Where do they train to become a veterinarian? Profession veterinarian. Tuition fees and quotas
Everyone knows who a veterinarian is. But not everyone knows where they study to become a veterinarian, whether it is worth studying and where to apply to become a veterinarian if the decision has been made. Let's try to figure it out.
Even if you don’t have a pet, then you probably read a fairy tale as a child about the good doctor Aibolit, who could sew new legs on a bunny or cure hippos’ sore tummies.
A veterinarian is a doctor whose patients include a variety of animals, from cows to parrots. If you are so impressed by the good doctor that you decide to devote your life to saving the lives and health of animals, the question immediately arises: where do they study to become a veterinarian? The answer to this question will depend on what you want to achieve in the end. Do you want to study to become a veterinarian, work independently, make a career in veterinary medicine, and perhaps, in the future, open your own clinic? Or the question of where you can study to become a veterinarian is not very important for you, you just need to provide the simplest assistance and work in your place, accurately fulfilling your official duties.
In the first case, it is best to choose higher education. To become a veterinarian, you will need to enroll in a university and complete a course in veterinary medicine. Only in this case will you receive the qualification of a Veterinarian. In the second case, the Veterinary Assistant qualification may be sufficient for you. You can get it by graduating from a secondary specialized educational institution.
Where to go to study to become a veterinarian?
Where to apply to become a veterinarian? First, you need to decide whether your choice is really correct. To do this, you can try to work in some veterinary clinic in unskilled “give-and-fetch” positions. If nothing scares you away and you remain firm in your decision, then you can safely enter the university. You can study to become a veterinarian in Moscow, for example, at one of the state universities. The most famous of them is the Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after. K.I. Scriabin. A very popular university where you can go to study to become a veterinarian.
The Academy also conducts scientific work, conducts seminars and master classes on current scientific and practical topics, has a solid scientific fund and a good base for practice.
Another large Moscow university where studying to become a veterinarian is prestigious is the Agrarian Faculty of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. Professors with rich scientific and practical experience teach at RUDN, they know how to combine theoretical and applied sciences, and practice new technologies in teaching. It is possible to supplement your diploma and work abroad.
One of the oldest universities where they study to become a veterinarian is the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Agricultural Academy named after. K.A. Timiryazeva, Faculty of Animal Science and Biology, Department of Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise. The Academy also has a veterinary clinic where students have the opportunity to practice.
To enter a university, you need to pass the Unified State Examination results in biology, mathematics and the Russian language.
Where else can you study to become a veterinarian in Moscow?
A university is not the only option where you can study to become a veterinarian. You can choose a college where you can qualify as a Veterinary Paramedic. Unfortunately, studying to become a veterinarian in college in Moscow is not so easy - there are no veterinary colleges in the capital, but there are some in the Moscow region. In this case, you will have to travel.
One of the most famous agricultural colleges, where there is a specialty in Veterinary Medicine, is Kolomna Agrarian College. The college has a modern, extensive scientific and technical base, which allows students to be given the most advanced education. VUZ cooperates with leading universities, for example, with the Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after. K.I. Scriabin, RUDN University, Moscow State University of Environmental Management. This gives graduates a good opportunity to enter a university immediately after graduating from college.
Also, in the Moscow region there is the Volokolamsk Agrarian College Kholmogorka. There you can get veterinary and canine education. The technical school is one of the oldest and most respected colleges in the region.
Where can a veterinarian go to study if he has already graduated from college and wants to improve his qualifications? There are many opportunities to do this by taking short-term topical lectures or seminars. It is even possible to do this remotely, via the web.
So, is it worth studying to become a veterinarian? Of course, everyone must find the answer to this question themselves. Like any profession, this one also has a number of disadvantages, and before going to study, you need to decide for yourself whether the disadvantages are worth the advantages, which will outweigh. Experienced veterinarians say that the main disadvantage of the profession is that it is impossible to help absolutely everyone and there are cases when it is no longer possible to help. This is very difficult psychologically not only for the owner, but also for the veterinarian. But then they also mention the main advantage - to see the joyful eyes of their cured “patient” and his happy owner.
A veterinarian is a doctor. And even though he treats animals and not people, this is a difficult job that requires excellent education and practical experience. Therefore, university graduates are required to work as a veterinary assistant for at least two years, and only after that can they begin general practice. Working with animals is less responsible from a financial point of view, compared to treating people.
You probably won't go to jail for negligence. But from a moral point of view, the responsibility is equal. The profession of a veterinarian is suitable for those who are ready to take responsibility for other people's lives. If this doesn’t scare you, let’s talk about its features, pros and cons, training, career prospects and average salaries.
Description of the profession veterinarian
Veterinary medicine is the science of prevention, diagnosis, treatment of diseases and injuries in animals. And not only at home, as many applicants mistakenly think. Dogs and horses, cats and cows, hamsters and tigers living in the zoo equally need treatment. During your studies, you can independently focus on studying certain groups and species of animals, but the educational standards are uniform and you will also have to know, in particular, the features of the anatomy and diseases of cattle.
A veterinarian's responsibilities may vary depending on the position they hold, as well as the organization for which they work.
Thus, the assistant surgeon cannot perform operations independently - his task is to help and learn during the work. A livestock specialist with a veterinary education can specialize in breeding breeding animals and increasing their efficiency. But the basic responsibilities of all specialists are:
- Diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases in animals.
- Restoration or elimination of reproductive function.
- Increasing the efficiency of animals for the benefit of agricultural enterprises.
- Conducting laboratory tests, observation, research.
- Selection of the optimal course of treatment, medications, therapeutic methods.
An important responsibility of veterinary surgeons is to perform operations and rehabilitation. Oncologists – selection of a course of chemotherapy or radiation. In veterinary medicine there are a number of narrow specializations similar to “regular” medical practice. A specialist can be a surgeon, therapist, ophthalmologist, oncologist, psychiatrist, and so on. A veterinarian can partly be the same dog handler, adjusting the dog’s behavior and studying its psychology. The range of responsibilities is extremely wide and always depends on the position and place of work of the specialist.
Where can you get an education as a veterinarian?
It is much easier for a specialist with a higher education to count on a successful career. To do this, it is better to immediately enroll in a university, or apply to a prestigious college, and then receive an accelerated higher education in absentia. The more reputable the educational institution, the better.
However, to a greater extent, career growth depends on the personal success of the specialist and his qualifications. A veterinarian needs good education, just like any doctor. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the TOP 5 Russian universities that train specialists in this profession:
- Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after. Scriabin.
- Agrarian University named after. Timiryazev.
- Peoples' Friendship University of Russia.
- Novosibirsk Agrarian University.
- Kazan Academy of Veterinary Medicine named after. Bauman.
Among the subjects that must be passed as part of the Unified State Exam are biology, chemistry and the Russian language. Sometimes chemistry is replaced by mathematics. It is necessary to contact the admissions office in advance and clarify the list of subjects. Remember that the university can independently conduct exams and take into account the various achievements of applicants. We recommend that you do not rely solely on information from the official websites of educational institutions - mistakes can be made everywhere. Take the time to contact members of the admissions committee.
What personal qualities should you have?
First of all, it is a love for animals. It's hard to do well what you hate with all your heart. Therefore, listen to yourself: do you really love them? Are you ready not only to spend all your working time with them, but also to devote your life to them? Try to get rid of rose-colored glasses in advance. According to statistics, at least 30% of veterinary graduates do not work in their specialty. It would be sad to spend at least 4 years learning a profession you don’t need.
If you are confident in your decision, pay attention to other personal qualities that a specialist should have:
- Resistance to stress.
- Care, patience.
- Extraordinary intelligence.
- Constant desire to develop.
- Strength of will.
What does willpower do on the list? Judge for yourself: during training you will probably have to dissect the same frogs. For many this is a trifle, but for some it is a real tragedy. In the course of your work, you will have to deal with hopeless animals and see a lot of tragic deaths. Only a strong-willed person with nerves of iron can overcome this and continue to work calmly. The rest are trying to “run away” from problematic clients and focus on private practice related to the prescription of medications and vaccinations.
Pros and cons of being a veterinarian
On the one hand, this is an important, necessary and truly kind profession. Your life is filled with new meaning, you can save animals from imminent death and bring sincere joy to their owners. At the same time, the salaries of specialists in this industry are far from the maximum, especially when working in government agencies. Not everyone can build a successful career. In addition, the profession is less respectable than the same doctor, although no less important. We recommend weighing the pros and cons in advance.
Key advantages veterinarian professions:
- An important, useful, critically needed specialty.
- The opportunity to save animal lives every day.
- Decent wages in private clinics.
- Career prospects for qualified specialists.
- A truly enjoyable job for people who love animals.
Key flaws veterinarian professions:
- Difficult, extremely responsible work.
- Low salaries for assistants and other low-skilled employees.
- The need to contact animal owners who are not always objective.
- Difficult career growth, the need to work as an assistant after graduation.
- Not the highest salaries.
It is better to consider the pros and cons with an objective assessment of your own prospects. If you cannot count on entering a university and are forced to settle for secondary education, if you are not ready to climb the career ladder for at least 5-7 years, there are more disadvantages. If you sincerely love animals, are ready for constant self-education, for regular training, if you are not afraid of responsibility for the lives of someone’s beloved pets, this profession will certainly suit you.
Where to work and how to build a career
After graduating from university, the specialist must work as a veterinary assistant for at least two years.
Without this, it is impossible to start a full-fledged practice. Next, you will need to undergo certification, receive identification documents and start working in a new status. Where can veterinarians work:
- In clinics and laboratories.
- At veterinary stations.
- In circuses and zoos.
- At agricultural enterprises.
- In the field of control of products of animal origin.
- In fisheries, in nurseries.
Until recently, many veterinarians conducted private practices - they provided services at home, and a kind of “ambulance for animals” was created. Now they are trying to begin to control the industry, it is possible that in the near future private specialists will find themselves outside the law. At the same time, nothing will prevent an experienced veterinarian from starting his own business - opening a private clinic or laboratory, pet store or nursery.
Career prospects directly depend on the qualifications of a specialist and his place of work. The easiest way to achieve success in work is after graduating from reputable universities. The path of a specialist with secondary education will be more difficult - he will spend additional time on distance learning and will have a diploma that is less in demand among employers.
How much does a veterinarian earn in Russia?
The average salary of specialists in this field is 28 thousand rubles. In Moscow it is 33 thousand rubles, in remote regions – 25 thousand rubles. The most profitable way is to open your own business. Veterinarians working in private clinics and laboratories earn on average 3-4 thousand rubles more than their colleagues holding similar positions in government institutions.
As for the increase in wages as you grow in your career, it is present, but not as pronounced as in many other specialties.
That is, if the difference between the salaries of an ordinary administrator and a TOP manager is obvious, then in the salaries of an experienced veterinary surgeon and assistant it is expressed in 5-7 thousand rubles. However, it is possible to build a successful career and achieve high wages. The key conditions for this are to constantly develop, do your job well and constantly look for vacancies with a higher salary.
Summary
A story about the veterinarian profession should begin with a description of the disadvantages of this profession. This is the only way to remove the rose-colored glasses from the majority of applicants who dream of “positive work with animals.” This is an extremely complex, responsible, but respected and truly important specialty. But it is important to be prepared for it. At the same time, you should not count on high salaries in the first 2-3 years of work. As you grow in your career, you will be able to increase your income, but it will reach its maximum only when you open your own clinic.
Maria Kositsyna
Editor of the Info-Profi portal, head of the center for supporting student projects at Tyumen State University.
Working with animals, like working with people, requires a special calling. We talked to veterinarians—saviors of pets, zoo residents, and farm dwellers—about the specifics of their difficult profession.
For those who want to become a veterinarian, it is important to know:
1. Veterinarian is a difficult profession both morally and physically (especially if you have to treat large animals).
2. Animals do not get sick according to schedule, so work will not always have a stable schedule and clearly designated days off.
3. Possible problems in your personal life - the other halves do not always share increased fanaticism at work.
4. The human factor - the difficulties of interaction between animal owners and veterinarians - can never be excluded, so it is important to be balanced and competent in communicating with people.
5. The profession is not very suitable for squeamish people: sometimes you need to do “dirty” work and gloves are not always at hand.
Yana: “I have loved animals since childhood, especially horses; my parents were against my hobby. I’m a city child, I didn’t grow up in the village; There was only a dog at home - a Caucasian Shepherd. I think that the love for animals, the lack of proper communication with them and the desire to help them led me to the profession. There was another interesting question: how to treat cats/dogs is clear, but how are horses treated?”
Where to study to become a veterinarian?
In Moscow, the qualification “general veterinarian” can be obtained at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), at the Moscow Veterinary Academy named after Scriabin (MVA) or at the Moscow State University of Applied Biotechnology (MGUPB).
For admission you will need excellent knowledge of biology and chemistry (accepted in the Unified State Exam format); in the future, you need to be ready to remember large amounts of information, not be afraid of complex laboratory work, and remain calm in any situation.
Yana: “By the 4th year, there was only one female team left in our group - the strong half either transferred to another specialization or left the walls of our institution.
First lesson in a new subject. The teacher carefully looked around our group and the following dialogue took place:
—Who is your leading mare?
(In response to him there was a general indistinct “uh.?!).
- Who is the alpha mare, I say??
(Here we finally stopped understanding what was happening).
- Who is the head of the group, I ask?
(Loud laughter).”
Irina: “Now I understand that during my studies I lacked a mentor. A person who would direct the mind in the right direction. Therefore, upon graduation with a diploma in hand, I felt like a complete ignoramus in veterinary medicine.”
Yana: “There were a lot of surprises at my first job. Veterinary department students are taught not so much how to treat animals, but rather “what kind of disease is this and what will go into stew and what will go into sausage.” I'm exaggerating, of course, but sometimes something like this happens. It is important to always be ready to independently seek additional information and gain practical knowledge.”
Anastasia, administrator of a veterinary clinic: “Before enrolling, I worked for a whole year as a laboratory assistant at the academy; this helped me a lot, it was as if I was one step ahead compared to all the freshmen. But when it came to practice, we did not know the simplest everyday things. Once we went to a farm; we had to examine newborn calves. None of us had any idea how it worked, where we could go and where we couldn’t. I turned around carelessly and fell into the drain with the calf.”
Polina, student: “I am studying veterinary pharmacology; I never knew how to set a thermometer for cats. It was in the first year; I was on duty at the regional center and the doctor told me to measure the cat’s temperature after surgery. Well, I put it under my paw and am waiting... Half of the center was crying with laughter.”
Demand for the profession
The profession is in great demand in the periphery. There are some nooks and crannies in Russia where you won’t find a good veterinarian during the day. In large cities, things are a little different - competition is high; It is difficult for a veterinary academy graduate to immediately find a well-paid job. It is necessary to prove oneself well; Work experience is important, so many students from the third year begin to work part-time in veterinary clinics.
Another industry that veterinary specialists often find themselves in is veterinary and sanitary examination. All food products that go on sale are checked by veterinarian experts. Veterinarians also work at the border in order to protect the country from viruses (for example, bird flu or mad cow disease), which appear from time to time throughout the world. Imported and exported animals are thoroughly checked - this helps to avoid the occurrence of epidemics.
It is sometimes said that a veterinarian's salary is inversely proportional to the size of his conscience. Of course, this is not always the case; but some veterinarians work honestly for little money, while others, knowing, for example, that the pet will not survive, still charge huge sums for the appointment or prescribe expensive medications from the hospital pharmacy. However, the services of a reputable veterinarian will always be in high demand.
About burials
Marina, an employee at a pet cemetery (Moscow, Kurkino district), says:
“Unfortunately, many animal owners think that they can bury him in a nearby park - the main thing is that there are no unnecessary witnesses. In fact, this is strictly prohibited, as it poses an environmental and sanitary hazard. Also, no one excludes the possibility that playing children will stumble upon the animal; Can you imagine how they will feel? In the event of the death of a pet, cremation is necessary.
If the owners plan to take the pet’s ashes with them, it will cost from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles; general cremation - in the range of 1000–2000 rubles, depending on weight. If the owners do not want to do everything themselves, it is possible to entrust all the concerns to the veterinary service.
Who needs this kind of work?
Quite often, veterinarians understand animals better than people, which is a great way to figure out if you need this kind of work. “If it’s really yours,” says Ekaterina Chirkova, an ultrasound diagnostics doctor, “no difficulties or failures will frighten you. But if you suddenly realize that this is not yours, you must be able to admit it, not suffer in this profession, and leave. We work with animals that should not suffer from human unwillingness to work and lack of professionalism. They feel a person very well and often endure the most unpleasant manipulations from one, but do not let another come close.”
Average salary for a veterinarian in Moscow: 50,000 rubles.
As a child, many people dream of becoming a veterinarian and treating animals. We learn about what a noble and necessary profession this is from fairy tales - for example, the famous “Aibolit” by K. I. Chukovsky. Veterinary medicine is a really good career choice as these professionals are easy to find jobs and are highly paid in 2020.
It is impossible to work as a veterinarian without a diploma of higher or secondary specialized education, so we have compiled a ranking of the best veterinary universities in Russia.
Do you want to see ranking lists of universities for other specialties? Join our telegram channel, where you will find a lot of necessary information about admission. And if you take part in our.
The best veterinary universities in Moscow
Moscow Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after K. I. Scriabin
Kazan Veterinary Academy named after N. E. Bauman
The Academy accepts students in 3 specialized areas:
- Veterinary and sanitary examination.
- Animal science.
- Veterinary medicine.
Teachers and students of KSAVM actively participate in industry events that are held in the region: summits, congresses, conferences. This gives you the opportunity to present the results of your scientific activities.
Tomsk Agricultural Institute - branch of Novosibirsk State Agrarian University
The NSAU branch is one of the strongest agricultural universities in the country. On its basis there are:
- Dairy farming training center;
- Vet clinic.
There, students of the specialties “animal science” and “veterinary medicine” undergo practical training and apply their acquired knowledge.
Don State Technical University
DSTU offers applicants a wide selection of educational programs, including “veterinary and sanitary examination and clinical and laboratory diagnostics.”
There are usually few budget places allocated for this specialty, but the contract price is one of the cheapest in the country (from 60,000 rubles).
Kuban State Agrarian University named after I. T. Trubilin
Kuban State Agrarian University is one of the best veterinary universities in Russia. Provides training for future livestock specialists and veterinary experts.
The university is active internationally; students have the opportunity to participate in foreign internships, study and exchange practice.
Tuva State University
TSU, one of the leading universities in the Siberian Federal District, closes the list. The curricula are drawn up taking into account modern methods; a lot of time is allocated for students’ independent work.
- Veterinary and sanitary examination of production, enterprises and trade processing
- Breeding, genetics and selection.
A TSU diploma makes it easy to get a job in leading enterprises in the region.
Studying to become a veterinarian is not easy; there are many complex disciplines in these specialties. If you have problems with labs, essays, or coursework, please contact Student Help. Its experts will make sure that only four-legged patients have tails, and not you.