Public Veterinary Practice (PVP)

Training in veterinary medicine in public practice careers

Students interested in careers outside private clinical practice will be able to immerse themselves in advanced coursework and identify externship opportunities that will prepare them to be leaders in the field of public veterinary medicine.

Courses designed to develop excellent practitioners

Courses in the PVP track curriculum train students to take a systems approach in addressing complex health problems at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health. Content focuses on developing knowledge and skills critical to maintaining healthy populations, translating science to policy, and communicating across diverse audiences. The approach is broad so that students can apply what they learn to their specific career interest area.

Please refer to the DVM Course Catalog for the track and elective courses that are available for students tracking PVP.

Career opportunities

Nearly 25 percent of the nation's veterinarians work in a field other than private clinical practice. It is expected that employment opportunities in the public and corporate sectors of the profession will continue to expand, especially in these areas:

• Federal, state, and local governments
• Industrial corporations (e.g., pharmaceutical and biological companies)
• International organizations in the United States and overseas
• Non-profit institutions (e.g., research institutes, zoos, and humane societies)
• Academic institutions

These organizations employ veterinarians in a wide range of disciplines, such as the following: