Traveling Veterinarian: What Is It? and How to Become One? (2024)

A career as a travel veterinarian can be a profoundly rewarding experience, with the opportunity to work with a variety of different animals and cultures around the world. As a travel veterinarian, you will be able to provide essential medical care to animals in need while exploring the wonders of our planet. If you are considering this specialised career, you may be wondering what is required to become a travel veterinarian. In this blog post, we will discuss the different steps you need to take and the qualifications you need to secure a career as a travel veterinarian. We will explore the different types of veterinary medicine that you can specialize in and the skills you need to possess. Additionally, we will discuss the job opportunities available to travel veterinarians and the advantages of having a career as a travel veterinarian. Finally, we will look at the financial rewards associated with this career and the challenges you may face.

Here are the steps to become a traveling veterinarian:

1. Earn an undergraduate degree. …
2. Obtain a veterinarian degree. …
3. Get a medical license. …
4. Set up your mobile clinic. …
5. Figure out the logistics of traveling abroad. …
6. Consider getting certifications.

What does a traveling veterinarian do?

Although travel veterinarians and veterinarians offer the same services, travel vets provide their services at a variety of locations while veterinarians do so at a specific office or clinic. Here are some of a travel veterinarians services and duties:

What is a traveling veterinarian?

A traveling veterinarian, also referred to as a mobile veterinarian, is a vet who travels to different locations to treat animals. Here are the two main types of traveling veterinarians:

Local-traveling veterinarians

Veterinarians who practice locally and travel within a predetermined range treat animals there Locally traveling mobile veterinarians typically provide care for domesticated animals that are kept on farms or in homes. Because of their size or the stress that driving causes them, these animals might find it difficult to get to the veterinarian’s office.

Internationally traveling veterinarians

Internationally traveling veterinarians travel abroad to offer their veterinary services. Some of them specialize in working with exotic animals. Other veterinarians who travel abroad may treat animals in remote areas without access to a local clinic or in areas with a clinic but in need of a specialist with particular veterinary knowledge, such as surgical skills. A veterinarian who works abroad may do so independently or in collaboration with a group, for example, as part of a veterinarian mission or disaster relief effort.

How to become a traveling veterinarian

Here are the steps to become a traveling veterinarian:

1. Earn an undergraduate degree

Although a bachelor’s degree is not required, veterinarians must show that they are knowledgeable about science to veterinarian schools. To prove that you are qualified for veterinary school, earn a bachelor’s degree. Students majoring in biology, animal sciences, chemistry, zoology, biochemistry, environmental science, or microbiology with the intention of becoming veterinarians are common choices.

2. Obtain a veterinarian degree

Attend and complete veterinary school. A doctorate in veterinary medicine is awarded to graduates after typically four years of study.

3. Get a medical license

Get your medical license and a doctorate in veterinary medicine. The region or regions where you want to practice medicine will determine the license requirements. Traveling veterinarians may require multiple licenses in order to legally practice in various nations

4. Set up your mobile clinic

Choose and equip a vehicle to act as your mobile clinic if you intend to travel within a specific local area. Certain vehicles must be able to support the weight of at least fundamental equipment, such as:

If you want to provide mobile services for more intricate or surgical procedures, make room for heavier or wider loads. Consider the vehicle’s ability to travel on dirt roads when choosing your mobile vehicle because some mobile veterinarians frequently treat domestic or farm animals in remote locations without paved roads.

5. Figure out the logistics of traveling abroad

Make your travel arrangements in advance if you intend to travel abroad. The specifics of working as a veterinarian while traveling abroad depend on a variety of factors, including the kinds of animals you treat, the medical services you intend to offer, and the nations you hope to treat patients in. Make sure to acquire the necessary paperwork, such as a work visa. Check to see if the organization has any requirements of its own before choosing to travel as a participant in a program or organization, such as an overseas fellowship.

6. Consider getting certifications

While certifications are not necessary, some veterinarians choose to get them to show off their expertise in one or more specialties. Some credentials prove your proficiency with a particular species of animal, like horses, dogs, or reptiles. Other certifications may concentrate on a different branch of veterinary medicine, such as surgery, dentistry, or emergency treatment.

Skills for traveling veterinarians

Traveling veterinarians should develop the following skills:

Work environment for traveling veterinarians

Due to the lack of a permanent office or clinic, a traveling veterinarian’s working conditions change frequently. Depending on the animals a traveling veterinarian treats, the medical care they give, and whether they travel domestically or abroad, the specifics of their varying work environments change. While some traveling veterinarians may work on small farms locally, others may do so in a variety of wildlife environments.

HIGHEST PAID CAREERS IN VET MED | DIFFERENT TYPES OF VETERINARIANS | DOGTOR LINDSEY

FAQ

Are there veterinarians that travel the world?

On the other hand, a relief veterinarian is a traveling veterinarian. A traveling veterinarian departs from their hometown to assist a hospital in need. As in the case of maternity leave or medical leave coverage, these shifts can be as brief as a day or as lengthy as a few months.

What are traveling vets called?

Most veterinarians work in veterinary clinics. Most veterinarians work in private clinics and hospitals. Others visit farms or work in places like labs, classrooms, or zoos. Horse or livestock veterinarians make the trip between their offices, farms, and ranches.

Do vets get to travel?

The only difference between a mobile veterinarian and a stationary one is that the latter can see patients in their natural settings. Mobile veterinarians offer the same medical procedures and health care that a stationary veterinarian offers.