A detailed analysis of veterinary medicine.

Are human medics and Dentists actually the only ones tagged health care providers in the traditional sense?
The answer is a big NO.
Veterinary Doctors today are as informed if not more informed than dentists and are also tagged health care providers and at par with only the human doctors(not dentists) in terms of knowledge and contributions to the society if not ahead. While I do admit that our immediate society lacks certain knowledge and orientation, it is important to bring certain basis to the fore. Now you rightly said, a Dentist isn’t a physician but a surgeon. A veterinarian is on the other hand both a physician and a surgeon.
Who is a veterinary doctor and what does it take to be one?
A veterinary doctor spends 6 years in the university to attain that title. In similarity to dentistry and human medicine 100 level is basically made up of basic science courses of physics, chemistry and biology. Subsequent levels see them study anatomy, physiology, bacteriology, virology, immunology, entomology, protozoology, helminthology, pharmacology and toxicology, theriogeniology and obstetrics, dentistry, optometry, internal medicine and surgery. After the pre-clinicals , a Veterinarian proceeds to clinics after the 4th year and they do clinic rotations in small animal internal medicine(dogs and cats), large animal internal medicine(ruminants, horses, all wildlife), microbiology, theriogeniology and production, surgery, parasitology, ambulatory medicine and poultry. Also like in human medicine, the final degree is unclassified and you either pass and graduate as a doctor or you fail and re-sit or repeat. Upon graduation you automatically become a member of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) and register with the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association(NVMA) and you are then issued a license and a VCN Number identical to you only . licenses are renewed each year. In service (NYSC) Vets CANNOT teach. You are posted to Vet clinics or establishments and you are paid an allowance same as a human medics and usually above regular corps members. You can also do locum d private practice around to earn more.
What is the similarity between the veterinarian and a human medic/ dentist
They all bear the name DR. A lot of people may not know but animals share the same body anatomy and physiology with humans. All muscles present in humans are present in man and even a lot more in animals. The basic physiology and functioning of humans and animals are also the same with even more complexities and variations in animals. It is worthy to also note that all procedures carried out on humans are also done in animals. Veterinary establishments and teaching hospitals are able to do surgeries and procedures like x-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, ECG, EMG, and similar tests. Laboratory tests involving blood , stool, urine, biopsies and the likes are also carried out on animals. Human and animal diseases are also similar and treated alike. All drugs used in humans are also used on animals and though not all human drugs are licensed for use in animals and not all animal drugs are licensed for human use. drugs are often shared between both professions. All other fields of dentistry, optometry, gynaecology and the likes are also similar. A vet studies as much medicine as a human medic and more.
Is Veterinary medicine more difficult?
The answer is more of a Yes than a
maybe.
Why?
The reasons are numerous. You should know that all institutions that offer the course has veterinary medicine as the course with by far the highest number of credit units to pass before graduation in any Nigerian university. This means that the work load of a Veterinary Doctor is much more than that of a dentist or human medic. While human deals in a single specie, a veterinarian is able to study anatomy, physiology, reproduction and medicine of different species ranging from domestic animals like dog, cattle, chicken, horses to lions, tigers, crocodiles, ostriches e.t.c. The absence of supporting professions in Nigeria like veterinary nurse, pharmacists and dentists also mean a veterinarian does a lot of pharmacology/toxicology, microbiology , optometry and even dentistry. The risk involved in animals means additional techniques are taught. While a human medic graduates more as a physician with basic knowledge of surgery except during specializations, a Veterinary graduate is a certified physician/surgeon and can carry out complex surgeries from Caesarian sections, orthopedic surgeries, graft and basic plastic/cosmetic surgeries and the likes. A veterinarian is also thoroughly trained to determine cause of death at post mortem and is a trained gross pathologist. It goes on…
Do they know that much/ Do they use basic medical tools?
A veterinarian is a jack of all trade in medicine and knows a lot and YES, stethoscopes, thermometers, surgical wears and kits and other kits are also used by a veterinary doctor.
Can a Veterinary Doctor attend to a human?
A vet is not licensed to treat a human being however , he knows enough to advice and make recommendations. During the 2nd world war and in extreme conditions of human medic shortage, vets may be asked to help in various capacities.
Can a Human Doctor attend to an animal?
No, but a human medics knowledge of medicine means he also has a fair knowledge of certain things in animal medicine.
Is veterinary practice lucrative in Nigeria?
Nigeria is still growing and the profession like many others has challenges. However, in government, Veterinary doctors are employed at the same entry level and paid the same salary as Human medics(usually not less than N200,000 at entry level)ahead of all other allied health courses like pharmacy and optometry (Not sure of dentistry). In the academics, a Veterinarian usually earns more than human medics based on certain hazard and risk allowances. In private practice however, it is a lot tougher for a Vet as Nigerians are only beginning to learn to value animals , but vets are millionaires from handling Fulani cattle and large farms with birds, and other commercial far. Even dog and cat practice can fetch lots of cash. A Vets knowledge also means that various pharmaceutical companies employ vets as reps. Pet feed companies, poultry feed companies, banks with agric loan schemes, colleges of agriculture and NGOs are others. NAFDAC(vet drug dept.) , the Nigerian armed forces (Military horse units and bioterrorism unit),Police /Civil Defense (police dog unit), Prisons (Prison farms) are amongst vet employers. A vet is always employed on one or two levels above a normal degree holder which is the same for human doctors. All universities with veterinary medicine have teaching hospitals and are employers of labour. In the last 2 to 3 years, many federal institutions are opening vet faculties in addition to what was available(over 8 veterinary faculties before)and are looking at the future prospects(UNILORIN, UNIJOS, UNIBEN, some Universities of Agriculture and Private universities). No school wants to be left behind. Countries in Africa e.g. south Africa, Botswana , Kenya survive on wildlife and animal farming. Oil is falling, agriculture is on the rise. Self employment is the inn thing , Veterinary knowledge makes you a potential farmer and business man/woman as you can raise you own animals. Only a Veterinary and a Pharmacist license is recognized for drug imports for animals and humans respectively. Human medic licenses are not used for drug import.
Do Vets only treat animals?
No, veterinarians are also core indirectly human health providers. Most countries have animal and human health agencies working side by side. Over 70% of diseases in humans in the last decade have come from animals and Vets play huge roles. Today in some EU countries, even in human hospitals for every few number of human doctors a Vet Dr. is attached(e.g. 5:1) to assist with handling zoonotic diseases(i.e. disease from animals). Vets are also needed in health agencies and public health institutions like WHO, CDC, FAO, OIE and the likes both home and abroad. In Nigeria each state has veterinary clinic and each abattoir in a state has a Vet Dr. attached to inspect slaughtered meat and prevent disease transfer to humans. Diseased animals are condemned or diseased body parts removed to prevent disease, so a veterinarian is out there saving our lives every-day. You will be surprised at how many diseases like tuberculosis a Veterinarian sees every day and saves someone from getting. Asides these, food processing agencies, environmental health and sanitation and water process inspections and supervision are roles veterinarians handle. Public health, Disease surveillance and eradication are other roles. Most significant medical researches done in Nigeria emanate from Veterinary medicine. You will find more Veterinary professors in universities that human medic professors due to this (factor in no of institutions offering the course). Today, the bigger world approach medicine as “one health”; Human health, Animal health and Environmental health. That is the only way to succeed in health issues(You can Google the “one health” concept)
Finally,Always take your animals to a vet for check up. dogs should be routinely vaccinated and livestock handled properly. an unhealthy animal means you are at risk too and animals have feelings you should consider.
Veterinary medicine is a noble profession. The title is DVM (doctor of veterinary medicine) and you are a doctor in your own right, respected in the society and can make a lot for yourself. No job is a bed of roses, nor perfect but certain professions give you self-dignity respect and can make you comfortable.

wow impressive

Nigeria is no place for a veterinarian to practice. Pets as well as farm animals are slaughtered when an ailment is noticed.

no veterinary medicine more than just treating the animals
60-70% of disease in human is caused by animal so vets are very important in Combacting many outbreak of new diseases and by the way they earn as the medical doctor and vet market is not yet jam-packed like other courses. tell me how many science course is paying again nowadays

even you yourself maybe it's botany you studied like that

Ahsad:
wow impressive

Whats with all the hate on dentistry can't you promote your profession without badmouthing others? Anyways best of luck.

6 years, what if you have a bachelor in a science like Microbiology??

Very well explained.

Ahsad:
A detailed analysis of veterinary medicine.

Are human medics and Dentists actually the only ones tagged health care providers in the traditional sense?
The answer is a big NO.
Veterinary Doctors today are as informed if not more informed than dentists and are also tagged health care providers and at par with only the human doctors(not dentists) in terms of knowledge and contributions to the society if not ahead. While I do admit that our immediate society lacks certain knowledge and orientation, it is important to bring certain basis to the fore. Now you rightly said, a Dentist isn’t a physician but a surgeon. A veterinarian is on the other hand both a physician and a surgeon.
Who is a veterinary doctor and what does it take to be one?
A veterinary doctor spends 6 years in the university to attain that title. In similarity to dentistry and human medicine 100 level is basically made up of basic science courses of physics, chemistry and biology. Subsequent levels see them study anatomy, physiology, bacteriology, virology, immunology, entomology, protozoology, helminthology, pharmacology and toxicology, theriogeniology and obstetrics, dentistry, optometry, internal medicine and surgery. After the pre-clinicals , a Veterinarian proceeds to clinics after the 4th year and they do clinic rotations in small animal internal medicine(dogs and cats), large animal internal medicine(ruminants, horses, all wildlife), microbiology, theriogeniology and production, surgery, parasitology, ambulatory medicine and poultry. Also like in human medicine, the final degree is unclassified and you either pass and graduate as a doctor or you fail and re-sit or repeat. Upon graduation you automatically become a member of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) and register with the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association(NVMA) and you are then issued a license and a VCN Number identical to you only . licenses are renewed each year. In service (NYSC) Vets CANNOT teach. You are posted to Vet clinics or establishments and you are paid an allowance same as a human medics and usually above regular corps members. You can also do locum d private practice around to earn more.
What is the similarity between the veterinarian and a human medic/ dentist
They all bear the name DR. A lot of people may not know but animals share the same body anatomy and physiology with humans. All muscles present in humans are present in man and even a lot more in animals. The basic physiology and functioning of humans and animals are also the same with even more complexities and variations in animals. It is worthy to also note that all procedures carried out on humans are also done in animals. Veterinary establishments and teaching hospitals are able to do surgeries and procedures like x-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, ECG, EMG, and similar tests. Laboratory tests involving blood , stool, urine, biopsies and the likes are also carried out on animals. Human and animal diseases are also similar and treated alike. All drugs used in humans are also used on animals and though not all human drugs are licensed for use in animals and not all animal drugs are licensed for human use. drugs are often shared between both professions. All other fields of dentistry, optometry, gynaecology and the likes are also similar. A vet studies as much medicine as a human medic and more.
Is Veterinary medicine more difficult?
The answer is more of a Yes than a
maybe.
Why?
The reasons are numerous. You should know that all institutions that offer the course has veterinary medicine as the course with by far the highest number of credit units to pass before graduation in any Nigerian university. This means that the work load of a Veterinary Doctor is much more than that of a dentist or human medic. While human deals in a single specie, a veterinarian is able to study anatomy, physiology, reproduction and medicine of different species ranging from domestic animals like dog, cattle, chicken, horses to lions, tigers, crocodiles, ostriches e.t.c. The absence of supporting professions in Nigeria like veterinary nurse, pharmacists and dentists also mean a veterinarian does a lot of pharmacology/toxicology, microbiology , optometry and even dentistry. The risk involved in animals means additional techniques are taught. While a human medic graduates more as a physician with basic knowledge of surgery except during specializations, a Veterinary graduate is a certified physician/surgeon and can carry out complex surgeries from Caesarian sections, orthopedic surgeries, graft and basic plastic/cosmetic surgeries and the likes. A veterinarian is also thoroughly trained to determine cause of death at post mortem and is a trained gross pathologist. It goes on…
Do they know that much/ Do they use basic medical tools?
A veterinarian is a jack of all trade in medicine and knows a lot and YES, stethoscopes, thermometers, surgical wears and kits and other kits are also used by a veterinary doctor.
Can a Veterinary Doctor attend to a human?
A vet is not licensed to treat a human being however , he knows enough to advice and make recommendations. During the 2nd world war and in extreme conditions of human medic shortage, vets may be asked to help in various capacities.
Can a Human Doctor attend to an animal?
No, but a human medics knowledge of medicine means he also has a fair knowledge of certain things in animal medicine.
Is veterinary practice lucrative in Nigeria?
Nigeria is still growing and the profession like many others has challenges. However, in government, Veterinary doctors are employed at the same entry level and paid the same salary as Human medics(usually not less than N200,000 at entry level)ahead of all other allied health courses like pharmacy and optometry (Not sure of dentistry). In the academics, a Veterinarian usually earns more than human medics based on certain hazard and risk allowances. In private practice however, it is a lot tougher for a Vet as Nigerians are only beginning to learn to value animals , but vets are millionaires from handling Fulani cattle and large farms with birds, and other commercial far. Even dog and cat practice can fetch lots of cash. A Vets knowledge also means that various pharmaceutical companies employ vets as reps. Pet feed companies, poultry feed companies, banks with agric loan schemes, colleges of agriculture and NGOs are others. NAFDAC(vet drug dept.) , the Nigerian armed forces (Military horse units and bioterrorism unit),Police /Civil Defense (police dog unit), Prisons (Prison farms) are amongst vet employers. A vet is always employed on one or two levels above a normal degree holder which is the same for human doctors. All universities with veterinary medicine have teaching hospitals and are employers of labour. In the last 2 to 3 years, many federal institutions are opening vet faculties in addition to what was available(over 8 veterinary faculties before)and are looking at the future prospects(UNILORIN, UNIJOS, UNIBEN, some Universities of Agriculture and Private universities). No school wants to be left behind. Countries in Africa e.g. south Africa, Botswana , Kenya survive on wildlife and animal farming. Oil is falling, agriculture is on the rise. Self employment is the inn thing , Veterinary knowledge makes you a potential farmer and business man/woman as you can raise you own animals. Only a Veterinary and a Pharmacist license is recognized for drug imports for animals and humans respectively. Human medic licenses are not used for drug import.
Do Vets only treat animals?
No, veterinarians are also core indirectly human health providers. Most countries have animal and human health agencies working side by side. Over 70% of diseases in humans in the last decade have come from animals and Vets play huge roles. Today in some EU countries, even in human hospitals for every few number of human doctors a Vet Dr. is attached(e.g. 5:1) to assist with handling zoonotic diseases(i.e. disease from animals). Vets are also needed in health agencies and public health institutions like WHO, CDC, FAO, OIE and the likes both home and abroad. In Nigeria each state has veterinary clinic and each abattoir in a state has a Vet Dr. attached to inspect slaughtered meat and prevent disease transfer to humans. Diseased animals are condemned or diseased body parts removed to prevent disease, so a veterinarian is out there saving our lives every-day. You will be surprised at how many diseases like tuberculosis a Veterinarian sees every day and saves someone from getting. Asides these, food processing agencies, environmental health and sanitation and water process inspections and supervision are roles veterinarians handle. Public health, Disease surveillance and eradication are other roles. Most significant medical researches done in Nigeria emanate from Veterinary medicine. You will find more Veterinary professors in universities that human medic professors due to this (factor in no of institutions offering the course). Today, the bigger world approach medicine as “one health”; Human health, Animal health and Environmental health. That is the only way to succeed in health issues(You can Google the “one health” concept)
Finally,Always take your animals to a vet for check up. dogs should be routinely vaccinated and livestock handled properly. an unhealthy animal means you are at risk too and animals have feelings you should consider.
Veterinary medicine is a noble profession. The title is DVM (doctor of veterinary medicine) and you are a doctor in your own right, respected in the society and can make a lot for yourself. No job is a bed of roses, nor perfect but certain professions give you self-dignity respect and can make you comfortable.

A simple explanation of your course won't do any bad, must you bad mouth or compare your course with medicine/dentistry? Anyways goodluck

Antoniosmile:
A simple explanation of your course won't do any bad, must you bad mouth or compare your course with medicine/dentistry? Anyways goodluck

He has to compare them because an average Nigerian doesn't know anything about Vet Med.
So placing it side by side with Human Medicine makes it easier for people to relate and understand what he is saying.

samuelpeters:

He has to compare them because an average Nigerian doesn't know anything about Vet Med.
So placing it side by side with Human Medicine makes it easier for people to relate and understand what he is saying.

Okay sir, I think I now understand you. Vet Medicine has more prospects than medicine and dentistry in Nigeria