Veterinary Medicine Course in Nepal

Basic Introduction of Veterinary Science course and related subjects | Job prospects | future after completing the veterinary medicine course | Jobs | Cost to study |colleges and Universities offering the Veterinary course in Nepal

Veterinary Medicine is the branch of medical science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals ie. birds and animals except human beings. It has got a wide scope, covering all animal species, both domesticated and wild with a wide range of conditions which can affect different species. It widely includes the study of animal physiology and treatment and prevention of diseases among animals.

The basic principles in this branch of specialized medical science study are almost similar to that of human study because most animals resemble the human body like physiology and systems. Though it might seem easy being a veterinary professional is not a light matter because unlike human doctors the medical professionals specialized for animals need to know a wide range of things like an adviser, a surgeon, a breeder, a good livestock handler, diagnosis and treatment provider, an administrator for timely vaccinations, etc. The scope for veterinarians in the future seems really bright because keeping pet animals and birds in homes has been a fad now, and hence the demand for veterinary practitioners is on the rise as well apart from animals kept for animal husbandry and their products ranging from rural areas to the urban towns and cities.

Eligibility to study Veterinary Science in Nepal

A Bachelor’s degree in veterinary medicine is essential to be a professional veterinary technician. To get enrolled in this study, the candidate should have passed the class 12 examination with science subjects such as physics, chemistry and biology. Admission to most veterinary colleges is on the basis of results obtained in the entrance examinations conducted by the different universities.
The duration of the BVSc and AH varies from four and a half years to five years including the period of internship. The first four years of the formal educational programme includes theoretical and practical training in various disciples like anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, livestock management, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, genetics and breeding, gynaecology, surgery, medicine and animal husbandry extension among others and the fifth year is devoted to practical training as an internship which is six months long and the internship includes three months training at the Teaching Veterinary Clinical Service Complex (TVCSC) under the supervision of a senior, the next month goes with training on livestock production and management at animal farms then another month to poultry production and management and the other following month to livestock products’ technology and other services.

After BVSc, there’s a post-graduation namely a Master’s degree in Veterinary science in which a candidate gets to choose among many disciples like physiology, anatomy, medicine, surgery, bacteriology, biochemistry, cardiology, dermatology, microbiology, molecular biology, anaesthesia, gynaecology, pathology, toxicology, virology, pharmacology, etc. for doing research and teaching in teaching institutions too required minimum qualification is of a postgraduate degree whereas a PhD scholar is preferred.

Institutions in Nepal that offer veterinary science course

In Nepal, there are currently three institutions that conduct veterinary medicine programs. They are:

• Institute for Agriculture and Animal Sciences (IAAS). It runs two classes one in Kathmandu and the other in Chitwan
• Himalayan College Of Agricultural Sciences And technology (HICAST), affiliated to Purbanchal University
• Nepal Polytechnic Institute in Bharatpur, Chitwan

Job Prospects And Career Options after studying Veterinary Science (Veterinary Medicine)

• Can choose to work with the government animal husbandry departments, poultry farms, dairy farms, race clubs, stud farms, sheep and rabbit farms, private and government veterinary hospitals and clinics.
• Have good demands in wildlife sanctuaries and Zoological parks.
• Can choose to work with the Army and the Border Security Forces for treatment and care of their horses, mules, camels and dogs.
• Can choose to be a private practitioner such as opening own care centres.
• Can choose to be a researcher and a developer of drugs, chemicals and bioproducts particularly antibiotics and vaccines for humans as well as animal use.
• Can choose to work with the entrepreneurs in the manufacturing of animal foods, processing of animal products like meat, milk.etc
• The veterinary professionals have got a good scope nationally as well as large on the international scale where the craze for animals is growing tremendously.
• Needs to have a special place in heart for animals ie. genuine love and compassion for animals.
• Must understand animal behaviour.
• Must be willing to work in difficult contexts as well as non-working hours.
• Should have a soothing effect on animals ie. should know to put animals at ease, patience and calm.
• S/he needs to be extra sensitive because they will be dealing with animals after all.

Salary Scale of Veterinary doctors and vet technicians in Nepal:

The economic gain varies from the choice of field and the popularity and experience of the vet practitioner else on the average basis a vet practitioner seems to gain an economic gain ranging from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 50,000 within the country and if the practitioner is abroad the figures in amount can vary.