Choosing Veterinary?

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happydance223

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Hi so I've been trying to decide on a career lately and my boyfriend mentioned that I love animals so maybe I should try to be a vet. I originally planned on nursing but now that I think of it (it's been a while now) I really do think I would love it.
But my question is what to expect and my possibilities. I spent some time working at a vet office and she seemed very nice and liked what she did, but she seemed intensely country and all about simple life.
Is it possible to be more high paced? I picture myself rushing into the office at 8pm after a tech calls to say an emergency is coming in, and I throw on my coat and rush to the hospital where there's a dog being prepped for surgery because it was hit by a car. Just in the nick of time we save it, and we all get to go home knowing it was a job well done and tomorrow will bring new adventures. I know that doesn't happen everyday, but I like the thought of that plus the more normal stuff, like unfortunately having to break bad news about cancer, and holding the clients hand and consoling them in their time of need.
Also I wondered if the above scenario is the type of career where I can hopefully make around 100k? My boyfriend is a musician so I would need to be more of the breadwinner ;)

Thanks for your input!

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First off use the search function. There are quite a few threads on whether veterinary medicine is right for people. You won't know until you actually have experience in the field. A love for animals won't cut it. Shadow as many different types to see if it's something you like. Shadow an ER vet. If you're not bothered by constant death and angry owners, then that is a plus. Second, it's possible for vets to make six figs but the starting average is 65,000 plus you will more than likely be in 150,000+ in debt due to high vet school costs. Plus there's the actually getting into vet school. Use this site. It can be very helpful! Good luck!


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Hi so I've been trying to decide on a career lately and my boyfriend mentioned that I love animals so maybe I should try to be a vet. I originally planned on nursing but now that I think of it (it's been a while now) I really do think I would love it.
But my question is what to expect and my possibilities. I spent some time working at a vet office and she seemed very nice and liked what she did, but she seemed intensely country and all about simple life.
Is it possible to be more high paced? I picture myself rushing into the office at 8pm after a tech calls to say an emergency is coming in, and I throw on my coat and rush to the hospital where there's a dog being prepped for surgery because it was hit by a car. Just in the nick of time we save it, and we all get to go home knowing it was a job well done and tomorrow will bring new adventures. I know that doesn't happen everyday, but I like the thought of that plus the more normal stuff, like unfortunately having to break bad news about cancer, and holding the clients hand and consoling them in their time of need.
Also I wondered if the above scenario is the type of career where I can hopefully make around 100k? My boyfriend is a musician so I would need to be more of the breadwinner ;)

Thanks for your input!

It's more common to have someone show up 10 minutes before close with an animal that has been sick for weeks, they have $10 and they want you to save it from the brink of death and when you can't, they get pissed off and blame you.

Yeah, there are some saves and there are definitely also wonderful, reasonable clients but rarely does a dog come rushing in severely injured and saved heroically in the middle of the night, especially at your normal GP clinic.
 
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It's more common to have someone show up 10 minutes before close with an animal that has been sick for weeks, they have $10 and they want you to save it from the brink of death and when you can't, they get pissed off and blame you.

Yeah, there are some saves and there are definitely also wonderful, reasonable clients but rarely does a dog come rushing in severely injured and saved heroically in the middle of the night, especially at your normal GP clinic.

And not even that often in an emerg clinic, honestly.

But your description is very good. Most veterinary medicine is not about being a lifesaving hero jumping in at the last minute. We are not like House MD.
 
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If you were thinking about nursing I would consider being a vet tech as well. It's similar to nursing, but with animals. It's also a lot less schooling and money, but probably just as rewarding.
 
If you were thinking about nursing I would consider being a vet tech as well. It's similar to nursing, but with animals. It's also a lot less schooling and money, but probably just as rewarding.

You'd be better off financially as a human nurse, however. Vet techs make so little money it's painful. Every tech I know works more than one job, has a husband or wife who makes a lot more money, and/or lives paycheck to paycheck. You'll never even see 60k as a tech unless you super specialize and even then you'd probably only see that as management.

I can also confirm that while I find my work in veterinary medicine as a tech-soon-to-be-vet-student very rewarding, it is a hard, hard job. Physically, emotionally, mentally tough. I've been on my feet for 12, 13, 14 hours, bashed up and bitten, yelled and cursed at by clients, and yes they are usually the ones that walk in at closing with a sick parvo pup. I cannot even count how many times I've heard the phrase "I only have 20 bucks" in response to an emergency estimate for hundreds. We euthanize way more seriously injured or ill pets than we do life saving treatment on. Then there's the day to day frustrations, ear infections that won't clear because the owner doesn't follow up then gets angry it's still a problem, the FAD dog who's owner keeps forgetting flea prevention, and the dog that's had vomiting for a week and is lethargic but the owner is going out of town tomorrow, so isn't there a pill you can give? The vets and techs I work with are absolute hero's in my eyes, they do save lives and are compassionate, intelligent, resilient people, but not one of them feels like a hero, and I certainly don't. As cool and fun as that image you describe, it's a mirage, and the reality can be much more difficult to swallow.
 
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Although I sincerely appreciate and respect your love for animals ... kindly pay attention to the "real life" comments shared by @cheathac, @DVMDream, @CalliopeDVM and @TerraVet. They have provided good comments about "real life" veterinary practice, and not a pre-scripted tale about a dream world, where the ending is always happy, positive and carefree.

It's okay to dream about great things ... as long as you add some "realistic expectations" along the way. If veterinary medicine is in your future, take some time now, and shadow a few DVMs or volunteer at an animal shelter.

Although many folks LOVE animals, DVM is not for everyone. Just saying.

Thank you.
 
If you were thinking about nursing I would consider being a vet tech as well. It's similar to nursing, but with animals. It's also a lot less schooling and money, but probably just as rewarding.
I don't know that you can really make the comparison about how rewarding it is unless you've been in both positions.
 
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I don't know if being a vet tech is more rewarding, but I do believe techs have the more "fun" job. Or maybe I say that just because they have less responsibility, and the grass is always greener........

I'll be honest, and I know this might be unpopular, but I really hate when people say "I love animals so I want to be a vet" or "I bet you became a vet because you love animals". Seriously. We're doctors. Do you think those same people say to a pediatrician "I bet you became a pediatrician because you love children", or "I bet you became a dentist because you love teeth" to a dentist.

Vet techs have way more contact with animals than the vets themselves do, frankly.
 
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I don't know if being a vet tech is more rewarding, but I do believe techs have the more "fun" job. Or maybe I say that just because they have less responsibility, and the grass is always greener........

I've actually been realizing how much more I enjoy my job as a veterinarian compared to being a vet tech. Yes, I do occasionally miss some of the tasks of a vet tech, but, overall, I am enjoying my job as a vet much more. Maybe that will change with time, we shall see.
 
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You'd be better off financially as a human nurse, however. Vet techs make so little money it's painful. Every tech I know works more than one job, has a husband or wife who makes a lot more money, and/or lives paycheck to paycheck. You'll never even see 60k as a tech unless you super specialize and even then you'd probably only see that as management..
I can second this. I know several vet techs who have to be on food stamps because they make so little.
 
I've actually been realizing how much more I enjoy my job as a veterinarian compared to being a vet tech. Yes, I do occasionally miss some of the tasks of a vet tech, but, overall, I am enjoying my job as a vet much more. Maybe that will change with time, we shall see.

The same for me, although you teched a lot longer than I did. However, the increased responsibility is often daunting.

To the OP, I echo what everyone else has said - your description is a fairly romanticized one. More accurate may be..."I picture myself rushing into the office at 8pm (also imagine that you probably just left work 30mins ago and have had no time to eat any dinner or spend time with family) after a tech calls to say an emergency is coming in, and I throw on my coat and rush to the hospital where there's a dog being prepped for surgery because it was hit by a car (the dog won't be prepped for surgery until you've talked with the owners and come to the conclusion of surgery, which may be the case but it also may be a heartbreaking decision to euthanize because surgery is too expensive or the dog is too old or a myriad of other reasons). Just in the nick of time we save it (this may be the case, or it may be so unstable that it dies on the table), and we all get to go home knowing it was a job well done and tomorrow will bring new adventures." (Or you go home and fret about that bleeder that you triple ligated but what if it slips? And will those pain meds you chose be enough? Will the owners be careful to follow your post-op recommendations? Are the surgical implants going to get infected and have to be removed later? Etc...)

Yes, you can have a more fast-paced environment in emergency work, but even then there will come something of a routine set of cases: hit by car, GDV, toxicities may all be the more "exciting" cases but when I have Sundays off you're also going to see my patients that are having vomiting and diarrhea, been itching or the owner discovered tapeworm segments and are panicking at 3am. You can make six figures but it won't be right away and those six figures will have to go toward your educational debt for at least a few years.

This isn't to say that you can't have a rewarding career in veterinary medicine but I think you need to take the time to shadow veterinarians and see what it's really like.
 
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