1. Му day at the vet’s office was amazing. Not only did I learn a lot about veterinary medicine but I met Casey, the umbrella cockatoo (большой белохохлый какаду). This is not an ordinary bird. Casey speaks in short sentences having the intelligence almost equivalent to your five-year-old brother or sister. Unfortunately though, he has developed a personality disorder which results in rather strange behaviour. Strange repetitive body actions cause him to hurt his body, which constantly worries his owners.
2. I met Dr Markus Luckwaldt, a small animal veterinarian practitioner who specialises in birds and exotic animals. Not only is Casey apparently in excellent hands but so is his owner, Paul Smith, who is immediately put to ease by the compassion and understanding demonstrated by this veterinarian.
3. Watching the interactions with pet, owner and doctor, I was immediately struck by the high standard of communication skills required by the veterinarian in dealing with both humans and animals. Animals pick up insincerity and uncertainty faster than humans. The vet’s role reminded me of a quarterback’s (играющий тренер) job who determines the strategy and game plan for all the players who are part of the same team.
4. So you think you’d like to be a veterinary doctor and you love animals? That’s a start but it is only a start if you are interested in a career in veterinary medicine. Veterinarians are much more than people with a fondness for animals. A veterinarian is a doctor of animal health who has trained at a university for at least six years and is licensed to provide medical and surgical care for animals.
5. The day to day work of veterinarians involves examining animals, making diagnoses, doing blood tests or X-rays, treating diseases or injuries, performing surgery and preventing animal illness through vaccinations. Vets can specialise in the care and treatment of either small or large animals. Those who deal with small animals such as dogs, cats, birds or reptiles usually work in cities and have owners bring their animals to a clinic or office. Veterinarians who usually work with horses, cows, pigs and other farm animals often have a mobile practice visiting farms and going all over the countryside.
6. The demand for veterinarians in all fields will continue. The veterinarian of the future will need to adapt and keep pace with technology and the many new advances in medical research. Veterinary medicine, similar to human medicine, is continually confronting change and exploring alternative methods of treatment for animals.
