Love animals? Need a job or considering a career change? Then training to become a veterinarian might be for you, as the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that a growing shortage of veterinarians in the U.S. poses a threat to the health of animals, humans and the economy.
You might be surprised to learn that the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is the largest employer of veterinarians in the United States. In fact, 24 federal government agencies employ veterinarians, and it worries the GAO that the government’s efforts to hire new veterinarians are not keeping pace with the demand.
“For example,” states the GAO, “USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has not been fully staffed over the past decade, and HHS’ National Institutes of Health faces challenges recruiting veterinarians that specialize in laboratory animal medicine and pathology.”
Making the government’s need for more veterinarians even more critical is the fact that 30 percent of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) veterinarians will be eligible to retire by the end of fiscal year 2011.
Bottom line? The federal government has lots of job openings for veterinarians, and will have even more in the near future. So, if a career in veterinary medicine is for you, About Guide to veterinary medicine Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM, offers you some very important tips.
The Government Job Finder is a great tool for finding open job opportunities throughout the federal government. From accounting to veterinary services, just select you skills and find the jobs.
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