Scouts explore veterinary careers across companion, exotic, marine, and food animal medicine, learn education pathways, and shadow veterinarians to earn this merit badge.

Requirements

  1. 1. Veterinary Practice Types

    Clinical Practice Settings

    Do all
    Discuss with your counselor the roles a veterinarian plays in the following:
    1. a Companion or small animal medicine, and equine medicine
    2. b Food animal or large animal medicine
    3. c Exotic animal medicine
    4. d Marine animal medicine (mammal and fish)
    5. e Poultry medicine
    6. f Wildlife medicine and aquaculture medicine

  2. 1. Veterinary Practice Types

    Public Service and Specialized Careers

    Do all
    Discuss with your counselor the roles a veterinarian plays in the following:
    1. a Public health medicine and zoonotic disease surveillance and control
    2. b The military
    3. c Food safety and inspection
    4. d Laboratory animal medicine and research
    5. e Teaching and government

  3. 3. Training and Team Roles

    Becoming a Veterinarian

    Describe the training required to become a veterinarian. Where is the veterinary medical college in your state or nearest to you? Describe the prerequisites for applying to veterinary school.

  4. 3. Training and Team Roles

    Veterinary Technicians in Action

    Tell your counselor what a registered veterinary technician (R.V.T.) or animal health technician (A.H.T.) is. Describe the training required to become an R.V.T. or A.H.T. Where is the school or facility for R.V.T. or A.H.T training in your state or nearest to you? Describe the role an R.V.T. or A.H.T. would play in assisting a veterinarian working in three of the practice types listed in requirement 1.

  5. 5. Care, Observation, and Reflection

    The Human-Animal Bond

    Discuss with your counselor the role a veterinarian plays in the human-animal bond.

  6. 5. Care, Observation, and Reflection

    Choose Your Field Experience

    Choose 1
    Do ONE of the following:

    1. Observe a Veterinary Facility

      Visit a veterinary clinic, hospital, or veterinary referral teaching hospital that does work in one of the practices listed in requirement 1. Spend as much time as you can observing the veterinarians and their staff. Prepare a presentation on what you observed and learned at the facility and share with your counselor.

    2. Shadow a Public-Service Veterinarian

      Spend as much time as possible with a veterinarian who works in one of the fields listed in requirement 2. Learn what special training beyond veterinary medical school may have been required for that position. Learn about any special or unusual activities required of this position. Prepare a presentation and share what you have learned about this field of veterinary medicine with your counselor. Include how this field serves the needs of the general public.

  7. 5. Care, Observation, and Reflection

    Choose a Career Reflection

    Choose 1
    Select one career from any of the lists in requirements 1 or 2. Discuss the following with your counselor:

    1. Why This Career Fits

      Why would one choose this particular career field?

    2. What You Would Enjoy

      What would you like about this job?

    3. The Hardest Parts of the Job

      What would be the biggest challenges in doing this job?

    4. What Might Surprise You

      What to you has been the most surprising aspect of this job?

    5. Learning Never Stops

      What continuing education requirements are required to maintain certification for this job?