What Is a Traveling Veterinarian and How to Become One
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What Does a Traveling Veterinarian Do?
As a traveling veterinarian, your responsibilities vary depending on the position and type of travel involved. If you travel abroad to provide veterinary services as an internationally traveling veterinarian, your job duties may include caring for animals in underserved areas, performing specialized surgery in a veterinary hospital, or working with exotic animals. As a domestic travel veterinarian, you typically provide treatment to large animals at a farm or home. During a veterinary house call, you examine the animals, administer medicine, perform tests, and check their overall health. You may then return to the clinic to document the services you performed and conduct laboratory testing.
How to Become a Traveling Veterinarian
The qualifications and skills that you need to start working as a traveling veterinarian include a medical degree, professional license, and knowledge of the specialty in which you work. All veterinarians must earn a postgraduate degree from a veterinary school to become a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or VMD). After graduation, you need to pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination. The American Veterinary Medical Association recognizes certifications in more than 40 specialties. If you work abroad, you also need to meet the licensing requirements of the country you travel to, along with obtaining valid travel documents and a work visa.
