Advice needed!

[hopefuldogtor123]

Hi guys! I could really use some advice because while my friends and SO are great sounding boards, I also want to hear what the pre-vet community has to say since we're going through similar application processes. So let me start by saying that as of right now, I would love to become a zoological vet (I know that there are only so many positions open) or else participate in veterinary research. My goal to become a zoological vet comes from working in a museum with lots of animals. I cared for them and also helped assist with veterinary treatment. With regards to the research, I have done research in the veterinary field and really enjoyed it (but this is irrelevant). Sorry, bear with me, this is gonna be long.

If I'm going to be honest, my job with the museum was the best job I have had so far. I really enjoyed getting to build a bond with the animals and being able to care for them both medically and physically. I wouldn't have left if it wasn't a work-study job (which if you're not familiar with what a work-study job is, it means you have to leave after you've graduated from your undergrad). I have also worked in full-service clinics before and disliked it quite a bit. However, both clinics I have worked at unfortunately had toxic environments, so toxic to the degree that all of my co-workers even complained. During this time, I also took a second job at a mobile vaccination clinic, which has been a second source of income. However, during this time, the environment of the vaccination clinic became more toxic, and so I just decided to apply to some jobs. I told myself that I wouldn't work at another full-service for just cats and dogs, especially since I would like to become a zoological (or at least an exotic) veterinarian, so I applied to just 2 full-service clinics, both of which works with cats, dogs, and exotic pets. I didn't hear back from the other one until way later, but the one I did hear from, I ended up taking the job offer. I guess now I question why I did, knowing how much I was against working at a full-service clinic, but now that I think on it some more, the reason why I took the offer was because the manager had made it seem like they saw exotic pets, not daily necessarily, but just as a once a week type of deal, and so I thought that this would be a great opportunity to see exotics. As it turns out, one of my coworkers let me know that they really don't see any exotic animals, and it's just all cats and dogs. And the people at the clinic are really nice and I will admit that I have learned a lot, but I absolutely just hate how big customer aspect (about 80-90% of what I do at the full-service I would say) of a full-service clinic is. The vaccination clinic and working at the museum educating guests/students? That is all fine because I get to interact with the client/guests and don't have to worry about dealing with follow-up emails, calls, callbacks, etc. from what seems to be a never-ending stream of customers. It's gotten to the point where I just don't have any motivation to go and it's beginning to slightly trigger my mental illness (all due to an abusive family) which I have worked so hard through to get to the amazing mental condition that I'm at now.

Essentially, I'm wondering if I should just quit or step down to a substitute position. I know that I could always learn more and I've tried justifying taking this job offer to myself a million times only to find, as I was explaining to my friends, that I've been lying to myself. In addition to this, it's gotten hard to juggle this job with my master's program. I do a majority of my work in the morning/day, which was fine when I worked full-time only at the vaccine clinic since I started from 1 PM, but not quite so fine anymore, since with this job, I am out from 6:30 AM - 7:30 PM. I am currently looking for zoo-related jobs with better hours (or part-time), but in the meantime, if I did step down at this full-service, then I could pick up more hours at the vaccination clinic I work at. Money isn't a concern as I am able to budget and can still make enough to pay the bills. I've only worked at this full-service for about 2 months, and I know usually people say to stick to something for longer, but I also already know how much I don't want to work in a full-service clinic and I now have the understanding (from my co-workers) that this clinic doesn't see any exotic pets. What should I do? Step down and work as a sub and in the meantime work more hours at the vaccination clinic until I find a zoo-related job or just force myself to go through with the full-service? I'll also add that even though the toxicity has gotten worse at the vaccination clinic I'm at, I've found that it's quite easy to avoid the toxic people by just ignoring them and focusing on your job and your friends since these toxic people don't like to work with anyone else outside of their clique anyways. Also huge kudos to you if you've read this entire thing!!!!

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[genny]

I really enjoyed getting to build a bond with the animals and being able to care for them both medically and physically

This sounds more like a zookeeper role than a veterinarian role. Are you sure veterinarian is the way you want to go? I’d recommend trying to get some shadowing hours in with a zoo vet. Or you could try volunteering as a keeper’s helper.

Being an exotic vet is very similar to being a small animal vet, just different species. You still have all the call backs, medical records, problems clients that small animal vets do, plus you also get to have very similar conversations about husbandry issues on a regular basis. So changing the species doesn’t change the job that much if you’re headed for general practice.

As for your current jobs, life’s too short to do something you hate. Give notice at the toxic place that’s causing you stress if you don’t need the income.

 

[supershorty]

I absolutely just hate how big customer aspect (about 80-90% of what I do at the full-service I would say) of a full-service clinic is.

This is going to be the case whether you're seeing small animals, large animals, or exotics. Client communications are an enormous part of practicing veterinary medicine no matter what area you're in. If anything, you might have even MORE communications about husbandry with exotics owners than you would in a general small animal practice, because the husbandry needs of exotics are usually more demanding.

With regards to the research, I have done research in the veterinary field and really enjoyed it (but this is irrelevant).

Why do you think this is irrelevant? There are lots of opportunities to be involved in research that benefits vet med, even if you don't ultimately pursue a DVM. Tell us more about what you did.

Agreed with genny that I think shadowing a zoo vet and volunteering as an assistant or something similar at a zoo might be a clarifying experience for you.

 

[puppydogtor]

Sorry to hear about your toxic work environment experiences, but that's pretty common. Doesn't mean good clinics don't exist, you just have to find them.

Like others are saying, I'd definitely try shadowing an exotics/wildlife/zoo vet. The client communication and follow-ups are never going to end, but seeing cases through is part of the fun. You will build bonds with both animals and people. Shadowing a vet in the field you think you want to work in will help you determine if you'd be content being a technician or if you want to become a vet. If you could be happy and content with working someplace without a DVM, that might be the way to go. In all of the places I've worked, the vets are the ones who handle animals the least and deal with difficult clients the most. Techs are almost always tending to patients, whereas vets are sometimes at their desk working on a case, looking at x-rays, performing surgery (and the tech takes over as soon as it's done), etc.. When clients get too rude/angry, a lot of the time it's the veterinarian who steps in as well to deal with it.

I too love building bonds with animals and it's why I got into veterinary medicine in the first place. My personal pets/fosters/volunteer work fulfills that nurturing need, it's working closely with veterinarians & going to school that fulfills my curiosity & desire to learn. You can help animals and build bonds with them without going to vet school

 

[potentialsheltervet]

I had a semi-similar experience, although in my case the reason I hated the job I was at for two months was due to the toxicity. But it sounds like you're managing to avoid it at the vaccine clinic.
If you enjoy the vaccine clinic more, do that. You can mark down the hours you got at the full-service clinic on the VMCAS (or TMDSAS, wherever you're applying) but otherwise don't worry about it.
Echoing genny and shorty on investigating whether vet med is really the path you want to go down. You might enjoy zookeeping or animal training more, and that's perfectly okay. If that helps you focus on the areas you really love, great.
I'm a little unclear based on the writeup what your exact future goals are. Do you want to become an exotics vet, or specifically be a vet at a zoo?
So much of being a vet is client education, doubly so when you're describing things that aren't intuitive to most people. If you really loathe the client communication aspect, then things like fourth year, internships, etc. will be miserable.
I have social anxiety, so client communication was a big hurdle for me, but honestly now it's fine because I've accepted it as an integral part of doing what I love. But if client interaction overshadows the rest of the career for you then you're likely going to have a really rough time.

 

[JaynaAli]

I agree with the others that you need to decide what your career goals are. Many vet students enter vet school interested in exotics medicine and only a very, very small percentage of them end up being able to do so in the end. I’m not saying you couldn’t theoretically be capable, but the fact is that residency spots and jobs in that field are very limited and competitive. Would you be happy working at a “regular” clinic if you finish vet school and don’t get an exotics residency or a job at a zoo? If not, I would caution you against pursuing vet school and maybe looking at other careers in the zoo field. It sounds like you need to shadow a zoo vet to make sure that’s what you want to do because reality of being a vet is often quite different than the idea we have in our mind before entering the field. It’s like 85% customer interaction and thinking with only a small proportion of hands on animal work.

 

[battie]

Agree with Jayna. You need to be okay working in small animal GP and/or ER as that's the most likely place for the average vet student to end up.