Would you do it over again?

[shedoesn'tevengothere93]

Hello all! I am going through the application process currently, and I am going through a rough patch right now and would like to hear inputs from current veterinarians, new and old. I have always known how much vet school tuition is, but I recently was talking to a new veterinarian and was talking about the actual numbers with interest and all that fun stuff. So I just want to hear from veterinarians to see: if you could go back in time, would you choose to become a veterinarian again? And if not: why? Thank you!

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[CalliopeDVM]

Yes, without a doubt. But I'm Canadian and went to a Canadian vet school, so my educational costs were significantly less. I don't know that I even would have done it the first time if it were going to cost me over $200,000.

 

[shedoesn'tevengothere93]

I know and that is the main reason why I am contemplating it. The only options I have left in this cycle is Washington, which I am still waiting to hear from, and I was also accepted at Midwestern and wait listed at Minnesota. If Midwestern is my only option though, I don't know if I should wait a year and try again because Midwestern's tuition is $50,000 with an increase every year. I have wanted to be a vet for so long, but this idea of being in debt for 20+ years is freaking me out!

 

[hedgehogcatcher]

Here's my recommendation. Go shadow people who have careers you are interested. Split your time between vets and non vets. There are a lot of career paths in things like epidemiology, wildlife management and conservation, biochemical research, lab animal technicians, biology anything especially field work, etc. Chances are your undergraduate work has given you a good base and you won't have to start over.
Then, find vets who have found unorthodox ways of paying for vet school, like scholarships or loan repayment programs, or who have found higher paying jobs. It's possible. Also, You don't have to be a clinician, and you can also be a clinician and then move to a different job. USDA, NIH, big companies, they all pay very well and you can do a stint there. Learn how to manage money: really take the time to cut living costs and maximize your dollars.

Don't quit because it's hard, quit because you are making an informed decision and have found an alternative pathway with a career you will enjoy, so you're never really anxiously wondering what if.
Or, bust your butt and reach those goals! Vet med can be a great profession and there are so many directions you can take with it.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

Here's my recommendation. Go shadow people who have careers you are interested. Split your time between vets and non vets. There are a lot of career paths in things like epidemiology, wildlife management and conservation, biochemical research, lab animal technicians, biology anything especially field work, etc. Chances are your undergraduate work has given you a good base and you won't have to start over.
Then, find vets who have found unorthodox ways of paying for vet school, like scholarships or loan repayment programs, or who have found higher paying jobs. It's possible. Also, You don't have to be a clinician, and you can also be a clinician and then move to a different job. USDA, NIH, big companies, they all pay very well and you can do a stint there. Learn how to manage money: really take the time to cut living costs and maximize your dollars.

Don't quit because it's hard, quit because you are making an informed decision and have found an alternative pathway with a career you will enjoy, so you're never really anxiously wondering what if.
Or, bust your butt and reach those goals! Vet med can be a great profession and there are so many directions you can take with it.

Scholarships are not an "unorthodox way of paying for vet school" - they're neither unusual nor unused, but finding ones that are more than a small percentage of the load is pretty rare. And, yes, there are many jobs for veterinarians that pay very well.......but how many of them are out there (available) and how likely are you to get one with zero experience or graduate degrees, straight out of vet school.

I agree it should be an informed decision, but it should be informed with realistic information, not ungrounded ideas. There are probably about 2600+ new graduate veterinarians looking for work every year in the US, so be sure to think about the increasing competition (especially with new vet schools opening) and it's affect on job and salary prospects. I believe it is a great profession and there are a lot of things you can do with a DVM, but loving your job can be tough if you've got a huge debt load and you're the prime (or only) breadwinner in your family.

 

[hedgehogcatcher]

...

 

[shedoesn'tevengothere93]

You both are wonderful thank you very much!

 

[lei325]

I would make better choices about money and loans, but I would definitely never change my career choice.

 

[Gemgrrrl]

I know and that is the main reason why I am contemplating it. The only options I have left in this cycle is Washington, which I am still waiting to hear from, and I was also accepted at Midwestern and wait listed at Minnesota. If Midwestern is my only option though, I don't know if I should wait a year and try again because Midwestern's tuition is $50,000 with an increase every year. I have wanted to be a vet for so long, but this idea of being in debt for 20+ years is freaking me out!

What if you wait a year, strengthen your application, and apply again next year? $50K a year is a huge amount of debt. Especially if you already have loans for your undergrad. It might be well worth a year of your life to have half as much debt when you get done with school.

 

[DVMDream]

Things I would do over again:

1. Go to a CC. While the university experience was great, I would rather not have those loans on top of the vet school ones.
2. I would have moved to a state with a vet school, worked for a year and then applied as an IS student. I kept telling myself I couldn't have done it, but looking back, I could have if I had pushed myself to.
3. I would have been smarter in my applications and where I applied.

Overall, I can't see myself doing anything else (career wise), but I wish I had been smarter with money and how much debt this all involves early on. I was young and naive and no one in my family had ever been to college and done the loan thing before so it was all new for everyone.

However, I have the benefit now to try to encourage my younger siblings to do things smart and minimize their debt. Though getting the one to listen is the biggest issue.

 

[lailanni]

I probably wouldn't do it over again. During school I learned I'm a pretty versatile person (took on several part time jobs that I really ended up liking) so I can see myself happy in other industries. So I could have been equally or more content without taking on the debt and stressing out for 4 years. But would I have found those cool part time jobs had I not gone to vet school? Maybe not. So I guess it all worked out for the best.

But hindsight 20/20 - nope. I'd have gone into something else.

I usually tell people to go into vet med if they can't think of a single other job that would make them happy. And that was me when I applied, but I grew into a different person as time went on. Turns out quite a few things make me happy, not just vet med.

 

[chickenlittle]

Nope, I wouldn't do it again.

I knew that the finances of veterinary medicine didn't make sense (although I was fortunate to have a lot of financial support from my parents and therefore minimal debt, so I was in a much better position than most people) but I thought the other intangible factors would make up for it. I thought I'd be 'doing what I loved,' advocating for animals, working in a great environment, helping my clients, etc etc. In other words, I guess I sort of felt like I'd be performing some sort of public service that I'd feel so passionate about that I'd be okay with the low pay ($45k at my first job). Kind of like working in social services, the ministry, etc.

Then reality hit. Yes, I try to advocate for the animals, but I have to be extremely careful because doing so often puts me in an adversarial relationship with my clients. Maintaining a positive relationship with my clients often means going against what's best for the patient. It's a constant tightrope walk and sometimes it feels like you just can't win. For example, urinary issues in young cats are almost never caused by infection. Your best chances at treating urinary issues in a young cat are increased water intake and environmental modification to decrease stress.... so that's what I need to focus on, if I want to advocate for the pet. The clients, however, don't get that. They want antibiotics because a) that's what is done in people, b) that's what the last vet did. No matter how many times you try to tell them that signs will resolve without antibiotics, overzealous antibiotic use contributes to superbugs, etc... they still want their antibiotics. So you're stuck. And that type of situation comes up several times every day, with all sorts of other conditions (the client who just wants steroids for his allergic dog, the client who refuses behavior modification and only wants pills for her dog's anxiety, etc).

I guess I didn't expect that, because the vets that I worked for before vet school were all the type who WOULD have given antibiotics to the lower urinary tract disease, steroids to the itchy dog, and drugs to the anxious dog..... and either they didn't know or just didn't bother telling me that those treatments weren't the best options and could potentially have negative affects.

At the risk of sounding silly, I guess I expected to feel more like a 'hero'.... like I was making this huge sacrifice to be a vet, but I was doing it for the good of the animals and the clients would recognize that and appreciate that. Instead, I spend much of my time hearing how I'm money-grubbing, making up things like heartworm disease, lying when I tell people that quality commercial pet foods are better than raw foods, etc. I've worked in several different clinics and each has their own issue (at my current job, the clients are mostly on-board with heartworm prevention but LOOOOVE the local pet boutiques and ferociously defend their awful food recommendations), but overall I guess I just didn't expect to be so unappreciated at work. Then you go online and see articles about how much some people actually DESPISE veterinarians (or your friends let their own anti-vet beliefs slip out in conversation) and it just sucks.

I wouldn't do it again. I'm actually looking to get out of vet med soon ( or at least cut back to part-time on the vet thing and find something more rewarding to do with the remaining hours in the week). My husband and I are trying for a second child and my clinic's policy is that they don't hold jobs for maternity leaves - they'll look for a replacement and only take me back if they haven't found anyone by the time I'm ready to return to work. Totally crappy, but legal.... and maybe that will give me the kick in the butt that I need to get out of this field.

 

[dyachei]

I don't know that I would do it over again. But I am pretty happy with my current situation and just want my clinic to do well. Ask me again in 3 years and I may change my tune.

 

[SocialStigma]

I'm still a few months away from graduation so I have yet to experience what being a veterinarian is actually like, but at this point in time - yes I would do it all over again. I can't imagine myself doing anything else. But I'm also fortunate enough to have gotten into my in-province school so my student debt is pretty insignificant ($45k for undergrad and vet school) compared to a lot of Americans/students who went abroad.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I work in a location where I have enough clients that really want to take excellent care of their pets and value my opinion, and allow me to do a lot with their sick and healthy pets with their trust and finances, and those cases are very exciting and rewarding. Everything goes by the textbook, and everyone feels good at the end.

Then there are the clients that want to do the best for their pets and value my opinion, but just have limited finances. These cases are also generally rewarding as they make me feel like I'm making a difference for the pet and client. Sometimes I have to get extra creative, and these cases can be really time consuming for me to get around the financial barrier, but these are the cases that make me feel like the "hero" that chickenlittle mentioned.

But then, there's this whole slew of patients/clients that just suck the life out of me. In these cases, it's just so much easier to just let the owners hear what they want to hear even if it's not in the best interest of the patient. Because if I say what I need to say, the client shuts down and stops listening or gets adversarial (and they leave thinking they heard what they wanted to hear, except that they thought I was b******). They just come once a year for the shots and heartworm test, and they get stiff/shift eye contact/turn sideways and grumpily tune me out when I say anything about their pet's dental disease, arthritis, flea/tick prevention. I can clearly see them thinking, "blah blah blah shut up b****, I know you just want to sell me unnecessary crap, just get me the hell outa here." They want me to tell them that because they feed their pets blue buffalo, they are taking excellent care of their pets and no other preventatives are necessary, and that their pet will need nothing but vaccines until they die peacefully at home of old age.

The same clients come in with their sick pets and then get upset about how much it costs to do diagnostics and get mad that i don't have a crystal ball. They just want a shot to fix it. They get mad if any of the diagnostic tests come out negative because they absolutely only wanted to pay for "necessary" testing. And when minimal database of bloodwork and urine point to further diagnostics, they blow a gasket.

When your day is filled with a lot of those, it really sucks. And you start pondering if all of this was worth it. The debt, the time, everything.

So far it's been rewarding enough for me, and I'm learning every day encountering new things, but I've been out less than a year. I also have no other obligations in my life, and the debt isn't really interfering with what I want/need yet. I'm hoping I'll still be happy with what I'm doing 5, 10, 25 years from now. Time will tell...

 

[chickenlittle]

Then there are the clients that want to do the best for their pets and value my opinion, but just have limited finances. These cases are also generally rewarding as they make me feel like I'm making a difference for the pet and client. Sometimes I have to get extra creative, and these cases can be really time consuming for me to get around the financial barrier, but these are the cases that make me feel like the "hero" that chickenlittle mentioned

Agreed. These are by far my favorite cases. My current job is in a very high-income area, so very few of our clients are limited by finances - they're just limited by their perceptions. (This is why I get the most resistance to things like behavior modification, environmental modification, etc - they'll gladly pay any amount for a pill as long as there is minimal time/effort required on their part, because typically dad works long hours at a big-money job and mom is shuttling kids to private school and sports practices all day). I miss the "please help her as much as you can for $XXX" cases, because those are the cases where you actually get to think outside the box and do some problem solving. Those are the fun cases, where you actually get to make a difference The by-the-book cases are pleasant, but not especially fun or exciting. And the jerks are jerks.

 

[twelvetigers]

Probably not.

But ask me in a year, after I have been in practice (and have started paying loans).

 

[lailanni]

At the risk of sounding silly, I guess I expected to feel more like a 'hero'.... like I was making this huge sacrifice to be a vet, but I was doing it for the good of the animals and the clients would recognize that and appreciate that. Instead, I spend much of my time hearing how I'm money-grubbing, making up things like heartworm disease, lying when I tell people that quality commercial pet foods are better than raw foods, etc. I've worked in several different clinics and each has their own issue (at my current job, the clients are mostly on-board with heartworm prevention but LOOOOVE the local pet boutiques and ferociously defend their awful food recommendations), but overall I guess I just didn't expect to be so unappreciated at work. Then you go online and see articles about how much some people actually DESPISE veterinarians (or your friends let their own anti-vet beliefs slip out in conversation) and it just sucks.

This really resonated with me. It's by and large a thankless job and everyone wants something for free :/ Ugh.

 

[chickenlittle]

This really resonated with me. It's by and large a thankless job and everyone wants something for free :/ Ugh.

Yeah, I feel like most professions result in getting rewarded either in appreciation (social services, ministry, etc) or pay (doctors, dentists, finance types, etc). We don't really get much of either... Overall, I feel that I've received more monetary rewards than 'appreciation' rewards, for the most part, but that's a sad scenario when we all know the pay isn't that great.

Speaking of which, did anyone see the recent JAVMA article which stated that female veterinarians will actually, over the course of their career, earn an average of $70K LESS than someone with a bachelor's degree, once you factor in the tuition and opportunity costs of vet school?! Sobering. (For males, the DVM actually paid off by a little bit... I think $30-40k, presumably because they're more likely to become owners.)

I'll bet that the average bachelor's-degree holder works fewer hours than us and is the target of a lot less hatred, so why do we have to take the financial hit? Of course we don't have to.... we choose to do so. But I wouldn't choose it again and while I want my daughter to pursue her dreams, vet med is the one field that I will try VERY hard to steer her away from if she ever expresses an interest.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Yeah, I feel like most professions result in getting rewarded either in appreciation (social services, ministry, etc) or pay (doctors, dentists, finance types, etc). We don't really get much of either... Overall, I feel that I've received more monetary rewards than 'appreciation' rewards, for the most part, but that's a sad scenario when we all know the pay isn't that great.

Speaking of which, did anyone see the recent JAVMA article which stated that female veterinarians will actually, over the course of their career, earn an average of $70K LESS than someone with a bachelor's degree, once you factor in the tuition and opportunity costs of vet school?! Sobering. (For males, the DVM actually paid off by a little bit... I think $30-40k, presumably because they're more likely to become owners.) I'll bet that the average bachelor's-degree holder works fewer hours than us and is the target of a lot less hatred, so why do we have to take the financial hit?

Yeah... I haven't read it but heard about it. Something about how economists think we would be financially better of if instead of going to vet school, we took the money we would have spent on vet school and invested it in the stock market after undergrad. Gee thanks.

 

[bunnity]

Probably not.
Ask me when I've been in practice for a few more years though, I'm hoping the answer will change.

 

[NStarz]

This thread is depressing

 

[rfsdvm]

been practicing just over 30 years; 84 Ohio State Grad. Worked and volunteered loads with a mixed animal dvm and went in with the 'i'm gonna be the next James Herriot' mentality. I felt the education was fantastic and had a wonderful class to share it with. See-sawed between equine and small/mixed practice options...starting in a small/equine practice and eventually buying an all small animal where I've been for the last 25 years. I am happy with my life, both financially and work-life, but if I had all the experiential knowledge of my current self back in 1980 when I was applying, I might have investigated other options with more fervor. BUT, I've talked with many Dentist, Physicians, Optometrists: who all share the same view that their profession has it the worst...so I think it is largely mindset and expectations that determine how successful you feel at the end of the day. There is certain more competitive concerns in todays market than 30 years ago, but what field doesn't have that. If you've done some shadowing/working (and ASK the tough questions: 'what do you like least about your job', etc....I'm always amazed at the pre-vet students I employ who never ask for any non-technical info), and you like the work, then pursue it. DO NOT get into debt that your salary can't afford...financial woes will make any job situation miserable. Best of Luck

 

[racccjlm]

Nope, wouldn't do it over again. The internship year completely shattered my interest in anything general practice/emergency. If I can get into specialty, I think it will be fine, but if not --- probably will be looking for something outside of the vet med world. To quote one of my intern-mates about finishing a general rotating internship (prior to their current specialty internship): "I didn't want to see, hear, be spoken to, or speak to, anyone about their pets. Ever. Again."

One of the biggest things that I failed to realize was how much of a generalist career veterinary medicine is. Even if you're a boarded surgeon/internist, you're still a generalist compared to the very specialized areas that human medicine delves in to. Some people love being generalists - I'm not one of them.

My best advice: SHADOW - at multiple clinics/practice types - and make sure you know what the reality of veterinary medicine is before you enter it. What rfsdvm said hits home - it's "largely the mindset and expectations that determine how successful you feel at the end of the day." I had very little veterinary experience prior to applying/being admitted - naive and foolish of me. If you take the time to explore the field, and decide that it really IS something you'd be happy doing, then I wish you the best!

Also - IN-STATE TUITION - make all attempts you can to stay in-state, or obtain in-state tuition.

 

[cowgirla]

I would do it over again.

I hated being a student but enjoy practice.

I'd make some different financial decisions (move to be in-state,etc) but even with all the debt, I love what I do, and I love my job. I feel like I graduated ready to practice, and the day to day variety is a ton of fun for me. The debt blows amd I hate having that hanging over my head. Even being single, with above average debt, (salary low end of average, excellent benefits) I'm able to cover all my expenses with minimal financial strain and still save a small amount each month.

Maybe that will change in the future, maybe it will even change next year. But I hope not.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Nope, wouldn't do it over again. The internship year completely shattered my interest in anything general practice/emergency. If I can get into specialty, I think it will be fine, but if not --- probably will be looking for something outside of the vet med world.

 

[NStarz]

Just curious--for those who are sincerely unhappy with the profession--is it because of the debt? Or the job itself? Do you think you had a good idea of what vet med was like before you started school?

 

[nyanko]

I will say that nothing that happened before school (or really stuff that happens DURING for the most part) will prepare you for the reality of having all of the responsibility for your own cases. I could easily see becoming overwhelmed with that responsibility and thus not enjoying being a veterinarian no matter how much you worked as a tech or shadowed or whatever. The first month of my internship I was fairly overwhelmed, but now for the most part I feel like I can handle most of what walks in the door on ER.

Of course, I am also not a very good generalist. I do plan on specializing and luckily it's not just to specialize - I actually have a passion for a particular specialty.

For what it's worth, I'd do it again. I don't love my internship by any stretch of the imagination but there are enough moments that remind me why I'm doing what I'm doing that it still feels worth it. And I'm not what anyone would call an optimist.

 

[DVMDream]

Of course, I am also not a very good generalist. I do plan on specializing and luckily it's not just to specialize - I actually have a passion for a particular specialty.

What specialty? I thought you mentioned neuro around here once before, still going for that?

 

[CalliopeDVM]

Just curious--for those who are sincerely unhappy with the profession--is it because of the debt? Or the job itself? Do you think you had a good idea of what vet med was like before you started school?

I know I didn't have a good idea of what veterinary medicine was like before I started school.......or even when I finished school. I knew about most of the practical things, but not most of the emotional things. So my advice is that shadowing a vet is good, but try to find a vet you can talk with - even if "talking" is just emails - and ask questions about how it feels to be a vet, and to deal with some of the difficult situations in clinical practice. It doesn't have to be the same vet you're shadowing; it doesn't even have to be a local vet. Sometimes we are literally holding an animals life in our hands. Sometimes we're accused of being thieves. Facing financial limits in planning care. Making a fatal mistake. Seeing the same patient from birth to death. Having clients break down in tears in the exam room because of something tragic in their lives that doesn't involve veterinary medicine at all.

Particularly if you're working with pets, there's a lot of emotional wear and tear (good and bad) that's a part of this profession.

 

[nyanko]

What specialty? I thought you mentioned neuro around here once before, still going for that?

Yeah, going into a neuro focused internship in July.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I'm really beginning to wonder (even think sometimes) no. Admittedly I took a specialty path, but I feel almost indescribably broken, exhausted, and underappreciated at this point. Then again, some of that may be due to the current work environment I am in. Maybe when/if I finally get an actual faculty job but....by then I worry I might not even be able to enjoy it any more.

 

[The Cat]

What a frightening thread.

For the people who are burnt out, I hope you guys find happiness. Very sad when unfortunate things/people sap the passion out of something you genuinely enjoyed.

 

[sumstorm]

I would not do it again. I'm two years out. I am a huge extrovert and love being around people. I can't spend enough time with clients that I want to because there is always so many more patients to see. I can't fire clients who are terribly abusive because I don't have that authority. I can't correct staff because I don't have that authority. I have a huge debt. I often interact face to face with a minimum of 85 people a day and I am suppose to provide exceptional customer service no matter how I am treated. Even dealing with other vets can be traumatizing; the emergency vet who doesn't want you to transfer a case because they are too scared, the client that intentionally lies to you about the visit to the specialist that didn't occur, the drug seeker that stalks you to your car. For every client that let's you do the basics of what you need to do for their pet, there's another client who won't and another client who accuses you of stealing money from their pockets and another who demands you help them for the good of the animal.

I'm not burnt out. I actually love the medicine. I go to the specialty hospital regularly and assist in surgeries and other cases to improve my skills. However, I work long inconvenient hours, most holidays, every other weekend, and am treated like a terrible human being to earn, after student loan payments, less than I earned the first year I graduated from undergrad as a zoo employee. Seriously. I take a bigger tax hit, pay for more junk like DEA and state and privilege licenses. Everyone seems to want a piece of me (including the calls from the vet school asking me to donate every other month.) My employer wants more and more hours with no compensation (come in on your day off to attend these meetings, stay late to see a case that could wait till tomorrow because we don't care about doctor's time and must accommodate every client), my staff want me to do their work and mine, my clients think they are entitled to follow me to my car or demand my cell phone number (not happening), rescue groups want my services for free, clients want me to pay for their pets. At the end of the day, I am so tired of enforcing boundaries that I have no energy left to enjoy life.

If I thought I could get a surgical residency, I would go that route. I really love working with the surgeons at the specialty center. They don't seem to deal with as much hassle, and I love surgery. But don't think that is a realistic option. My friends in human medicine feel they have it hard...but they will also say they are compensated at least financially. I was much happier in my other two careers. I am looking to get out of GP. I would love to learn about more options that will adequately pay for life and loans

For me, it isn't the emotional of the animal work. Euth's don't bother me. It is having a mentor commit suicide. It is about having a hard time wanting to help people who don't want to help themselves. It's about the unrealistic expectation that vets perform exceptional service for long hours without regard for themselves and gracefully accept all the criticism from every corner. It's working a 13 hours shift where you realize that you haven't finished your morning cup of coffee, had anything to eat or drink, and haven't even had a chance to urinate. It's having your boss tell you that 'doctor's need to pitch in and clean the bathrooms' when one can't even get enough time to use the bathrooms.

 

[DickVetPlease]

It's been forever since I've posted on here, but this thread really needs a tiny bit of optimism- I would! Like WTF, I'm heading in a very nontraditional route, which has been the key to finding a combination of all the things I'm passionate about- research, pathology, teaching. I don't have a family as of now, and certainly don't mind living cheaply. I'm making enough as a resident to at least make a little headway on loans (enough that I'm not horribly anxious for the real payments post-residency). Yes, I'm usually stressed about something, but in the end I can't see it any other way.

Also want to add--having incredibly supportive mentorship in my program has probably been the most integral part of my satisfaction. Never understimate the importance of the more experienced folks around you when you're choosing your route.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

It's been forever since I've posted on here, but this thread really needs a tiny bit of optimism- I would! Like WTF, I'm heading in a very nontraditional route, which has been the key to finding a combination of all the things I'm passionate about- research, pathology, teaching. I don't have a family as of now, and certainly don't mind living cheaply. I'm making enough as a resident to at least make a little headway on loans (enough that I'm not horribly anxious for the real payments post-residency). Yes, I'm usually stressed about something, but in the end I can't see it any other way.

Also want to add--having incredibly supportive mentorship in my program has probably been the most integral part of my satisfaction. Never understimate the importance of the more experienced folks around you when you're choosing your route.

Yes. Yes. a THOUSAND times yes.

I recently moved into a new lab and I am loads happier. I mean yes....I still wonder if this is the right path. I'm still bitter about a lot of things. But moving away from the toxic environment has helped a lot.

 

[Coquette22]

I can add a bit of optimism, but with a caveat - the ink is barely dry on my diploma, I haven't started paying on my loans yet, and I haven't had my first on call week yet. But I love what I do, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. That said, I have a good salary, with benefits, at a good clinic, and I have less debt than a lot of Americans so I should have it paid off in 8-10 years if I play my cards right, while still being able to sock a little away for retirement. I should be able to buy a house in about a year's time. But I also don't want to do anything silly like get married or make babies.

 

[LetItSnow]

At the risk of sounding silly, I guess I expected to feel more like a 'hero'....

I know I'm necroquoting slightly, but I only stop in this side of the vet forums every once in a while. I don't think it sounds silly at all - I think we all have some of that in us. Most people who would deny it are probably lying or fooling themselves.

One of the differences I notice in vets I watch (I'm too new to really have much of a self-informed opinion) is that some really let those 90% of cases get to them, and some focus more on the 10% positive cases and let the 90% roll of their backs. I don't know if that's a learned ability, an inherent personality trait, or what. We ALL have those PITA clients that we laugh or gripe about but deep down they really piss us off or upset us .... but it really seems to change some vets' outlook more than others.

On a tiny bit of a positive note, my first GDV was last Sunday. I just called the owner back. Big, gruff guy who exuded "won't pay more than $25 for my animal", who of course dropped a few thousand for the surgery with a less-than-great prognosis (old GSD). His dog is doing great - eating like a puppy, playing with the other dog, basically back to normal. He was in tears on the phone. So yeah, euth'ing one blocked cat after another gets kinda depressing, but there are still the 'hero' cases that you can feel good about.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I think it's also how your workplace (management, support staff, owner, other associates) treats you when you encounter those bad cases too.

I can say at least from my experience that when you have a crappy case where you have a PITA client that is pissed at you when you've done absolutely nothing wrong, it makes a world of a difference to have everyone else behind you. When you don't have 100% backing from those around you, it is absolutely miserable. That actually probably was worse for me than the client being pissed off or there being an adverse outcome with the patient.

I'm busy enough with clients who are appreciative of my work that those few cases don't bother me much. I'm at a practice where I can adopt the attitude of "well I don't want to see you or your pet if you're not happy with me, good riddance!" And there are plenty of other doctors I can pass them to so that I don't have to deal with them again. If I actually do something wrong that upsets clients, I can usually offer them something at my discretion so that I'm no longer feeling guilty and the client is happy. And if they're being a real PITA, I just stop communication with them and have management deal with them, and I stop worrying about it.

 

[irishkat]

Hello all! I am going through the application process currently, and I am going through a rough patch right now and would like to hear inputs from current veterinarians, new and old. I have always known how much vet school tuition is, but I recently was talking to a new veterinarian and was talking about the actual numbers with interest and all that fun stuff. So I just want to hear from veterinarians to see: if you could go back in time, would you choose to become a veterinarian again? And if not: why? Thank you!

Absolutely not!
I've been practicing for 15yrs. I've worked for employers who only want more, more, more. So many clients want something for nothing and will say to you face that vets are in it for the money. The clients who can't/won't do for their pets suck the soul right out of you. I understand if you have pets and fall on hard times but if you're already on hard times and get a pet you can't afford, it's not my fault! These are things they don't teach you or you will see in vet school. It's not worth it.

 

[chickenlittle]

I think it's also how your workplace (management, support staff, owner, other associates) treats you when you encounter those bad cases too.

I can say at least from my experience that when you have a crappy case where you have a PITA client that is pissed at you when you've done absolutely nothing wrong, it makes a world of a difference to have everyone else behind you. When you don't have 100% backing from those around you, it is absolutely miserable. That actually probably was worse for me than the client being pissed off or there being an adverse outcome with the patient.

I'm busy enough with clients who are appreciative of my work that those few cases don't bother me much. I'm at a practice where I can adopt the attitude of "well I don't want to see you or your pet if you're not happy with me, good riddance!" And there are plenty of other doctors I can pass them to so that I don't have to deal with them again. If I actually do something wrong that upsets clients, I can usually offer them something at my discretion so that I'm no longer feeling guilty and the client is happy. And if they're being a real PITA, I just stop communication with them and have management deal with them, and I stop worrying about it.

Probably true. Every clinic I've ever worked for had at least some degree of the "customer is always right" mentality and I've never been permitted to fire or refuse to see clients, but I can see how that would probably make jerk clients more tolerable. All of my jobs have required me to do whatever I could to keep the jerks happy, and that's a pretty demoralizing process.

 

[JHerriot14]

I'm working in Australia and I graduated with $45,000 interest-free debt.

Yes I would do it again. I love where I work (rural), I love the people (most of the farmers and the smallies clients are friendly), pay isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be (I do get paid more than average and on-call work brings in heaps of dough), I always get a 30 minute- 2 hour lunch break (woohoo for country practice!), I absolutely love animals.

As with any job there are negatives and bad days. Some clients can be real nasty (especially breeders, racing horse owners, etc), the hours can be ridiculous (especially in country practice), easy to get frustrated by the lack of finances to work up cases, often understaffed (country or city), some people have very little respect for you and treats you like a burger flipper at mcdonalds, sometimes you've just gotta get things done (e.g. floor needs a mop and the nurses are busy).

I'm born and bred in the big smoke so everyone laughed and said I'll hate rural practice. How wrong they were.

But if I had the amount of debt my US colleagues have, there's no way in hell I would have become a vet. You guys are insane for drowning yourself in so much debt (with interest) for such crap salaries!!

 

[bunnity]

Having left my miserable, awful private practice job with a boss who refused to mentor me or ever look me in the face, commuting an hour each way, knowing that I'd be fired immediately if word got out that I'm a gay liberal atheist, trying to manage emergency cases alone...
And having started a nonprofit job with an extremely supportive boss, a superb vet mentor, in a city that I love, doing what I love (working with shelter pets and low income families), and getting to be myself...
I would like to update my answer to a YES.
My first year out I was very close to becoming a vet suicide statistic.
My second year out, I am doing great and I love my job. There will always be mean clients, crazy animals, sad situations, and the ever present weight of responsibility, but work is always interesting, I am able to do a lot of good, I am turning into a decent surgeon, and some days I even play with puppies and kittens.
PSA: If you hate your job, leave. It's not worth staying in a job that's ruining your mental health. And if you need help, GET IT. Things can be so different even if it doesn't seem that way.

 

[Minnerbelle]

PSA: If you hate your job, leave. It's not worth staying in a job that's ruining your mental health. And if you need help, GET IT. Things can be so different even if it doesn't seem that way.

+1000

From another person who defected from first nightmare job 6 months out, the second you know you are miserable and things aren't going to change, get the eff out.

I hung on for a couple months extra because there were like 3 job postings in the entire state I was looking in... where one of them was the shatty job I was at. I ended up saying f*** it and walked out when it got to the point where I really wanted to crash my car on the way to work just so I didn't have to go. I didn't care that I had no job lined up. I really regretted becoming a vet during some of that time.

Once I got back on my feet and started actively job searching, I had multiple offers all with much higher salaries and a much better schedule, and I found my ideal workplace within 2 weeks.

If things continue to go as it's been going, I'm on track to making double what I was making with my previous job working only 2/3 the time. I'm fitting in very well with the staff and doctors at my new practice, and I love my job. I feel very much appreciated and respected. I've been at my new job almost as long as I was at my first job, and I can't believe how happy I am now compared to how crappy I felt. It really makes a huge difference.

 

[chickenlittle]

After a 2-hour team meeting in which the practice manager repeatedly emphasized the need for doctors to do more tech work, I would just like to again state an emphatic "no, I would not do this again." I wish that I could chalk this up to being a Banfield-only thing, but unfortunately the mentality was even worse at my last job. It's not that I don't want to be a team player.... it's just that you can't constantly push me to do more and more doctor work (produce more, do more of my own follow-up calls, etc) AND expect me to do the tech's job as well. Except that everyone does... because we're salaried and therefore will stay as late as needed to get the job done, while the techs are hourly and therefore need to be sent home right at closing. UGH.

/rant

 

[Minnerbelle]

After a 2-hour team meeting in which the practice manager repeatedly emphasized the need for doctors to do more tech work, I would just like to again state an emphatic "no, I would not do this again." I wish that I could chalk this up to being a Banfield-only thing, but unfortunately the mentality was even worse at my last job. It's not that I don't want to be a team player.... it's just that you can't constantly push me to do more and more doctor work (produce more, do more of my own follow-up calls, etc) AND expect me to do the tech's job as well. Except that everyone does... because we're salaried and therefore will stay as late as needed to get the job done, while the techs are hourly and therefore need to be sent home right at closing. UGH.

/rant

Ew

 

[CalliopeDVM]

Except that everyone does... because we're salaried and therefore will stay as late as needed to get the job done, while the techs are hourly and therefore need to be sent home right at closing. UGH.

/rant

They need to learn that salaried people should still have (usually) regular hours and still should be compensated for working overtime. They may be compensated differently (eg time off in lieu), but paying someone a salary is not a free pass to get unlimited overtime. Working an occasional 30 or 45 minutes extra should be related to occasionally taking a long lunch or an hour off to go to an appointment. Working many hours of overtime on a regular basis should be translated into an extra day off somewhere along the line when things are slower, etc. I strongly believe that vets should be paid on salary, but that doesn't mean vets should happily work ridiculously long hours to compensate for management's unwillingness to hire an appropriate number of people.

 

[chickenlittle]

They need to learn that salaried people should still have (usually) regular hours and still should be compensated for working overtime. They may be compensated differently (eg time off in lieu), but paying someone a salary is not a free pass to get unlimited overtime. Working an occasional 30 or 45 minutes extra should be related to occasionally taking a long lunch or an hour off to go to an appointment. Working many hours of overtime on a regular basis should be translated into an extra day off somewhere along the line when things are slower, etc. I strongly believe that vets should be paid on salary, but that doesn't mean vets should happily work ridiculously long hours to compensate for management's unwillingness to hire an appropriate number of people.

This was a huge issue at my last job. The owners (husband & wife, should have known better but they seemed deceptively non-dysfunctional!) called a meeting with me to discuss how we could be more efficient, increase our productivity, and see more appointments. I suggested that we may need to hire some additional techs (we typically had 3 working on a 2-DVM day) because I was often doing tasks, ie. counting pills, that could be delegated to a tech/assistant thus freeing me up to see more appointments. I'd guess I was filling a good 50% of my own prescriptions at that time.... and while I'm certainly not above doing that occasionally, it really isn't the most efficient use of doctor time if we're trying to find ways to see more patients in a day. Somehow, though, that was twisted around and thrown back at me and I was made out to be a slacker, then told that I wasn't being enough of a 'team player.' Ridiculousness. So now I'm back at Banfield, which isn't any better but at least affords more job security. (The husband/wife team somehow got it in their head that I was pregnant and therefore tried to run me off. Once I realized what was going on and told them that I wasn't pregnant, they laughed it all off as a big misunderstanding.... but I wasn't dumb enough to stick around after that.)

 

[Beetlejay]

A big NO! I am a large animal vet so have a different perspective. I love the medicine part, I really do. I love routine, emergencies and challenging cases! I love the people I work with, other associate veterinarians, office staff and technicians. It's the emotional toll, the competition from other veterinarians, the cheapening of veterinary medicine ($90 spays signs at every corner), being abused by clients for their "high bills" (even though the bills are much less than what they should be!), unable to treat a lot of cases due to finances of the owner, and the on-call. Even when I am not on call, I still get phone calls and messages that make it impossible to leave work at home. Before anyone says "why do they have your phone number", it's something I know I need to work on, however if you won't give it out to certain large farm owners/managers, they often will go to a veterinarian who will, and there are 100's who will, and in an already shrinking market for large animal vets, I can't afford to lose clients. My marriage is suffering due to the amount of on call and I will not be able to have children as neither my husband or I would be able to afford to take time off of work. I'm lucky in that I am paid an above average salary, and although I am on call quite a bit, I am given days off in lieu to make up for it. I am also lucky in that I graduated with minimal debt that is already paid off. So for me, it isn't the money that makes me regret my career choice, it's the career itself.

I had a very good knowledge of vet med prior to vet school. I shadowed large animal and small animal vets for years, worked in academia, worked in animal hospitals and spoke with countless vets about the profession and if it was worth pursuing. I like most people thought my passion for the animals and medicine would make it a fulfilling career. For the record, I have been out of school for awhile now and did an internship at a university after graduating. This is a lot of whining, without any solutions, and for that I apologize, but I feel strongly about making sure every pre vet knows the reality of vet med.

 

[HopefulAg]

I don't think so. Not because I dislike being a veterinarian, but because I really, really hated vet school. I do tend to look back on it with a certain fondness, as I guess we do most past experiences. Perhaps kind of a Stockholm Syndrome thing, but deep down I know that I really hated vet school. The complete shift in life style, the constant studying and so forth. Gross.

But I do enjoy being a vet, and I like the job I'm at currently (and will hopefully be at for the foreseeable future). I nod along to all the complaints the others have listed so far, especially things like the 'UTI' cats who clearly are not or the '**** you my dogs teeth are perfect' people, but I tell them what they need to know regardless and hold the line on antibiotics where appropriate. My boss supports me in that, though I know that he has differing opinions about how he'd personally handle the case. He does let me practice in my own style though as long as I don't grossly **** anything up (so far so good?).

So in short: no way in hell would I do vet school again knowing what I know now, but I do enjoy the outcome of having done it.