NOC 31103: Veterinarians

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Veterinarians prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and disorders in animals and advise clients on the feeding, hygiene, housing and general care of animals. They can also perform surgical procedures. They work in private practice or may be employed by animal clinics, farms, laboratories, government or industry.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Diagnose diseases or abnormal conditions in individual animals, herds and flocks through physical examinations or laboratory tests
• Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds or performing surgery
• Vaccinate animals to prevent and treat diseases
• Perform routine, emergency and post-mortem examinations
• Advise clients on feeding, housing, behaviour, breeding, hygiene and general care of animals
• Provide a range of veterinary services including obstetrics, dentistry and euthanasia
• May supervise animal health technologists and animal care workers
• May be responsible for overall operation of animal hospital, clinic or mobile service to farms
• May conduct veterinary research related to areas such as animal nutrition, health care products development and disease prevention and control
• May enforce government regulations in disease control and food production including animal or animal-based food inspection.

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Employment requirements

Doctor of veterinary medicine

• Two years of pre-veterinary university studies or completion of a college program in health science and a four to five year university degree in veterinary medicine and successful completion of an examination leading to a national certification are required.
• A provincial licence to practice is required.

Veterinary specialists

• Completion of a degree in veterinary medicine and three to four years of additional postgraduate studies or residency program in the specialty of their choice are required.
• Veterinary specialists must be accredited by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) or the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP). In Quebec, they must be accredited by the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec and only 18 specialties are recognized.
• A provincial license to practice is required.

Research veterinarian

• Two years of pre-veterinary university studies or completion of a college program in health science and a four to five year university degree in veterinary medicine and successful completion of an examination leading to a national certification are required.
• Entry into research positions may require postgraduate study.
• A provincial licence to practice is required.

Good to know

• The duties of veterinarians performing research may be similar to those of some biologists.
• In its regulations, the 'Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (OMVQ)' recognizes only the following specialties: Animal behavioural medicine; Laboratory animal medicine; Large animal internal medicine; Large animal surgery; Pet internal medicine; Pet surgery; Veterinary anesthesiology; Veterinary clinical pathology; Veterinary dermatology; Veterinary emergency and intensive care; Veterinary medical imaging; Veterinary microbiology; Veterinary neurology; Veterinary oncology; Veterinary ophthalmology; Veterinary pathology; Veterinary theriogenology; and Zoological medicine.

Codes in the same group

Official sources

• noc.esdc.gc.caNOC 2021 Version 1.0: 31103 Veterinarians
• statcan.gc.caStatistics Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0
• canada.caIRCC: Find your National Occupational Classification (NOC)
• canada.caIRCC: Express Entry, who can apply
• canada.caIRCC: Express Entry category-based selection