American Vet feelings of having a BVM/BVMS over DVM

[FutureVet1995!]

Hello,

So I am having mixed feelings about graduating from a vet school that's degree would not make my official title Doctor aka DVM/VMD. I'm an American who's applied to both US and UK/Irish vet schools. I plan to work in the states once I'm licensed. And I just can't help but overthink about how I wouldn't have the official title as Doctor (if I went to a UK/Irish school), like the majority of my future coworkers would. Any personal experiences or thoughts?

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[CalliopeDVM]

My personal thought is that you shouldn't hang your professional sense of value on a legal title instead of your position, skills, and talents. I have the legal title "doctor" (aka DVM), and I only use it interacting with people with whom I have a doctor relationship (i.e. clients)......otherwise, it's really unimportant to me. I didn't go to school for the right to be called "doctor", I went to school in order to learn to be a vet. And don't think other vets will care about whether you earned a BVSc or a DVM, because we don't. In many cases, I have no idea whether the vets around me at a lecture or even at work have a BVSc or a DVM.......we're all veterinarians.

(Actually, there is one other circumstance where I use it: When I am forced by some internet form to use a salutation, and I will choose "Dr." over either "Miss", "Mrs", or "Ms"......only because my gender, let alone my marital status, is unimportant to the task of ordering [whatever] on line.)

 

[KCgophervet]

My coworker has her BVetMed from RVC and is still called Dr. She's a vet, she has all the same qualifications as the other vets here and is treated as such. Also I think the UK has stated somewhere officially that their vets are doctors (this is me remembering something my coworker/residentmate has said in the past). So... IMO it's a complete non-issue. The only problem you'll have is if people write out "DVM" after your name you just have to change it to the correct degree.

 

[SocialStigma]

I have never stopped to consider which of my colleagues have a DVM vs. BVSc, nor would I care. They are still doctors and refer to themselves as Dr. X when speaking with clients. Also, clients have no idea what the distinction is between DVM and undergrad veterinary degrees is either.

 

[DVMDream]

I know many people that went to school in the UK for vet school as I did my first two years of vet school in the UK, they are still addressed as "Dr" over here after graduation. The degree is equivalent to a US doctorate. No one cares if you have a BVSc vs a DVM or whatever, as long as you have the qualifications to be a vet.

 

[battie]

We have multiple clinicians that earned their degree outside the US. We still address them all as doctor because they are still doctors. Different degree with the same end result.

 

[FutureVet1995!]

Thanks guys!

I am very well aware how superficial this is to be hung up on haha. I appreciate the feedback and validation.

I would be the first in my family to have the title Doctor, so I guess I just felt a bit of pressure to have it be undeniable.

Hearing from the community makes me feel much better, thanks!

 

[mmmdreamerz]

For what it's worth, my mentor's degree is BVetMed and she's one of the most impressive vets I've ever met. I honestly don't think people think twice about it.

 

[that redhead]

I don’t care as long as you had the same education I did and do the same things I do (all generally speaking of course). But I agree- no need to get hung up on the semantics. People will call you “Dr Whoever” and some people will say vets aren’t real doctors regardless of your degree. If you have the sort of family to challenge that, you’ve got other problems...