The clinical curriculum is composed of clinical rotations covering all aspects of technical and clinical veterinary medicine with emphasis on the problem solving approach to disease conditions. Clinical rotations include small animal medicine, small animal surgery, applied veterinary preventive medicine, food animal medicine and surgery, equine medicine and surgery, field services, outpatient clinics, radiology, anesthesiology, critical care, ophthalmology and applied pathology. At the end of the four years of the professional curriculum, students should have an understanding of the legal, social, economic, and professional components of veterinary practice, as well as the role of the veterinarian in public health, the protection of the food chain, and community and national health care. Veterinary medical practice is constantly changing and many new opportunities are available. Specialization, after receiving the DVM degree, is also becoming more common.
Veterinarians can specialize by species, such as food animal, companion animal, or equine practice.
In addition, there is an ever-growing interest in discipline specialization in private practice. Some examples include cardiology, dermatology, internal medicine, theriogenology, ophthalmology, and surgery. They participate with other health professionals in public health programs at the city, county, state, national, and international levels. Their primary mission is to protect and promote human health through such activities as ensuring a wholesome meat and milk supply, eliminating environmental hazards, and preventing infectious and noninfectious diseases. They serve the public by supervising the shipment of healthy animals, food inspection, conducting diagnostic tests, guiding the manufacture and distribution of effective drug and biological products, investigating disease outbreaks, and conducting research.