I need help to reinvigorate the dream

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Violetvet

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Hey all,

I'm looking for people to share their _positive_ experiences in vet school and or the profession. I feel like I've heard plenty about how hard vet school is and how stressful the profession is and after being rejected this cycle, I'm questioning whether I want to apply again.

A little about me: I'm 35, married and have always been a dabbler- worked a lot of different jobs and have a lot of different interests. Although I've done well in my prereqs, and I've really enjoyed my veterinary experiences, but I'm an artsy person, majored in a foreign language in my undergrad and I'm starting to wonder if I'm trying to hammer a round peg into a square hole with this whole vet school thing.

Can you share your moments when you were like, "Yes! THIS is why I love vet school/ being a veterinarian." The wind has gone out of my sails, but I'm still not ready to let the idea of vet school go. :(

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The best moment(s) I've had was when I was volunteering in Neuro. We had a greyhound that had been in the hospital for nearly a month, he was such a sweetheart. He was recovering from back surgery, and was having a tough time getting back on his feet. I would come in at 7 in the morning to help with his PT, feeding, strengthening his limbs. Over a couple of weeks we got him in a rolling brace up and down the halls using his feet to move himself, it was amazing watching his progress.
And just this past week I've been shadowing an equine chirporactor, and I got to help "reset" a rib with the doc!
 
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Hey all,

I'm looking for people to share their _positive_ experiences in vet school and or the profession. I feel like I've heard plenty about how hard vet school is and how stressful the profession is and after being rejected this cycle, I'm questioning whether I want to apply again.

A little about me: I'm 35, married and have always been a dabbler- worked a lot of different jobs and have a lot of different interests. Although I've done well in my prereqs, and I've really enjoyed my veterinary experiences, but I'm an artsy person, majored in a foreign language in my undergrad and I'm starting to wonder if I'm trying to hammer a round peg into a square hole with this whole vet school thing.

Can you share your moments when you were like, "Yes! THIS is why I love vet school/ being a veterinarian." The wind has gone out of my sails, but I'm still not ready to let the idea of vet school go. :(

I feel a bit like you. I'm married with pups, and I quit my career as a paralegal to start preparation for vet school at 36. I spent 4 years working on prereq classes, sold my home and most of my stuff. I did well at the community college, but then transferred to the university to prove to the adcoms that I could handle rigor and that's where it all went to hell. My grades are not up there where they need to be, and I got rejected my first round of applications. As a perfectionist, the combination of lower grades and rejection has really shaken me to my core. I'm killing myself studying and trying to get better grades, but I just always seem to fall short. So tired of being/feeling "not quite good enough" to the point where I am starting to wonder if this is just not what I'm supposed to do, which sucks because it's the only thing I've ever really wanted to do.

I'm hoping that I find some renewed hope here soon before round two of applications begins!! Good luck on your journey!
 
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Hi VioletVet. You and I are a similar age. I'll be 36 in July and am currently in the second semester of my first year. Veterinary school is fantastic. It's tough, for sure, but so worth the effort. I'm not a fan of anatomy, but I absolutely love the problem solving associated with our other classes, even at this early stage of the game. PBL gives you the chance to put your basic science knowledge to work in actual clinical scenarios. This 'brain work' is what drives me forward through the tough times. The critical thinking and problem solving associated with the career are tops. I love it, and can't get enough. Recognizing the slow but steady increase in your knowledge base (and skill in applying it to clinical cases) is very satisfying. Interacting with world-class faculty (no matter where you attend vet school- all of the accredited institutions are fantastic) is a gift. For example, we have an equine soft tissue surgeon teaching a good portion of our comparative anatomy class. He's incredibly accomplished in all things related to the horse, and it shows in his prosections, explanations, and capability of relating the 'slog' of anatomy to clinical cases. An outstanding anesthesiologist taught a good portion of our first year physiology class- his knowledge of neurotransmission, respiratory, and cardiac physiology was evident in every lecture he delivered. I've always cherished the mentors that I look up to, and these exist in vet school in no short supply. You'll have the opportunity to participate in wet labs, attend lunch meetings, etc. associated with your own interests, as well as aspects of the field you know nothing about. It's mind expanding...everything is interesting. In short, vet school is everything I hoped it would be and more. That's not to say that I haven't struggled- I have. Completely worth it- every moment. Don't give up if you're heart is truly in the career. It took a long, winding road for me to get to vet school. I don't regret a step I took, and am grateful to enjoy the process.
 
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One time that comes to mind quickly was helping a puppy with Parvo down in the Galapagos. They see a lot of it because vaccines aren't allowed. This guy came in for just vomiting but then started having blowout diarrhea everywhere. Since this clinic is entirely free and all equipment and meds are donated out options are obviously limited and we can't provide 24/7 IV fluid support. We put him on IV fluids twice a day, antibiotics and antiemetics. It took a few days but he started seeming a little brighter. The next week he came in again for his final visit, and he was pretty much a normal puppy again. His owners donated some money and then also brought us a huge bag of fresh fruit as a thank you.

And all my other stories are usually just from when the owners are super appreciative of everything you've done. My first clinic was in a less than well off part of the city and we once at like a 10 wk old chihuahua puppy come in for severe burns. The children (like 5-8 yrs) had tried to give the dog a bath, but the water was too hot and he got burned. They were all extremely upset and you could tell they genuinely felt bad. They had no money but we were able to do some bandages and stuff. Unfortunately the puppy didn't end up making it, but they sent us a very nice card (signed by all the kids too) and a tray of brownie/cupcakes, which they probably shouldn't haven't been spending their money on. I guess it's just times like this where you do what you can for people, no matter their financial situation, and it's the small tokens of appreciation they show. And I'm not saying I'm in it for the brownies or anything, but for a family who's food budget is already pretty limited, it was an extremely nice gesture of appreciation.

I know there are bad/tough to interact with owners, but 9 times out of 10, I really like my owner interactions and they're often one of the reasons I like what I'm doing.

As for vet school itself, yeah it's hard, but I've found that I'm less stressed out and enjoying myself much more now compared to first year. At least here, once you hit second year, you start getting into more of the classes that are more medicine based so everything becomes more interesting. I've also figured out the routine that works for me and I've stopped panicking over exams. If it's around 1 AM the night before an exam, I just say **** it and go to bed. I no longer will stay up past then or pull all-nighters and my grades have definitely improved. I also just make more time for myself now--whether that's the gym, training/walking my dog, video games, whatever.
 
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I'm not in vet school yet, but there were a few instances that really just solidified this is where I found my passion.

As an aspiring equine veterinarian and a long time rider, I really enjoy pre-purchase exams. Which sounds weird because they can be stressful, but when they go well, I LOVE watching the buyer's face light up because they found their dream horse and this dream horse is sound. It's even cooler when the buyer either is a client of yours or gives you updates on their progress, I love watching horse and rider teams succeed and to use medicine to do that makes it so much cooler to me and to aid in helping that partnership progress is fulfilling to me.

On a similar note, I saw a lot of work done with a local greyhound rescue and to see those dogs be taken care of and sent into great homes, and some of them become clients was awesome.

I think at some point during this process, everyone probably gets discouraged, but keep pushing forward. It sounds like you have a plan and some great talents- I think your creativity and artistic skills will be incredibly valuable to the profession and you as a veterinarian yourself. Science and medicine have more room for creativity than one could ever imagine so see if you can find people to shadow or work for that put creativity into practice.
 
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I'm 36 and I'm starting vet school this fall. After my 2nd round of rejection, I definitely had some doubts. I spent the next 2 years combing job boards for anything I was qualified for. I applied to several positions, only had one interview, and all but one of the jobs I applied for weren't something I could see myself doing long term. In hind site, the one job I thought I would like, I probably wouldn't really enjoy either. My heart is in vet med. It's where I belong and I'm so thankful to finally be able to do it.
 
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Thank you all for sharing! It really has boosted my morale to hear your stories!

@Maddiegirl I hear you. To have invested this much in just the prereqs only to pass on vet school feels like such a waste. I keep telling myself there's other things I can apply my prereqs to but honestly, nothing else feels motivating.

Please keep the stories coming! It's so helpful to hear them!:highfive:
 
From the flip side:
Ask yourself this: Is medicine something that really interests you? Would you really feel like you are missing out on being a diagnostician, and figuring out what is wrong with animals. Even though I am no longer in vet school, I still go back and skim through some lecture notes, I still like to review Zuku and Vetprep questions because it is interesting to me.

The passion that is felt for the career only takes you so far before you burn out, you need more to keep you going. But if you have intellectual curiosity, I personally think that will take you even farther.

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o have invested this much in just the prereqs only to pass on vet school feels like such a waste

This is pretty silly to me. The pre-reqs are a drop in the bucket in the investment that is a veterinary career, and to keep on going just because you have made a minor commitment so far is insane. In investing, we always say "don't throw bad money after good" , or "cut your losses" and those sayings apply IRL. If you are feeling maybe this isn't for you, then walk away. Not saying you should, just saying that the time you have already spent is done with, no need to ruin your future if it isn't right for you.

Perhaps other people's stories will relight your passion, but also think whether you will truly regret or not finding a different path.
 
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I cried happy tears in an appointment just yesterday. I am on soft tissue and a 3yr FS lab came in for suture removal. She had bilateral ectopic ureters and the surgeons were able to re-route her ureters to the bladder. This girl has had incontinence her entire life and has never been able to make it through the night without waking her owner up to be let out to potty. Since her surgery she is finally able to make it through the night and the owner thanked the surgeon profusely, bursting into tears when she explained how much better the dog's life is now as well as hers.
 
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From the flip side:
Ask yourself this: Is medicine something that really interests you? Would you really feel like you are missing out on being a diagnostician, and figuring out what is wrong with animals. Even though I am no longer in vet school, I still go back and skim through some lecture notes, I still like to review Zuku and Vetprep questions because it is interesting to me.

The passion that is felt for the career only takes you so far before you burn out, you need more to keep you going. But if you have intellectual curiosity, I personally think that will take you even farther.

As for this comment
o have invested this much in just the prereqs only to pass on vet school feels like such a waste

This is pretty silly to me. The pre-reqs are a drop in the bucket in the investment that is a veterinary career, and to keep on going just because you have made a minor commitment so far is insane. In investing, we always say "don't throw bad money after good" , or "cut your losses" and those sayings apply IRL. If you are feeling maybe this isn't for you, then walk away. Not saying you should, just saying that the time you have already spent is done with, no need to ruin your future if it isn't right for you.

Perhaps other people's stories will relight your passion, but also think whether you will truly regret or not finding a different path.

I love medicine! I love figuring out what is wrong with an animal and learning how it is resolved or managed. So I think even if I don't get into vet school, I will still find some career where I can solve these medical mysteries. I don't think the time I spent working on prereqs was a waste because I've learned valuable skills that I will carry with me forever. I think the point of the prereqs is to challenge you both intellectually and emotionally to test if you really have what it takes to make the committment to the study of veterinary medicine. It is definitely not something to be taken lightly from an emotional, intellecutal or financial standpoint.

For me, just knowing that I had the courage to go from a career that I did not enjoy, and to risk it all for a chance at my dream is enough for me. I'm still trying to make that dream come to fruition, but if it doesn't then I won't regret the journey. The disappointment will fade, but my accomplishments will stick with me and I will be a better person for it. I don't think my curiosity will ever fade, but I do agree with you that passion is not enough to prevent burnout because everyone faces burnout at some point in their lives; however, that inherent curiosity does help to keep the fire burning on some level though.

I expected rejection on my first round of applications, but I did not expect how terrible that rejection would feel. It really made me question if I was on the right path and whether or not I really wanted to subject myself to this pressure any longer. Then I took a step back and realized that this was the lesson in that rejection. If vet school was easy then everybody would be doing it. If it is something that I really want, and I know now that it is, then this rejection and the feelings that came with it are just another test of my determination and committment to the field. Rejection gave me the opportunity to evaluate my strenghts and weaknesses and to figure out how to overcome those problem areas in order to succeed. Nothing worth having ever comes easy, but also not everything is meant to be. So if I work harder and it still doesn't happen then I have to accept that it wasnt' meant to be. If I accept these truths then I can move forward and find the next challenge to tackle with no regrets besides sitting back and wondering what might have happened if I didn't try at all. I believe we regret the things we didn't try more than those things we do try.
 
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Thank you again for all your input!

Hmm... you may have hit a nerve, @StartingoverVet. I'm not sure that medicine does interest me, or.. it interests me, but it's only part of what makes being a veterinarian appealing. I have found the prereqs to be fascinating at times, and extremely dry and uninteresting at times. I guess that's part of why medical school is so difficult-because it's such a grind to learn everything that enables you to enter a profession that is so much more than what you've learned. I don't think there is any "path" that will be "right for me." I've done so damn many unrelated jobs that I guess I don't derive my identity from my work, but nevertheless I always come back to working with animals and supporting the human animal relationship never gets old. But you're right, being a doctor? I know I would be good at it, but it is a long, hard, expensive road.

@Maddiegirl, a lot of what you're saying really resonates with me. I'm just wanting some peace about the situation, some non-attachment to either scenario and it seems you've found that. I guess my plan is to just keep gaining veterinary experience and stay openminded and above all, to be honest and not try to talk myself into (or out of!) anything if it doesn't feel right.

EASIER SAID THAN DONE!! :)
 
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But you're right, being a doctor? I know I would be good at it, but it is a long, hard, expensive road.


Being a veterinarian is likely the same amount of work, difficulty and time, yet you pay more in tuition with a smaller starting salary. If you can imagine being a doctor would be a realistic job for you, go for it. You will definitely live a more cushion-y life.
 
I have a bit of a different angle on all of this. I just got accepted OOS on my second attempt. I am now wide-eyed and terrified. Is this right for me? Is it worth the tuition? I can't tell you if it'll be "worth" the tuition....I can't be guaranteed a job. I can't guarantee my boyfriend will stay with me through this. I can't guarantee I'll be able to practice medicine the way I want to. I do know that it's right for me. Even when I hold an ancient, pee-covered dog while she gets injections, I know it's right for me.

It's hard to remember why you selected this profession in the first place when you're down in the dumps for whatever reason. You're asking for us to share our inspiration, but it sounds like you really need to find yours. Sometimes it hits you right in the face, sometimes it requires a bit of soul searching. I had my initial inspiration when I was a kid, but I've got one particular event that is much closer to my heart. When I was euthanizing my guinea pig (one of the best creatures to have ever lived...really, she was an incredible pet), I was asking the doctor if she had a chance. He replied with "Well, all animals have a chance." I didn't realize it then, but that short quote is what drove me to reapply and is what I think of when I've worked a 13 hour day without lunch, and we're just about to start another surgery.

Pick up the pieces from an unsuccessful cycle, and take a few weeks to think. Distance yourself from vetmed if you can, and see how you feel.
 
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Being a veterinarian is likely the same amount of work, difficulty and time, yet you pay more in tuition with a smaller starting salary. If you can imagine being a doctor would be a realistic job for you, go for it. You will definitely live a more cushion-y life.

Oh no- I meant being a doctor... of veterinary medicine. ;)
 
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Being a veterinarian is likely the same amount of work, difficulty and time, yet you pay more in tuition with a smaller starting salary. If you can imagine being a doctor would be a realistic job for you, go for it. You will definitely live a more cushion-y life.

Please don't tell me you just pulled out the "veterinarians aren't real doctors" card..... :)
 
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Please don't tell me you just pulled out the "veterinarians aren't real doctors" card..... :)

Oh hell no! I just see people refer to MD's as doctors on here all the time. I wasn't using proper context clues :p
 
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