INSTITUTIONS OFFERING VETERINARY MEDICINE LISTED AT THE BOTTOM
WHAT IS VETERINARY MEDICINE AND WHO IS A VETERINARIAN?
Veterinary medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in both domestic and wild animals. This field of medicine provides us with clues on how animal-related diseases like ringworms, rabies or anthrax, may transition to pose a serious health threat to human beings and some plants. Animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, nutrition research and product development are some essential skills taught in this program. Veterinarians also known as veterinary surgeons or vets for short are trained medical personnel that specialize in this field. Their job requirements calls for both practical (i.e. field and lab) and office work. This is because their daily duties are intended to implementing tasks that ensure good productivity in animals, promotion of public health and educating the general public on both domestic and wild animal welfare.
WHERE DO VETS WORK?
In this country, most veterinarians work in government owned veterinary clinics. Others choose to work in private clinics and hospitals. Some vets travel to farms or work in places such as zoos, game reserves, national parks and laboratories. Veterinarians who treat livestock travel between their offices and farms and ranches. Agrivet Africa Ltd, Petvet Veterinary Services and Serverchem Enterprises Limited are some private companies that employ vets and their assistants in Zambia. Some vets work as consultants for Banks, law firms and insurance companies to assess the health status of animals whenever farmers and other livestock companies insure their animals or use them as collateral when getting loans from financial institutions.
WHAT TASKS ARE INVOLVED IN THE WORK?
Vets usually carry out farm and livestock inspections so as to monitor any positive or negative measures being taken by farmers and ranchers. Inspections are necessary to ensure a good and healthy supply of livestock products to the general public. When the need arises, samples are collected in the field, carefully tested and analyzed in a lab and then carefully reported. Vets are responsible for the medical care of their patients (i.e. animals). As such, vets diagnose animal health problems and give medications to animals suffering from infections or illnesses. They also treat and dress wounds of injured animals and perform minor to complex surgery depending on the training. Vets vaccinate animals against diseases such as rabies and advise owners about animal feeding and preventive care to maintain the health of the animals. In addition to this vets carry out client education, for example, vets will regularly advise local farmers to dip or deworm animals in the dairy and beef processing activities.
WHAT IS THE WORK SCHEDULE OF A VET?
The work schedule of a vet differs on the place of work or the location in which the vet is conducting their field work. Vets working in a clinic or government department or NGO will typically follow the normal 08hrs to 17hrs work schedule from Monday to Friday .Vets that work in the field including national parks, game reserves and farms stick to a working schedule that will suit their field agenda or only report to work if and only when they are needed.
WHAT DOES THE JOB MARKET LOOK LIKE?
In Zambia, there are only two known institutions that train animal health professionals. These are UNZA, and the Zambia Institute of Animal Health located in Mazabuka. This means that there is only a limited number of vets and their assistants on the market. A number of years back, the job market was quite competitive because only the government would employ vets. However, with the introduction of more veterinary clinics, privately owned vet companies, more livestock rearing farms etc., there has been and increase in the number of job opportunities. The job market for vets lies in the availability of the aforementioned vet clinics, veterinary government departments and other related private institutions operating in Zambia like Agrivet Africa Ltd, Serverchem Enterprises Limited, Petvet Veterinary Services to name a few, who’s objectives includes the establishment of better animal health services in remote areas and provision of veterinary pharmaceuticals.
WHAT SORT OF CAREER-PERSONALITY MATCH IS REQUIRED?
Pursuing a career in veterinary medicine calls for an individual with an interest in animal welfare. Vets need to have compassion toward animals and their owners and should be able to communicate effectively. The program is firmly grounded in the sciences and so to enjoy the study of veterinary medicine you need to have an interest in Biology, Chemistry, and Agricultural Science.
INSTITUTIONS OFFERING VETERINARY MEDICINE LISTED AT THE BOTTOM
WHAT SUBJECTS WILL THE PROGRAM COVER
Before students are enrolled into this program at UNZA they will first learn A’ level natural sciences in their first year i.e., Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology. In the following years, their courses will be narrowed down to more specific courses of veterinary medicine such as Anatomy, Animal Physiology, Animal Pathology, and Microbiology among others.
WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS?
Entry into the veterinary medicine degree program at university is very competitive. You need to have scored at least 10 points in 6 subjects at grade 12 to stand a good chance of being accepted into the school of natural sciences from where you can then apply for veterinary medicine in your second year. A’ level passes in Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics from elsewhere with a minimum grade of B+ may also be considered for direct admission into veterinary medicine at second year.
The minimum entry requirements for admission to the certificate programs at ZIAH are O’ level credits (grade 6) or better in 5 subjects including Mathematics, English and Science.
WHAT ARE THE FUTURE ADVANCED QUALIFICATIONS AVAILABLE AND WHY?
Once you complete a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, you may decide to pursue a master’s degree in veterinary medicine or in other in other fields such as virology, public health, vaccinology, biochemistry, human anatomy, human physiology etc. Such qualifications enable the holder to work in a specialised field of veterinary medicine. This provides an upper hand in competitive job markets especially abroad. A master’s will also allow the holder to work as a lecturer in medical schools.
INSTITUTIONS THAT OFFER VETERINARY MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA
Programme duration: 6 years (degree)
Mode of study: Full-time only
Admitting school: School of Natural Sciences
Intakes: January (only)
Location: Lusaka
Contacts
Tel: +26 0211 125 3727
Website: www.unza.zm/academics/undergraduate/bachelor-of-veterinary-medicine
ZAMBIA INSTITUTE OF ANIMAL HEALTH
Programme duration: 2 years (Certificate in Animal health and Production or Certificate in Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostics)
Mode of study: Full-time
Intakes: January
Location: Mazabuka
Contacts
Tel: +260 955 300798 / +260 213 230155
Website: www.ziah2.webs.com/home