Veterinarians

A veterinarian is a doctor of animal health who has trained at a university for at least six years to earn a doctoral degree (the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree) and is licensed to provide medical and surgical care for animals.

A listing of Canada’s five veterinary schools can be found here. Approximately 450 students graduate from Canadian veterinary schools each year. Veterinarians are educated to protect the health of both animals and humans. Not only do they address the health needs of a wide variety of animal species, they also play a critical role in animal welfare, environmental protection, food safety, and public health. A licensed veterinarian can work in several different areas including private practice, government, teaching, research or industry. In order to maintain a license to practice veterinary medicine, veterinarians are required to expand and improve their professional activities on a regular basis through continuing education. Currently, there are approximately 12,517 veterinarians in Canada.

CVMA has developed tools to aid veterinarians in the promotion of their profession at career fairs and school visits, and to inform those considering a career in animal health. To view CVMA’s career brochure and multimedia component, click on the documents below. Brochures are available free of charge to CVMA members and may be ordered from the CVMA office.

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