also offer short-courses for veterinarians that adress specific topics in aquaculture. These courses include bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases of cultured fish, and the endocrinology and immunology of fin fish.
References:
WHICH ELECTIVES ARE HELPFUL IN
PREPARING FOR A CAREER IN THIS FIELD?
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References:
HOW NECESSARY IS IT TO OBTAIN
ON-THE-JOB EXPERIENCE BEFORE COMPLETING A BACHELORS DEGREE?
Since competition to get accepted into veterinary school is so fierce, volunteering or working at a veterinary clinic is essential. According to the websiteTalk to the Vet.com, "It is statistically harder to get into a veterinary medicine college than it is to get into a human medical college because of the limited number of veterinary colleges (only 27 in the United States) compared to medical colleges."
To get accepted to veterinary school, experience is necessary. Veterinary schools
want to know that applicants are prepared for what's ahead of them. It is wise
to have a idea of what goes on inside of a clinic, from surgeries to radiography
to exams. Get hands on experience doing tasks such as drawing blood, helping
with x-rays, and labwork; all of these things will help you when applying to
vet school, and will also make life easier once you get in!
References:
WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC BENEFITS
OF OBTAINING SUCH ON THE JOB TRAINING PRIOR TO GRADUATION? Having on the job experience is also helpful because it gives you an edge over
the people you are competing with to get into veterinary school or graduate
school, or to land a job.
References:
WHAT SPECIFIC STEPS SHOULD
BE TAKEN IN ORDER TO OBTAIN AN INTERNSHIP?
As Dr. Bray told me, "It's called networking, and getting your foot into
the door!"
Obtaining a good internship requires meeting people in the field you are interested in. Contact potential employers and inquire about internship positions. Also keep your eyes peeled for internship opportunities at school. Some majors even require that you do an internship.
I can testify that the internship board on 4th floor of Ag. Sci. is a great
place to find internships, it's how I found mine.
References:
The hours a veterinarian works
can vary greatly. This is especially true for an aquaculture veterinarian like
Dr. Kebus, who could find himself making a "housecall" to a catfish
farm in Mississippi. It also goes without saying that the working conditions
for an aquaculture veterinarian can acurately be decribed as "wet!"
The average starting salary for a veterinarian is around $35,000. According to Ask the Vet.com, there has been a downward trend in salary, especially in private practice. Fortunately, the job opportunities for veterinarians seem to be increasing in specialty fields like aquaculture, microbiology, toxicology and environmental medicine.
One job I found for an aquaculture veterinarian in Canada listed a starting
salary range of $50,177.40 - $59,277.40
There are great chances for advancement for a newly graduated veterinarian. Returning to graduate school to specialize in a certain field can greatly increase job potential and pay. The aquaculture short-courses that many veterinary schools offer allow already-veterinarians to expand their markets and abilities. According to the Wisconsin Dept. Of Consumer Trade and Protection's Aquaculture Mailing list, there are only seven aquaculture veterinarians listed in the state of Wisconsin. This leaves the demand high for veterinarians that specialize in aquatic medicine.
References:
The job duties of an aquaculture veterinarian include diagnostics and treatment of illness in fishes. This also includes monitoring fish health during fish transport or sale, so as to reduce the incidence of disease trasmission.
Aquaculture veterinary medicine can consist of a great deal of investigating. Dr. Kebus told me he was called to the east coast to help determine the cause of illness of several fish at a koi show. He informed me that he and other veterinarians and researchers ended up discovering a virus in koi that has never before been found in the United States. Since much less is known about fish health than is known about companion or market animal health, it is necessary that an aquaculture veterinarian keep up with new technology and new research.
References:
DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAILY ROUTINE
FOR A PROFESSIONAL IN THIS FIELD.
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The daily job for an aquaculture can be anything but typical. Some aquaculture veterinarians work exclusively with fish, which others may run a mixed practice, integrating aquaculture medicine with small or large animal medicine. Since Dr. Kebus is employed by the state, his work consists of an equal mixture of being in the office, in the field, at meetings, and in the laboratory. |
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The Chinook on the right is being given kidney disease treatment. |
This photo courtesy of Aquaculture Photos. |
References:
Title of paper: Parasite-Induced
Variation in Host Morphology: Brain-Encysting Trematodes in Fathead Minnows Author: Sandland, G. J.,
and Goatera, C. P.Here is a PDF
link to the summary of this paper...
Aquaculture Photos. Terry Powell Photo and Graphic Design. 4 Dec. 2002. <http://www.ilhawaii.net/~tkpowell/resume/fishgame.html>
Aquavet1. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. 4 Dec.2002. <http://web.vet.cornell.edu/public/aquavet/bascours.htm>
Are you Thinking About Becoming a Veterinarian? Talk to the Vet.com. 5 Dec. 2002 <http://www.talktothevet.com>
Branchaw, Janet Ph.D. Personal Interview. 2002.
Bray, Brenda D.V.M. Personal Interview. 2002.
Graduate Opportunities. University of Idaho Aquaculture Research Institute. 4 Dec. 2002. <http://www.uidaho.edu/aquaculture/>
Jobs Open. Aquatic Network. 5 Dec. 2002. <http://www.aquanet.com>
Juelfs, Clayton. Personal Interveiw. 2002.
Kebus, Myron M.S. D.V.M. Personal Interview. 2002.
Sandland, G. J., and Goatera, C. P. (2000). Parasite-Induced Variation in Host
Morphology: Brain-Encysting Tramatodes in Fathead Minnows. Journal of Parasitology.
87(2): 267-272.
School of Veterinary Medicine. University of Wisconsin-Madison. 4 Dec. 2002. <http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu>
University of Wisconsin-River Falls. 1999-2001. Course Catalog.
