Any happy veterinarians out there??

[gfa240]

I have just been accepted into the program and I would really appreciate it if any of vets out there would offer their honest opinion. I have been coming to this forum for about a year and I yet have to see one vet actually liking their experience being a vet. The feedback has been run, don't walk from this field. Is this right??I am scared to death if after 4 years of hard studying and $150K+ debt, all I have to look forward to is nasty employers, nastier clients, needless euthanasia and 80 hour weeks with no life. Is this a common experience or limited to a few individuals? does it depend on what state or city you work at? why are so many vets sooo unhappy? or is this forum a place to vent and that's why I see so many unhappy people? are there any vets out there who really enjoy their work and the environment? if yes, please post something b/c I am hanging on by a thread here!

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[WhtsThFrequency]

Remember that people tend to be more vocal when upset than when content. It's a tough field to be in, no doubt, but there are definitely silver linings.

 

[gfa240]

Remember that people tend to be more vocal when upset than when content. It's a tough field to be in, no doubt, but there are definitely silver linings.

Well, from their descriptions, it sounds more like a jail sentence than a career. I know I love this field and the science of it, I know I love taking the pain away from the animal and the owners, but don't know if I can deal with all this negative. Especially when it sounds like 90% of it is just that.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I could write two entirely different assessments of how I feel about being a DVM, and both would be true. There are tremendous upsides and tremendous downsides. Like I said before, though, it is the downsides that are usually ranted about publicly.

 

[dyachei]

Give me about 6 months. Like I said in the other thread , it often depends on where you are working

 

[Angelo84]

Yes. Like my job. Work with good people and most days get to help a fair number of critters and their people. Are there bad days and jerks and crappy situations yes but overall I am happy with my current situation.

 

[melancholic]

I think it depends on the person and what they like. My tutor told me that you that you have to decide between working to live, or living to work. If you don't want long hours and want a 9-5 job it might be worth only doing general practice or something else entirely. In england, I know that a lot of people are graduating and hate practice, so they do research or work for pharmaceutical companies, epidemiology studies etc. A vet degree can provide a lot of different job options. I'm not sure if that's the case elsewhere though.

I'm a 4th year, so i've not qualified yet but in my experience there is a lot of bad followed by something good which makes it all worth it, and then a lot of bad again. Sometimes I do wonder why I didn't choose human medicine instead because at least the rewards reflect the work put into it. But then I make a comparison between humans and animals, and animals always win.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

I think there are many vets who like what they do, but I don't doubt that many also find the stress of living with a large amount of debt does take a lot of the fun out of the job. Yes, a lot of what you read here is about simply venting......there isn't a career/job field in the world that doesn't offer the potential to have lousy bosses and/or lousy customers, so don't pay too much attention to that griping.

 

[gfa240]

Thank you. That makes me feel better. I was seriously having second thoughts about starting vet school as a second career. Debt and a demanding curriculum, is hard but manageable. Having to work in a miserable environment is not. I guess we all do our best and hope for the best. No one ever got anywhere by focusing on the negatives of what could happen.

 

[TheVetVetVetVet]

I think it's a good line of questioning that you ask. I would go around to your local practices and get the skinny from at least 5 or 6 different vets at different places. They've got the life experience to answer best. In my limited experience, those who are able to make the grade, specialize, and get into academia seem pretty stimulated and happy when we talk about work, but you need to be a pretty good student to get that far. Many, but not all, of the practicioners I've met complain of being underpaid and/or over-worked. Personally, I have a vision for myself of how I will be different, which keeps me going. Good luck! Think it through because there's no right or wrong answer.

 

[justavet]

gfa240, like WhtsThFrequency posted- I coudl write two completely different posts and both would be 1000% true.

Best advice I can give you after 16 years is, have a plan for making your happiness happen. You aren't just going to graduate, get a job and be happy. Define what you need and how to get it, then take those steps along the way. Reassess regularly to make sure you're on track and in synch; your priorities, abilities and opportunities will change along the way.

 

[TXvet]

Overall, I am happy with this profession as it has provided me with a good living but, I paid off my debt many years ago and am able to live comfortably. I can tell you if I had as much debt as the new grads today I would not be happy. I had about 1/3 of the debt and it caused a lot of stress.