20 Questions Series

Started by Lee
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Lee

Welcome to SDN
Staff member
Administrator
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
We're starting a 20 questions series for veterinary medicine. We will interview DVMs in each field of vet med.

What questions would you like us to ask of practicing vets?
 
I'd like to ask a wildlife/zoo vet what kind of opportunities there are after vet school and if he can work full time in his specialty or if he has to divide it out with a small animal clinic.
 
What kind of job do they have (private practice, public sector, industry, academic...) and what percentage of their take-home salary goes to loan repayment? (e.g. loan payment amount divided by (salary minus taxes).)
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
For research vets, why did you choose to get a dvm instead of a phd, or why did you choose to get both?
 
What is a 'typical' week (hours, number of cases seen, what they actually spend their time doing)? What sacrifices they've have to make because of their career? What they wish they would have known before getting into the profession?
 
I would want to ask women vets how they decided when to have kids (how they allowed for it with maternity leave, etc.), and how they balance their family lives and work now. This is one thing I think about all the time because my SO and I really want to have kids some day but I don't foresee any time in the near future I'll be able to do it. I can't have kids while I'm in school, I want to do an internship/residency after, and I can't take time off for it when I'm just getting started following that... I guess that puts me well into my 30s and my SO into his 40s. AAHHHHH I hate thinking about it :scared:
 
where do you see the field of veterinary medicine in 20 years?
 
I would want to ask women vets how they decided when to have kids (how they allowed for it with maternity leave, etc.), and how they balance their family lives and work now. This is one thing I think about all the time because my SO and I really want to have kids some day but I don't foresee any time in the near future I'll be able to do it. I can't have kids while I'm in school, I want to do an internship/residency after, and I can't take time off for it when I'm just getting started following that... I guess that puts me well into my 30s and my SO into his 40s. AAHHHHH I hate thinking about it :scared:

I would second this question. I would have written it myself, but I couldn't figure out how to phrase it.
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
I would want to ask women vets how they decided when to have kids (how they allowed for it with maternity leave, etc.), and how they balance their family lives and work now. This is one thing I think about all the time because my SO and I really want to have kids some day but I don't foresee any time in the near future I'll be able to do it. I can't have kids while I'm in school, I want to do an internship/residency after, and I can't take time off for it when I'm just getting started following that... I guess that puts me well into my 30s and my SO into his 40s. AAHHHHH I hate thinking about it :scared:

I second this question 🙂
 
Since I already missed the 'seconding'...

Did they have a job in vet school? If so, what type? Did they work as assistants or employees at the vet school, in research etc?
 
Are their specific career goals before getting into vet schools the same as those after graduating from vet schools? for example, right before you got into vet school or when you were a first year, you thought you want to do a residency in this field in the future, but by the time you graduated, your mind changed and decided to go into another specific field.
 
Since I already missed the 'seconding'...

Did they have a job in vet school? If so, what type? Did they work as assistants or employees at the vet school, in research etc?

Seconded! And not only what did they do, but what do they recommend doing, or wish they'd done for work during school?
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Have their opinions on ethical issues from before/during vet school changed since working professionally as veterinarians?

What, if any major changes do they predict or hope for in veterinary medicine (any fields)?
 
What was that first year out of vet school like? Did you feel the school you graduated from prepared you for real life vet med? Do you wish you payed more attention to something, if so what?