Getting a residency or finding a job as an older, newly graduating vet

[Cautiously Optimistic]

When I graduate with my DVM I will be almost 56 years old. If I do an internship/residency, I will be almost 60 when trying to enter the job market. Does anyone have any knowledge about the potential job market for someone like me with OR without doing a residency?

I have heard some discouraging things lately, that are making me think that doing an internship/residency might be pointless suffering, given my age, and the vanishingly small probability of actually getting an entry level job at 60. Maybe even getting a regular vet job as an entry level graduate in my mid-late 50's is a pipe dream.

Anyone have any information or advice? Anything would be greatly appreciated.

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[KCgophervet]

Paging @LetItSnow

 

[micro555]

I know one vet student who was in his 60s when he graduated a couple years back. He got a job at another vet school doing an RVP internship I think. It seems like once you get over the hurdle of the first job, others are more willing to hire... That being said, I wonder if a university setting would be more willing to hire than a private practice.

 

[that redhead]

When I graduate with my DVM I will be almost 56 years old. If I do an internship/residency, I will be almost 60 when trying to enter the job market. Does anyone have any knowledge about the potential job market for someone like me with OR without doing a residency?

I have heard some discouraging things lately, that are making me think that doing an internship/residency might be pointless suffering, given my age, and the vanishingly small probability of actually getting an entry level job at 60. Maybe even getting a regular vet job as an entry level graduate in my mid-late 50's is a pipe dream.

Anyone have any information or advice? Anything would be greatly appreciated.

I think the first question is: what do you want to do with your degree? If you want to specialize, you need that internship and residency. If you want to do GP work, I think you can do just fine without the internship/residency (myself and a few others around here have gone straight into GP, including old man River LIS.) You have far more life experience than the average twenty to thirty something new graduate and I think that can help to outweigh the "negatives" practices may see when interviewing an older person.

 

[Hotfillyky]

I am also interested in hearing others thoughts on this. I am also older with some life experience . I am considering pursuing either (both?) a specialty in avian medicine or equine internal medicine and have concerns about finding a job as well. Plus I have a teenager that will be ready to go to college when I have only graduated and been out for a year.

So right there with you @cautiouslyoptimistic

 

[LetItSnow]

Bit late, sorry. Happens to us old people.

I dunno that I have insight..... But I am late 40s and had no trouble finding a job. I had a few GP offers without any real hunting, and ending up taking an ER job. I think the job market is such that getting a job won't be a huge deal - but there are a ton of caveats, like where you are located, how flexible you are to relocate, what you want to do, how you come across one on one, etc.

I suspect, based on what I see with the specialists I work side by side with (I work in a specialty/referral facility), that getting a job as a specialty boarded person (internship+residency) would be similarly doable.

I have zero insight as to how much 'agism' there would be with regards to GETTING an internship/residency. I suspect quite a bit, but a) it is JUST a suspicion, and b) nobody will admit it, and c) people will probably loudly deny it.

 

[nyanko]

I have zero insight as to how much 'agism' there would be with regards to GETTING an internship/residency. I suspect quite a bit, but a) it is JUST a suspicion, and b) nobody will admit it, and c) people will probably loudly deny it.

I think you're probably right, to be honest.