‘Can I make it as a veterinarian?’

I graduated in History in 2003. I failed at various endeavours, and now want to become a PGT School Teacher. I am currently doing an MA in history. I will follow it up with B.ED. My question is : how much of a handicap will doing MA through correspondence be for me ?

The basic eligibility requirement for a Post Graduate teacher (PGT) is a Master’s degree from a recognized University with at least 50% marks in aggregate in your subject and the B.ED qualification again, from a recognised University.

A degree through correspondence is not a handicap, so long as it is from a recognized university, approved by Directorate of Distance Education. You should however, do the B Ed programme from a regular college and get as much teaching experience as possible to ensure a good placement.

I am a science student in a medical stream. I did not clear NEET this year and I do not want to try again. I love animals but my family tell me there is no real scope in this line. What are the options for me?

As you have taken up medical subjects, physics, chemistry and biology in Class XII, and also love animals, a career as a veterinary doctor is an excellent option. No longer is the vet merely the

doctor but with the growing respect for the value of animal life, veterinarians today are as highly respected professionals.

Careers for vets are also now more diverse. A veterinarian can choose to focus on a specific species or group of animals, large animal like horses, cows, and sheep, or small animal like cats and dogs.

Some veterinarians work for the government to educate and encourage livestock farmers to build up the quality of their animal stock, administer vaccination and medicines or artificial insemination and handle the control and eradication of any notifiable disease.

Wildlife conservation, poultry management and health care, livestock insurance and rural development are also other areas of specialisation for veterinary doctors. They also work for pharmaceutical companies .

The columnist is director of Career Smarts and author of the Penguin India

Book of Careers, Vols 1 and 2.

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