Final answer:
Veterinary medicine involves the regulation of products and drugs for animals, education and training of veterinarians, and ensuring animal welfare through laws and committees like IACUC involved in animal research. CVM and USDA play critical roles in this regulation to protect both animal health and public health.
Step-by-step explanation:
The oversight of veterinary medicine involves several key aspects, including regulating products and drugs used for animals, enhancing the practice standards and providing leadership for the profession. The Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), a branch of the FDA, plays an important role in regulating food, food additives, and drugs for animals. This ensures the safety of the human food supply when derived from animals such as livestock. CVM, however, does not manage animal vaccines which are under the jurisdiction of the USDA.
Veterinarians are highly trained professionals concerned with the health of animals. Their work ranges from treating household pets to livestock in farms, ensuring they are healthy and receive the care needed. Their education includes extensive courses in several sciences, like biology, chemistry, and physics, alongside specific veterinary medicine subjects.
Legally, there are regulations such as the Animal Welfare Act and Public Health Service Policy that enforce humane treatment and care in animal research. Institutions conducting animal research must have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) that inspects research proposals to ensure animal welfare.
The veterinary field's commitment to the public dovetails with the broader mandate to promote the general welfare and do the best possible job for the good of the country and its people. This includes being responsible for not just the animals' well-being but also ensuring public health through the enforcement of food and drug laws.