Public health for the twenty-first century: what role do veterinarians in clinical practice play?

All veterinarians, regardless of their formal job description, serve the public good and contribute to public health. The public health activities veterinarians engage in most frequently in clinical practice are in the areas of disease detection, reporting, and prevention. This article provides a brief overview of the basic functions of public health, while emphasizing the public health roles that veterinary clinicians play in their day-to-day practice of veterinary medicine and how they might extend their interest and involvement in this field. The multidisciplinary nature of the field of public health and the benefits of collaboration with other health care and public health professionals are also discussed.