Postgraduate Programs in Veterinary Science

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Postgraduate Programs in Veterinary Science.

Veterinary science maintains a close relationship with medical studies. So much so, that many medical students eventually cross over to study veterinary science as their final career specialisation. If you study veterinary studies as a postgraduate, you will learn not only about how to take care of animals but also plenty about general biology. Although generally, these skills are not immediately transferable to other career sectors.

Postgraduate Programs in Veterinary Science Trends

A postgraduate in veterinary science falls under the broader umbrella category of medicine and dentistry for statistical purposes. During 2015-2016 in Ireland, just over 1,000 students enrolled in medicine and dentistry courses (including veterinary science). This made medicine and dentistry the 14 th most popular subject with postgraduate students in Ireland in 2015-2016.

Skills Learned Through Postgraduate Programs in Veterinary Science

Depending upon the learning establishment you enrol with, the curriculum will vary with regard to the core modules available. Typical core modules include:

  • Patient care – general skills in making sure a patient is comfortable and is being cared for properly whilst being treated in a veterinary clinic.
  • Clinical skills – treating wounds, changing dressings, administering medication. All of the core clinical skills that any veterinary worker, even a veterinary nurse, will need to master.
  • Diagnosis of common ailments – how to identify common ailments by reading general symptoms.
  • Treatment of common ailments – how to treat common ailments using readily available treatments and medication.

Specialisations in Postgraduate Programs in Veterinary Science

As part of your postgraduate in veterinary science, you will be offered specialisations. These, once again, will depend on the specific curriculum operated by your choice of learning establishment. Typical specialisations include:

  • Pathobiology – the study of the cause of death of an animal due to disease or other illness.
  • Veterinary surgery – the study of physical surgical procedures that can be performed to cure common and complex ailments.
  • Commercial veterinary – providing veterinary services to farmers and cattle breeders.
  • Public health issues – the study of how animal illnesses can spread or affect the general human population, and how this is controlled or prevented.
  • Animal diseases – the advanced study of exotic and uncommon animal diseases and illnesses.

Studying Postgraduate Programs in Veterinary Science for Professional Reasons

If you are intending to take a postgraduate program in veterinary science, you probably already intend to move into a related career. However, some skills will transfer to other job roles, such as livestock farming or zoology.

Job Roles Which Completing Postgraduate Programs in Veterinary Science Will Open Up

Taking a postgraduate course in veterinary science will open up a number of associated career paths, including:

  • Practising veterinarian – providing general veterinary services to the public through a veterinarian clinic.
  • Zoo/nature park manager – caring for exotic species requires veterinary knowledge.
  • Veterinary pathologist – performing autopsies and discerning the cause of death for animals.
  • Animal welfare worker – caring for animals that have been mistreated or abandoned, ensuring that they are treated for any illness or other medical conditions.
  • Wildlife rehabilitator – reintroducing animals back into the wild as part of the rehabilitation process requires broad veterinary knowledge.
    These are just some of the career options that a postgraduate qualification in veterinary science can lead to.

In Conclusion

A postgraduate qualification in veterinary science will provide you with a solid basic understanding of animal care and treatment. You will then be positioned to either specialize further or begin a career as a generalist such as veterinary nurse or animal care worker.


Kevin Branigan

Postgraduate Programs in Agriculture
Postgraduate courses in Business Start Up & Entrepreneurship


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