A veterinary surgeon is a highly qualified professional, a biologist as well as an animal specialist.

     A veterinarian is not, contrary to general opinion an "animal doctor"
even though pet / small animal medicine represents a very dynamic
sector of activity with around 9 million dogs, 8 million cats and 7 or 8
million birds.

    The veterinarian is a key person for public health, their activities are linked to the demands from the society. These demands are in constant evolution and are endlessly diversifying.

     Society is changing more quickly than ever throughout history. New problems like demography, sustained development, food quality and safety are emerging and it is crucial to adapt quickly. Agriculture is undertaking deep changes that must be dealt with by highly qualified specialists able to analyse them and to come to decisions rapidly.

     Within this context, veterinarians have a key role in order to provide the world's population with good quality animal proteins in sufficient quantity and without any risk for human health.

     A "passion" for veterinary training enables the acquisition of multidisciplinary abilities for varied careers.

     A veterinary surgeon must be versatile and must quickly adapt to
complex and unexpected situations. He/she gets clinical, scientific and
technical training along with good expertise and good personal behaviour.He/she is also responsible for the production of safe, wholesome food inabattoirs, food shops, and institution and school catering by which 2 5million meals are served every day. More and more they are becoming apartner to industry, food industry, industrial development and company management.

     Veterinary surgeons are also largely involved in research and are employed in public research centres ( CNRS, INSERM, INRA, ORSTOM, CNEX ) as well as in private laboratories and the pharmaceutical and plant-care product industries.

     They are also involved in wildlife management. Many opportunities exist in government services or related agency services : inspectors for the food safety, animal welfare and protection service, veterinary biologist in the army, director of the regional departments of agricultural veterinary services and lecturing in Veterinary Colleges and universities.