Dream Jobs!

[neocia]

Hi,
Just for fun/out of curiosity, what is everyone's dream job position - feel free to leave the issue of money and even the actual chance of it happening aside!

I would love to work full-time at a sprawling animal rescue sanctuary such as Best Friends in Utah or The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado, where I could spend 1/2 my time helping the animals and 1/2 of my time educating the public and advocating for stronger animal protection laws (I also have an interest in fish, so maybe Mote Marine Aquarium where they do a lot of animal rehab work, as well!)

Post your dream jobs/aspirations!!

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[BlackDog17]

Does marrying rich count?

 

[WildZoo]

Wildlife Rehab...but somewhere with big cats. Big cat rehab. Does that job exist?

 

[allygator13]

Eventually, extremely far off in the future, I'd love to open my own endangered animal rescue facility with mostly big cats and treat all my own animals! I also want to help with conservation of endangered species and the public education it requires

 

[bluesails]

Oh wow. Probably 1 of these 3:

1. Dean Richardson's job at New Bolton at Penn
2. Work at EcoHealth Alliance looking at infectious disease in wildlife and livestock in the Philippines (google EcoHealth Alliance!)
3. Become bestselling author and earn enough to own horses

 

[98cats]

I don't know exactly what my dream job would be, yet. But I would really like to start some kind of rescue.

 

[Rainheart]

Small animal theriogenologist working with golden breeders helping to improve the breed! Also breeding and showing my own goldens in conformation, obedience, rally, agility, and hopefully more!

 

[bbeventer]

Getting paid to do whatever I want (riding, traveling, camping...)

 

[Coquette22]

1) Lottery jackpot winner
2) Lab animal veterinarian at the school I did my undergrad at

 

[WildZoo]

Oh wow. Probably 1 of these 3:

1. Dean Richardson's job at New Bolton at Penn
2. Work at EcoHealth Alliance looking at infectious disease in wildlife and livestock in the Philippines (google EcoHealth Alliance!)
3. Become bestselling author and earn enough to own horses

Oh yes, I forgot the bestselling author part of my dream job. My dream is to never have to sleep so I can be a vet by day and a writer by night!

 

[epivetlove]

Director of the NCEZID is a long-term goal. In the meantime, working as a field veterinary epidemiologist would suffice. I've got several projects in mind for future epi studies in developing countries that I'd like to be a part of.

My secret and more implausible dream job would be to be a veterinarian that's required on the set of movies that use animals during filming. There's a vet that did that for years who came to talk to the Pre-Vet Society at my undergrad...but can't remember his name.

 

[neocia]

Oh wow. Probably 1 of these 3:

1. Dean Richardson's job at New Bolton at Penn
2. Work at EcoHealth Alliance looking at infectious disease in wildlife and livestock in the Philippines (google EcoHealth Alliance!)
3. Become bestselling author and earn enough to own horses

Love the idea of becoming an author! I would love to do that as well - or maybe have an Ask the Vet column in my local newspaper (will those even exist in 10 years? lol) or a pets magazine I think incorporating animal news and pet health into "regular news" is really important so even people who may not specifically look up something about animals may learn it anyway!

Also, "earn enough to own horses"! Even as a vet or someone with a strong equine background, I'm sure having horses is still so expensive so I totally agree on this one as well!

 

[DVMDream]

I had a dream not too long ago that I opened/owned my own emergency clinic. I eventually was able to expand it to add on specialty clinics as well... oncology, ophtho, etc.... It was a really nice place.... if only it were true.

 

[Escalla]

Managing partner and reproductive specialist at an equine referral practice. That is my dream.

However, I sometimes wonder if I have it all wrong and I would be just as happy with a nice job in an office downtown with a good salary allowing me to do whatever I wanted. Own horses, go on vacations, etc. I've been thinking about that a lot lately.

 

[JaynaAli]

I would love to be a clinical pathologist with a good enough reputation and enough demand that people will just overnight me their slides and I can read them from the comfort of my own home. In my pajamas if I wanted.

And earn enough to own horses too.

 

[Thelemic]

Since we're allowed to be completely unrealistic:

I'd like to open an integrative medicine clinic where I spend half the time treating clients with medical issues and half the time treating clients with behavioral issues (because I'll also be a board-certified veterinary behaviorist). I'd also have a partnership with several local cat and/or dog rescues. Oh, and I'd like to also rehab and release local injured and orphaned wildlife.

 

[neocia]

These are all really wonderful aspirations - I wish everyone the best - and I bet that even as unrealistic as some of them seem, hopefully we can all have a little bit of our dream jobs at least! For instance, a lot of us want to do rescue/shelter work - maybe spend 1 or 2 days a week (either volunteering or working) at rescue facility, even if we can't devote all of our time to these good causes.

 

[Mrow123]

Dream job...I haven't even allowed to let myself think about it!

I think I would be an all cat veterinarian (big and small cats) that allowed me to do conservation work and international travel. Oh, and have research/public health work on occasion.

 

[Squeaksmom]

Mine would be to be an equine sports medicine/orthopedic specialist working with top sport horses out of either a teaching hospital or a large referral practice. But really I've loved something about every branch of vet medicine I've been exposed to, so I could see myself winding up almost anywhere

 

[KSU2015]

Guess I'm a little boring.. Mixed animal practitioner in rural America!

 

[psilovethomas]

Dream job? Definitely would be on rally team driving my dream car all day.
Realistic job- mixed animal practitioner focusing on small ruminants and dogs- aren't those the same thing anyways?

 

[Bearby]

Dream job/life: Have a nice house with a yard for the rottie that I want and lots of shelving for my kitties to play on. Travel around the world, meeting new people. The problem is that I have too many things that I would really love to do. Travel, teach, practice medicine.

Real-life - eventually industry. It's as close as I'll ever get to the dream life

 

[justbelieve1230]

canine rehabilitation is my dream!
i am even expanding my horizons beyond vet med to get there...
no luck yet =[

 

[EngrSC]

These are all really wonderful aspirations - I wish everyone the best - and I bet that even as unrealistic as some of them seem, hopefully we can all have a little bit of our dream jobs at least! For instance, a lot of us want to do rescue/shelter work - maybe spend 1 or 2 days a week (either volunteering or working) at rescue facility, even if we can't devote all of our time to these good causes.

One of the doctors I work for works part time in a private companion animal practice and part time at the humane society. It's definitely not unrealistic to do both!

 

[Jamr0ckin]

ACVIM diplomate in small animal medicine treating patients, conducting research, and teaching veterinary students at UTCVM.

Or, even to work in a nice referral hospital doing medicine, nutrition, and canine rehab consults.

 

[stenodactylus]

I would like to be shelter veterinarian/director for an animal control/shelter facility and study forensic veterinary medicine to aid in prosecutions of animal cruelty. Oakland Police Department has pretty much my dream job.

 

[NStarz]

ER vet! With some shelter on the side (and maybe some behavior). I haven't decided whether that means becoming boarded or not...but it's looking like a strong possibility at this point :-D

 

[that redhead]

I've always wanted to be a medical examiner, homicide detective or judge.

In the realm of vet med, my dream job would be a lab animal gig with heavy emphasis on teaching and public relations/outreach. I also want to be really involved with the regulatory side. I would love to go back to my undergrad where I spent three years doing lab animal stuff; I know all the people (including many outside of the animal realm) and it has always been a second family for me.

 

[Coquette22]

I should probably add ER vet; I've never considered it simply because in the area I want to live, it would be mean being totally nocturnal since the ER clinic only operates on off-hours. But if there was suddenly a huge emergency center in my home city where I could work mostly day shifts, I'd love to do emergency work.

 

[remi4301]

Hmmm...
1) Olympic level dressage rider/trainer
2) Work with rhinos, elephants, okapi, giraffe
3) mixed practice vet

 

[grossly_incandescent]

I'd love to work in epidemiology

 

[dyachei]

I'm about to live mine in a few months - owning my own practice. Now if it was feline only (w/ large felids occasionally, I would be completely out of my mind happy)

 

[Escalla]

Oh, oh!! I want to become head of veterinary epidemiology at the CDC and develop vaccines to reverse the zombie apocalypse! Or maybe just the first part....

I have been honing some skills for the zombie apocalypse. Don't take away my fun too fast!

Though my boyfriend wants to keep my cat as a 1-time escape insurance policy by throwing her to the zombies. So I do wonder how well we would get along in such a world...

 

[SV88]

Top rated equine rehab specialist focus in sport horses. Enough money to have a home in Kentucky, Florida, California and be able to travel to international events like Pau and Burghley.

 

[that redhead]

I'm about to live mine in a few months - owning my own practice. Now if it was feline only (w/ large felids occasionally, I would be completely out of my mind happy)

Could you not do feline only? Or just not as much business?

 

[dyachei]

Could you not do feline only? Or just not as much business?

It would be an interesting business move for me to do feline only to begin with. I definitely have a following in the area that have dogs, so I can't justify it right off the bat.

 

[brightimpressio]

Something equine related (colic research plus actual clinical stuff) plus exotic animal med... in Africa. Plus enough money to travel and eventually get my own horse.

 

[SocialStigma]

ACVS diplomate in small animal surgery (specializing in orthopedics) + conducting osteosarcoma research + teaching at OVC.

 

[Future_vet_Jewel]

My dream job would consist of being a board certified Equine orthopedic surgeon and researcher. I would love to work for a Vet school or private equine hospital and travel the country speaking at seminars

 

[vkajko]

Veterinary Parasitologist. Taking to the parasitologist at my school and will be tagging along to the ASP conference to hopeful learn more. So maybe it isn't too crazy of a dream.

 

[Frozenshades]

Is it bad to admit I really just want to get paid to travel? You know...big shot researcher with contacts all over the globe always traveling for one reason or another. Whatever, guess I'll enjoy what I can get until my advisor realizes my probable incompetence

 

[MnW2014]

My dream job would be a veterinary pathologist traveling around the world studying zoonotic diseases (and working at a zoo when I'm not out of the country.) For fun or on weekends, I will do low cost spay and neuter clinics for shelters or work at an small animal ER clinic. I want to do a little bit of everything!

 

[WildZoo]

My dream job would be a veterinary pathologist traveling around the world studying zoonotic diseases (and working at a zoo when I'm not out of the country.) For fun or on weekends, I will do low cost spay and neuter clinics for shelters or work at an small animal ER clinic. I want to do a little bit of everything!

 

[Minnerbelle]

At this point, my dream job would be a stay at home trophy wife with a ton of pets and a wildlife rehabber's license or something.

 

[ljones2211]

Love this thread! I want to be an equine lameness vet...one who charges rich horse owners entirely too much, so I can fund my horse show addiction XD

also...own a small hobby farm where I raise my own livestock - never pay for meat from the grocery store again!

Id also love to own a boarding facility. Winning the lottery sounds good too while we're being delusional and imaginative!

 

[dovelover]

Working as a zoo vet that makes enough money to have a cute little house (full of cats who have fun things to climb on) on a decent sized piece of property so I can have pygmy goats and a pigeon loft. And maybe chickens. And I'll need enough money (and time) left over so that I can travel (nothing too crazy... but I have 14/50 more states to visit and a lot of national parks left on my bucket list! Not to mention that if I don't go on an African safari once before I die, I will be very upset with myself. And seeing the aurora.)

Ha. If only such a job existed. Maybe I'll finish one of those god-awful novels I was writing instead of paying attention to class during college and become a best selling author and can afford all this.

 

[WildZoo]

Working as a zoo vet that makes enough money to have a cute little house (full of cats who have fun things to climb on) on a decent sized piece of property so I can have pygmy goats and a pigeon loft. And maybe chickens. And I'll need enough money (and time) left over so that I can travel (nothing too crazy... but I have 14/50 more states to visit and a lot of national parks left on my bucket list! Not to mention that if I don't go on an African safari once before I die, I will be very upset with myself. And seeing the aurora.)

Ha. If only such a job existed. Maybe I'll finish one of those god-awful novels I was writing instead of paying attention to class during college and become a best selling author and can afford all this.

My mom told me I should write a book to finance vet school, as if getting published (and actually making money from it) is that easy Sometimes I do wish I could get an MFA and do vet school at the same time though. Who knows, maybe if I don't get in I'll get an MFA before applying again

 

[JayBird1625]

Veterinary Parasitologist. Taking to the parasitologist at my school and will be tagging along to the ASP conference to hopeful learn more. So maybe it isn't too crazy of a dream.

So I know this is kind of late but I just wanted to say that the parasitology community is amazing! I gave multiple presentations of my research in undergrad at the South Western Association of Parasitology and South Eastern Association of Parasitology and had a fantastic time. Unfortunately I couldn't attend ASP this summer =(. You learn so much at the conferences it is amazing. Interestingly enough, my undergraduate college is hosting next years AMCOP which I am definitely going to try to make regardless if I am presenting!

 

[pinkpuppy9]

This is a fun thread, glad it got bumped! My dream job is a clinical veterinarian at Disney's Animal Kingdom. I'm not sure how much they make, but working for Disney is incredible (benefits too!). My dream job #2 is being the chief veterinarian at my local zoo (Detroit), because that would make my boyfriend's life easier.

 

[Innerspeaker]

My dream job was always to be a goat and equine vet, doing some SA work on the side. I also wanted to write some things too, but I suck at writing.