Veterinarian

The veterinary teaching community agrees that education in Veterinary Medicine has shown its limitations in meeting the expectations of the user sector and would benefit from reform.

Currently, the globalized market economy requires an upgrade of our education system, which must be able to provide the user sector with animal health professionals to ensure the competitiveness of our economic operators compared to their foreign counterparts.

Beyond maintaining animals in good health and in the best conditions (animal welfare) to fulfill their roles in production, reproduction, companionship, and ecosystem maintenance, the role of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine is crucial for human health, particularly in controlling diseases transmissible to humans either directly or indirectly from animals (zoonoses). Likewise, veterinarians play a dedicated role in ensuring the inspection and hygiene of animal-based food products to guarantee safe human consumption. Consequently, the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine has always been and remains a key player in safeguarding both human and animal health.

Veterinary Medicine training must include both theoretical and practical teachings that comply with international standards. Knowledge of animal physiology, pathology, and the various models of animal use (companion animals, leisure animals, sports animals, and livestock) has become essential, given the evolving attitudes of citizens toward animals worldwide and the growing interest in wildlife conservation for maintaining a sustainable ecological balance.

The objectives of Veterinary Medicine training are diverse and must adapt to changes and demands of the global economy. The training should focus on the veterinarian’s role in managing and protecting animal health. Veterinarians must be equipped with the latest scientific knowledge that enables them to ensure the nutritional and sanitary quality of animal-based food products intended for human consumption.

Veterinarians play a critical role in preventing major epizootic diseases and emerging diseases linked to dietary behavior changes and significant climate disruptions. This multidisciplinary nature of the veterinary profession requires the implementation of a high-quality training program covering both practical and theoretical aspects.

Courses in business management for production enterprises, rural economics, ethology and animal welfare, population medicine, management and health of exotic pets (NAC) and wildlife have been newly introduced in international Veterinary Medicine education programs. Recommendations from various international organizations (OMSA—formerly OIE, WTO, WHO, FAO, etc.) and national user sectors highlight that producing veterinarians with purely medical skills is not sufficient. Future veterinarians must possess extensive and up-to-date knowledge of the global environment and livestock management (farm monitoring, herd management, rural economy).

In this context, the National Veterinary Pedagogical Committee (CPNV), in collaboration with all research professors from various specialties, has worked on designing an education program that meets the diverse aspirations of stakeholders in this field, which is a cornerstone of national economic growth, food independence, and integration into the WTO.