Rethinking vet med early?

[superpom_7]

Hi everyone! I've made a post before but that was a while ago.

So basically I have another dilemma. I'm not going to bore anyone with the usual story of how I have wanted to be a Veterinarian forever, so I will cut to the chase! I volunteer at a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, and it opened my eyes so much and I love it so much. This honestly really helped me to learn what it is really like working with animals. Yes the animals are cute and beautiful, but they are also animals and everything is not going to be cute all of the time. I haven't shadowed a Veterinarian (yet), and I still have some (more like a lot of time) time to do that, but I kind of want to start shadowing one sooner than later. So my problem is that ever since I started volunteering there, it really opened my eyes to the other fields and ways that I can help animals and work with them, and I actually wanted to be become a Wildlife Rehabilitator way before but I didn't really know what it was like until now, so I really want to become a Wildlife Rehabilitator.

Then I thought that I could do both: I could still work with wildlife and become a Wildlife Veterinarian, which is possible. But I have been doing so much research and reading so much about the debt and stress that comes with Veterinary Medicine, and I have been rethinking it. I get that if vet med is really want you want to do, then you will have to live with the debt and stress and work through it, and honestly the stress, time, and hard work is not my problem; the debt is my problem. My other problem is the fact that I can see myself doing something else with animals, now that I have been exposed to other ways of being able to work with animals.

Many people say that if you can see yourself doing anything else, then don't go into vet med; but I don't know how to feel about that , so I kind of want some insight. I would really appreciate any feedback/advice...I have been stressing out so much about this and I literally need to stop. I know that there is no reason for me to be stressing about this so much this early, but I have always been that person who just wants to know what I'm doing with my life and all of that.

Thanks so much! Happy Holidays

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[Njnealon]

Hey! Are you still in college/taking classes? If you are interested in animals, maybe just stick to an animal science or life science track, and you can become aware of other opportunities. Also a degree in something like biology can still be broad enough to lead to a lot of careers (even vet med if you have a change of heart). A broad background can also expose you to different careers at the same time. For instance, I was pre-vet coming into school, but then became more involved with research, teaching, etc and now am looking more at academic research versus being strictly a clinician. Also, I would go ahead and shadow in a clinic for a little bit, you never know until you try after all! Maybe it wont be what you thought?

 

[superpom_7]

Hey! Are you still in college/taking classes? If you are interested in animals, maybe just stick to an animal science or life science track, and you can become aware of other opportunities. Also a degree in something like biology can still be broad enough to lead to a lot of careers (even vet med if you have a change of heart). A broad background can also expose you to different careers at the same time. For instance, I was pre-vet coming into school, but then became more involved with research, teaching, etc and now am looking more at academic research versus being strictly a clinician. Also, I would go ahead and shadow in a clinic for a little bit, you never know until you try after all! Maybe it wont be what you thought?

Hey, thanks for replying! I'm actually a Junior in HS, and the college process is arriving. I'm trying to stay close to home (If I can), and a lot of universities that I am already looking to apply at don't have animal science, unfortunately. I am going to try and shadow my vet, hopefully I will be able to. I just haven't asked if I could shadow her yet because she is so busy and I'm not sure of the hospitals policy for shadowing the vet and all of that.

 

[Felixor90]

The best thing you could do is go shadow other vets from different niches/specialties. You also have to take into account that wildlife vets usually have it rougher since there are few positions and those usually don't pay all that well. You have to absolutely get into an in-state school (or one that gives you residency after a year) to minimize debt if you're 100% set on going the wildlife route. Also, shadowing other vets might give you more confidence about whether you want to pursue vet med. It wasn't until I got my first job at an exotics animal hospital that I really 100% knew I wanted to be a vet and before that I didn't even know I could do that. The same thing might happen to you with another side of the profession. And yes, you're right that there are many ways you could help animals without becoming a vet. It's super stressful just getting in so I can only imagine how it's going to be for the next 4+ years. Don't do it unless you 100% know it's what you want to do.

 

[WillowLeaf]

Since you're in high school, you have plenty of time to decide. You can also plan out your classes to leave multiple options open for now (pre-vet prereqs and biology major requirements often overlap at least a little), and then get more experience and learn more about career fields over the next few years. A lot of people change majors during college, so there's no reason to plan everything out for sure right now.

I don't think it's always true that if you can see yourself doing anything else that you shouldn't become a vet. I think what you have to decide is whether the extra debt and everything is worth it to you, not simply whether there are any other career options you would be okay with. But if you have multiple career options that you would enjoy about equally, and one involves massive debt while others are better financial choices, then it makes sense to avoid all that debt and stress.

Ask your vet about shadowing. In my experience, a lot of vets are fine with shadows, and some seem to enjoy having a shadow who is really interested and enthusiastic about learning about the veterinary field. See if you can shadow a wildlife vet as well if that's the area of vet med that you're most interested in. Good luck in college!

 

[superpom_7]

Since you're in high school, you have plenty of time to decide. You can also plan out your classes to leave multiple options open for now (pre-vet prereqs and biology major requirements often overlap at least a little), and then get more experience and learn more about career fields over the next few years. A lot of people change majors during college, so there's no reason to plan everything out for sure right now.

I don't think it's always true that if you can see yourself doing anything else that you shouldn't become a vet. I think what you have to decide is whether the extra debt and everything is worth it to you, not simply whether there are any other career options you would be okay with. But if you have multiple career options that you would enjoy about equally, and one involves massive debt while others are better financial choices, then it makes sense to avoid all that debt and stress.

Ask your vet about shadowing. In my experience, a lot of vets are fine with shadows, and some seem to enjoy having a shadow who is really interested and enthusiastic about learning about the veterinary field. See if you can shadow a wildlife vet as well if that's the area of vet med that you're most interested in. Good luck in college!

Thanks for the reply .

Yeah, I have seen so many people say that don't bother going with vet med if you can see yourself doing anything else so it gives me mixed feelings. I will certainly ask my vet about shadowing (crossing my fingers ), and that would be wonderful if I could shadow a wildlife vet! Thanks so much, I can't wait!

 

[superpom_7]

The best thing you could do is go shadow other vets from different niches/specialties. You also have to take into account that wildlife vets usually have it rougher since there are few positions and those usually don't pay all that well. You have to absolutely get into an in-state school (or one that gives you residency after a year) to minimize debt if you're 100% set on going the wildlife route. Also, shadowing other vets might give you more confidence about whether you want to pursue vet med. It wasn't until I got my first job at an exotics animal hospital that I really 100% knew I wanted to be a vet and before that I didn't even know I could do that. The same thing might happen to you with another side of the profession. And yes, you're right that there are many ways you could help animals without becoming a vet. It's super stressful just getting in so I can only imagine how it's going to be for the next 4+ years. Don't do it unless you 100% know it's what you want to do.

Thanks for the reply!

I am going to try and shadow my vet, and hopefully that will help me make a final decision.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I second @Felixor90. Being a 'Wildlife Veterinarian' is hard. The pay is pretty dismal (even when compared to the already dismal average salary of veterinarians in general). There is a terrible job market as well. Unless you go the government route (DNR, Fish and Wildlife, etc.), most rehabilitation positions depend on grants/donations. It looks like you already know a little about it, but make sure you can handle seeing pain and death on a very, very frequent basis. Not all rehab centers experience that (ones that have staffed veterinarians tend to get more gruesome cases, either by referral from other centers or word of mouth when someone finds an animal).

There is a bit of a better outlook for a Zoo/Wildlife Vet, which is the road I hope to take. While still a competitive area, you are much more likely to find a job if you can say you can treat zoo animals (and really, they are just 'captive wildlife'). However, very VERY few locations allow you to practice both.

 

[superpom_7]

I second @Felixor90. Being a 'Wildlife Veterinarian' is hard. The pay is pretty dismal (even when compared to the already dismal average salary of veterinarians in general). There is a terrible job market as well. Unless you go the government route (DNR, Fish and Wildlife, etc.), most rehabilitation positions depend on grants/donations. It looks like you already know a little about it, but make sure you can handle seeing pain and death on a very, very frequent basis. Not all rehab centers experience that (ones that have staffed veterinarians tend to get more gruesome cases, either by referral from other centers or word of mouth when someone finds an animal).

There is a bit of a better outlook for a Zoo/Wildlife Vet, which is the road I hope to take. While still a competitive area, you are much more likely to find a job if you can say you can treat zoo animals (and really, they are just 'captive wildlife'). However, very VERY few locations allow you to practice both.

That is extremely disappointing to hear ...and I'm not too surprised about the pay. I will do what I have to do to be happy and do what I love. Yeah, the rehab center that I volunteer at is funded by donations so I completely get that aspect! I think that I can handle that pretty well. So far though I haven't seen anything too gruesome. I've seen a lot of dead rats, a lot of the animals that some of the vultures consume, a few animals with casts and healing wounds but nothing REALLY gross. I wouldn't mind working as a zoo vet, but it isn't at the top of my list. If I definitely choose not to go with vet med I'm definitely, without a doubt, going with Wildlife Rehabilition.

It is honestly so discouraging to hear about the job prospects for vet med and certain specialties and fields..

 

[pinkpuppy9]

That is extremely disappointing to hear ...and I'm not too surprised about the pay. I will do what I have to do to be happy and do what I love. Yeah, the rehab center that I volunteer at is funded by donations so I completely get that aspect! I think that I can handle that pretty well. So far though I haven't seen anything too gruesome. I've seen a lot of dead rats, a lot of the animals that some of the vultures consume, a few animals with casts and healing wounds but nothing REALLY gross. I wouldn't mind working as a zoo vet, but it isn't at the top of my list. If I definitely choose not to go with vet med I'm definitely, without a doubt, going with Wildlife Rehabilition.

It is honestly so discouraging to hear about the job prospects for vet med and certain specialties and fields..

It is what it is, I guess. I think it's safe to say that the further you go into veterinary medicine (or probably anything, for that matter), the less chance you have of finding a job. I will tell you that many small animal vets lend their services/hospitals to wildlife centers. My wildlife rehab center has a staffed vet, but she takes all of our euth/radiograph/minor surgery cases to a nearby vet clinic. Something to think about!

Dead rats and feeder animals aren't really what I'm talking about. Wildlife rehab (at least in my experience) is made up of orphaned babies (cute), emaciated juveniles, long-term injury rehabilitation, or mangled animals in need of euthanasia. It's the mangled animals that get most people, especially when they're still alive. I think the worst thing I've seen was a deer trying to walk on two broken legs. You have to assume it feels some degree of pain over it's adrenaline, but watching it happen is absolutely horrifying. Second worst occurred the other night actually....cooter with a completely destroyed head. The braincase was still intact, however, so the poor thing was writhing in pain. I have a lot of wildlife experience, so if you have any questions, feel free to PM me!

 

[superpom_7]

It is what it is, I guess. I think it's safe to say that the further you go into veterinary medicine (or probably anything, for that matter), the less chance you have of finding a job. I will tell you that many small animal vets lend their services/hospitals to wildlife centers. My wildlife rehab center has a staffed vet, but she takes all of our euth/radiograph/minor surgery cases to a nearby vet clinic. Something to think about!

Dead rats and feeder animals aren't really what I'm talking about. Wildlife rehab (at least in my experience) is made up of orphaned babies (cute), emaciated juveniles, long-term injury rehabilitation, or mangled animals in need of euthanasia. It's the mangled animals that get most people, especially when they're still alive. I think the worst thing I've seen was a deer trying to walk on two broken legs. You have to assume it feels some degree of pain over it's adrenaline, but watching it happen is absolutely horrifying. Second worst occurred the other night actually....cooter with a completely destroyed head. The braincase was still intact, however, so the poor thing was writhing in pain. I have a lot of wildlife experience, so if you have any questions, feel free to PM me!

Our center isn't busy right now (it is much more busy in the summer/spring), so that has a large impact on the types of injured animals that we take in. We have a lot of animals, but I personally haven't seen any terrible cases yet. I think I will tolerate it pretty well...but I won't know until I see something like that of course. That's terrible....ugh. Poor thing. Thanks, I will certainly reach out to you if I have any questions that I can't find an answer to otherwise. I've been thinking about asking my centers rehabilitator a few questions (regarding how she got into rehabilition) that I already found the answer to (thanks google), but it doesn't hurt to hear it from the person!

 

[Skimble]

It's the mangled animals that get most people, especially when they're still alive. I think the worst thing I've seen was a deer trying to walk on two broken legs. You have to assume it feels some degree of pain over it's adrenaline, but watching it happen is absolutely horrifying. Second worst occurred the other night actually....cooter with a completely destroyed head. The braincase was still intact, however, so the poor thing was writhing in pain. I have a lot of wildlife experience, so if you have any questions, feel free to PM me!

This past summer I was on vacation in Honduras and watched a dog get hit by a car. His front leg was ripped from his body, but he didn't die. This memory will likely haunt me for the rest of my life. It would have been easier to handle if the dog died quickly. Death isn't so hard to deal with, but suffering is.

I work at a small animal clinic, but a while ago a client brought in a toad to be euthanized. He hit it with his lawn mower 24hrs prior. The blade sliced just anterior of the brain, so the poor thing had no eyes or mouth but was still very much alive.

So I agree, cases like those where animals suffer are the hardest.

 

[superpom_7]

This past summer I was on vacation in Honduras and watched a dog get hit by a car. His front leg was ripped from his body, but he didn't die. This memory will likely haunt me for the rest of my life. It would have been easier to handle if the dog died quickly. Death isn't so hard to deal with, but suffering is.

I work at a small animal clinic, but a while ago a client brought in a toad to be euthanized. He hit it with his lawn mower 24hrs prior. The blade sliced just anterior of the brain, so the poor thing had no eyes or mouth but was still very much alive.

So I agree, cases like those where animals suffer are the hardest.

That is terrible.... Why did he wait so long to bring his toad in???

 

[Skimble]

He thought it would die on it's own and he didn't really know what to do with it. He called us for advice and I told him to bring it in and we would euthanize it. He had no idea that was an option. Just one week prior we euthanized a neurologic chipmunk found in a bush. I think most people don't know what to do when they find injured wildlife and just decide to let nature take it's course.

 

[Cephal0pod]

The wildlife rehab I intern at was founded by a small animal and exotics vet. His small animal + exotic pet practice is on the top two floors, and the wildlife hospital is on the lower floor. I know he also used to have a night I believe a couple of times a month where vets from the community would come in and volunteer their services to help perform various procedures. So, depending on where you end up practicing and what wildlife rehabbers are around, it is possible to be primarily practicing another area of vet med but still dip your toes in wildlife rehab vet med.

As spring and summer come around you will start to see more cases come in that are more of the "mangled animal" variety. Yes, they are hard to see, and it is sad when euthanasia is necessary. It may be helpful as you begin to see more of those cases to remember, though, that regardless of the degree of injury, suffering for that animal will be relieved-- be it by successful rehabilitation or a humane passing via euthanasia. This is certainly one of the harder aspects of wildlife rehab, but in my opinion having the ability to euthanize humanely is perhaps just as important as being able to rehabilitate successfully when it comes to wildlife rehab. Or any branch of vet med for that matter, I suppose. Also don't forget that while some were not able to be saved, there are some that are. Being around a lot of sick, injured, and possibly dying animals is hard sometimes, but don't forget about the ones who pull through and are back in the wild now-- they wouldn't be without the efforts of the people who care about and for them, such as yourself. And Jilary.

Regarding going to school to be a tech while doing college full-time-- I don't think there are enough hours in the day. My understanding is that most vet tech programs are a pretty intense ordeal. Probably not very feasible. I know there have been many days where I have been quite convinced there are not enough hours in the day to successfully pull through a full time undergrad load by itself

 

[superpom_7]

The wildlife rehab I intern at was founded by a small animal and exotics vet. His small animal + exotic pet practice is on the top two floors, and the wildlife hospital is on the lower floor. I know he also used to have a night I believe a couple of times a month where vets from the community would come in and volunteer their services to help perform various procedures. So, depending on where you end up practicing and what wildlife rehabbers are around, it is possible to be primarily practicing another area of vet med but still dip your toes in wildlife rehab vet med.

As spring and summer come around you will start to see more cases come in that are more of the "mangled animal" variety. Yes, they are hard to see, and it is sad when euthanasia is necessary. It may be helpful as you begin to see more of those cases to remember, though, that regardless of the degree of injury, suffering for that animal will be relieved-- be it by successful rehabilitation or a humane passing via euthanasia. This is certainly one of the harder aspects of wildlife rehab, but in my opinion having the ability to euthanize humanely is perhaps just as important as being able to rehabilitate successfully when it comes to wildlife rehab. Or any branch of vet med for that matter, I suppose. Also don't forget that while some were not able to be saved, there are some that are. Being around a lot of sick, injured, and possibly dying animals is hard sometimes, but don't forget about the ones who pull through and are back in the wild now-- they wouldn't be without the efforts of the people who care about and for them, such as yourself. And Jilary.

Regarding going to school to be a tech while doing college full-time-- I don't think there are enough hours in the day. My understanding is that most vet tech programs are a pretty intense ordeal. Probably not very feasible. I know there have been many days where I have been quite convinced there are not enough hours in the day to successfully pull through a full time undergrad load by itself

Thanks for that info! That sounds awesome btw.

I'm actually looking forward to the more busy season..it will be a newer experience for me! I'm hoping that I will be able to handle seeing some of the less fortunate animals , but like you said, they will be relieved of suffering. That is how I felt when my dog was euthanized. I felt horrible, I was literally miserable for over a year. I cried every night because I didn't have her anymore, but she had horrible arthritis and she couldn't walk anymore..and I soon felt better because she wasn't suffering anymore. I don't know how much pain she was in, and it may hurt me so much that she is gone, but she is in a much better place.

Haha I actually deleted that question because I thought it was ridiculous to even ask , but I get what you're saying! Thanks for answering that.

 

[Cephal0pod]

Do look forward to it! You'll get to see and learn a lot. So sorry for the loss of you dog, that is a hard thing. You're right though, she's not in pain anymore.

Best of luck to you.

 

[superpom_7]

It's okay, I'm happy that she is not suffering anymore. She was a wonderful part of my family and she will always be loved and remembered.

Thanks so much!

 

[pinkpuppy9]

This past summer I was on vacation in Honduras and watched a dog get hit by a car. His front leg was ripped from his body, but he didn't die. This memory will likely haunt me for the rest of my life. It would have been easier to handle if the dog died quickly. Death isn't so hard to deal with, but suffering is.

I work at a small animal clinic, but a while ago a client brought in a toad to be euthanized. He hit it with his lawn mower 24hrs prior. The blade sliced just anterior of the brain, so the poor thing had no eyes or mouth but was still very much alive.

So I agree, cases like those where animals suffer are the hardest.

Ugh it's the worst. And some of the dead animals I get in I get to necropsy if I have time. Nevermind the fatal injuries....but can we discuss the non-fatal injuries (that you'd think would be fatal) that wildlife get, yet keep on truckin?!

Turtles and tortoises with nubs for legs, raptors with only one good leg, etc. Just crazy the stuff they can overcome, especially reptiles. Just the other day I got in a baby cornsnake that was about 99% severed in half. The wound was old and necrotic, but the thing's heart was still beating. Crazy.