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Industry veterinary careers
Sally Colgan talks about the broad range of opportunities for veterinarians working in pharmaceutical and other companies in Australia
What sorts of jobs are available for a vet in industry?
Sally Colgan
Australian Veterinarians in Industry (AVI) is a special interest group within the Australian Veterinary Association. Its members are mainly employed by various veterinary pharmaceutical companies throughout Australia. We also have members working government organisations, including the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS), as well as independent veterinary consultants who specialise in product development and registration.
In general, veterinarians who work in industry find their positions to be stimulating, interesting and rewarding. Their roles can be broadly divided into sales, technical services, product development and marketing. Veterinarians working in these areas find the variety of activities and ever-changing scientific environment stimulating.
As much of the work is specialised and demanding, salary and conditions of veterinarians in industry are usually well above those offered in private practice. Regular hours and the opportunity for travel are seen as additional benefits enjoyed by many in industry.
Apart from your veterinary degree, what education or training do you need?
Most veterinarians enter industry after gaining some experience in either large or small animal practice. This is not usually a job requirement but understanding of the veterinarian in practice, as well as the commercial marketplace setting is often beneficial in some industry roles.
A recognised veterinary degree is obviously essential. In some roles, advanced tertiary education and postgraduate qualifications are helpful. College membership, fellowship, boards, a Masters in Business Administration or a PhD, are advantageous, though rarely a specific requirement. Many companies help dedicated employees to attain higher education goals as part of their approach to continuing education and staff professional development.
What type of person do you need to be to be successful?
To achieve and enjoy a successful career in industry you need to be hardworking, able to work well with others and have the ability to communicate well with customers, colleagues and professional peers, both in person and in writing.
What's it like being a vet in industry? What does your job entail?
Industry veterinarians are actively involved in new product development. In the larger pharmaceutical companies, screening for new active ingredients is usually carried out by parent companies overseas. However, additional trial work is carried out by contract research organisations or on the company's own research station in Australia.
Veterinarians are involved in planning, running and supervising trials carried out to demonstrate efficacy and safety of new products. Field trials are usually required to demonstrate the efficacy of a product under Australian conditions, and additional trials may also be required to obtain residue data where the product under development is to be used in a food-producing animal. Product registration involves incorporating this research with literature reviews into registration dossiers, liaising with the APVMA to progress registrations, preparing product labels and preparing subsequent marketing material.
Veterinarians employed in sales roles usually visit veterinary clinics to promote a range of products, such as vaccines, anthelmintics and therapeutic diet foods. Success in this role can lead to sales management and other roles within a company.
Those in a technical role are usually involved in training the sales force and maintaining up to date information on the company's range of products. They respond to customer enquiries, resolve customer complaints, and assist in preparing registration submissions. Technical service veterinarians have input to the marketing group on various matters, preparation of promotional material, and give product presentations to resellers and customers.
In most cases, veterinarians working in industry enjoy the benefit of 'normal' working hours! Occasionally, trials or conferences or sales meetings may encroach on personal time but these are usually enjoyable events and are not at all like being on call.
How do you make the first step in a career in industry?
Prepare a well set out and well written CV and go for a job interview!
Most industry jobs will require that you are able to write well and construct succinct, informative and professional documents.
The AVI has a student member rate and this allows access to many job advertisements that are circulated to our members. It is also a way to find out a bit more about what the AVI does and what you might end up doing if you find a job in industry!
What does the career path look like after you take your first step?
The first step is to literally step inside the animal health industry and get a feel for the many varies roles veterinarians play within the umbrella that covers 'industry'. There are many avenues to choose from that will most certainly vary in appeal to different people.
In many organisations there are opportunities for international postings and promotion.
Most veterinarians in the pharmaceutical industry find their career choice rewarding, with the various sectors providing many opportunities for job satisfaction and career advancement.
Join our special interest group for industry veterinarians, Australian Veterinarians in Industry
