Careers and stakeholders

The course prepares students for the profession of Veterinary Surgeon, who carries out their professional activity in the service of the community and for the protection of animal and human health.
Article 1 of the Code of Conduct of the National Federation of the Orders of Italian Veterinarians specifies that Veterinary Surgeons devote their work:
- to the protection of humans from dangers and harm deriving from the environment in which animals live, from animal diseases, and from the consumption of foodstuffs or other products of animal origin;
- to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases and to the protection of animal welfare;
- to the preservation and functional development of livestock resources;
- to the preservation and safeguarding of the environment and of wildlife heritage, inspired by principles of biodiversity protection and coexistence compatible with humans;
- to activities related to the lives of companion animals, sport animals, and exotic animals;
- to the promotion of respect for animals and their welfare as sentient beings;
- to the promotion of hygiene and health prevention campaigns and education for a proper human-animal relationship;
- to activities connected to food production, its correct management, and the assessment of risks linked to food safety management.
Competencies associated with the role:
- to perform the indicated functions adequately, the graduate in Veterinary Medicine must acquire the necessary skills to operate in the various fields of the profession;
- to carry out their role in the clinical field, the graduate in Veterinary Medicine must be able to detect and assess the health and welfare status of individual animals or groups of animals and to develop appropriate treatment plans that consider the interests of the patients and available resources;
- to work properly in the field of animal production, they must be able to assess the physical condition, welfare and nutritional status of an animal or group of animals, and provide advice on breeding and feeding principles.
- to operate in the field of animal health, the graduate in Veterinary Medicine must be able to develop and recommend prevention and prophylaxis programmes for individual animal species, in line with accepted standards of animal health, welfare, and public health, recognise suspicious symptoms of notifiable and zoonotic diseases, and take appropriate action, including notification to the competent authorities;
- to operate in the field of inspection of food of animal origin, the graduate in Veterinary Medicine must be able to detect and critically assess the suitability for consumption, hygiene, and quality of such foodstuffs.

Employment opportunities:
Access to most employment opportunities in this profession requires registration with the register of a Provincial Order of Veterinary Surgeons. The Veterinary Surgeon may work in freelance practice, in the livestock production chain industry (e.g., feed, supplements, genetic selection and production development), in the pharmaceutical industry (e.g., technical consultancy and support, research and development, regulatory affairs and registration), and in the food industry (e.g., production hygiene, processing technologies and management of food production of animal origin), in universities and research institutions, in international agencies and organisations (e.g., EFSA, EMA, EU Food and Veterinary Office, OIE), and in the Armed Forces. Upon obtaining a diploma from a School of Specialisation, employment within the National Health Service (ASL/ATS and Experimental Zooprophylactic Institutes) may also be possible.