At a crossroads. Should I pursue vet med?

[Wildlifelover]

Hello everyone,

I am writing this post in hopes that I will receive very raw, honest responses from experienced veterinarians. I am at a crossroads. I have my bachelors of science degree in an unrelated field but I am filling in the gaps and taking the required courses for vet school right now. I am still considering other options besides vet school, but I would like to gain a better insight into the field. After all, it is one thing to imagine what it must be like taking out a tremendous amount of student loans and another to have actually done so, and to work and pay a large chunk back every month.

I worked as a veterinary assistant for awhile, and I have also volunteered at other clinics. I can say with confidence that general practice would not be my cup of tea. I shadowed a veterinarian who did canine rehabilitation/sports medicine and I loved every second of it. If I did choose to pursue vet medicine I would really want to work in that type of setting. I would also be interested in working in conservation, taking care of animals in sanctuaries before releasing them back to their natural habitat.

My issue is this... I am fighting a battle between heart and logic. My heart says pursue vet med and work my ass off to break into one of those settings. My logic brain says that (from what I have been told thus far) vet med is struggling as a career. Competition is fierce in those settings and jobs are becoming more difficult to land even in the general practice setting. The cost of school is outrageous, and I would be paying probably close to 200,000 back in loans. I would have to take out extra for living expenses.

From your experience, do you think it would be wise to pursue this career knowing that general practice would not be something I could see myself doing? I know I would be happy in the other settings, it is just a matter of how difficult it would be breaking into those settings in today's job market. I would love some advice on the matter.

Thanks for reading!

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[CalliopeDVM]

From your experience, do you think it would be wise to pursue this career knowing that general practice would not be something I could see myself doing? I know I would be happy in the other settings, it is just a matter of how difficult it would be breaking into those settings in today's job market. I would love some advice on the matter.

No, not in my opinion

If you're concerned at close to $200,000 in loans, remember it will be more if you're specializing or pursuing extra credentials on top of being a general practitioner. And the types of jobs you are looking for are sparse, but hopefully canine rehab jobs will become more common. I personally don't see a veterinary degree as being worth that type of financial debt load, that will affect your life for the next 30 years. Sad, but true; I wish it weren't so.

 

[Wildlifelover]

Thank you for your response. Do you think it would be easier to break into wildlife conservation with a graduate degree in the biological sciences rather than DVM? It would certainly be the more affordable route, but my fear is not being able to break into the field regardless of the degree I pursue.

Canine rehab seems like it will grow in the future. I have talked to a physical therapist who works in canine rehab as well. She presented to me a very good point though. The programs that allow you to certify in canine rehab allow DVM, DPT, but also RVT and PTA. I would think that if you took the DPT route to get into canine rehab instead, it may be hard to land a job because there may be a person with a two year degree with the certification. I would think most places would hire the person with less education so they could pay them less/save their money.

I really wish the debt to income ratio of this profession was not so outrageous.

 

[Sonjaw123]

I'm in a similar position as you, I'd love to get into working with wildlife and conservation. Unfortunately, from the research I've done, it seems like those positions are usually volunteer positions for vets, unless it's for a zoo or something bigger like that.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

Thank you for your response. Do you think it would be easier to break into wildlife conservation with a graduate degree in the biological sciences rather than DVM? It would certainly be the more affordable route, but my fear is not being able to break into the field regardless of the degree I pursue.

I honestly have no idea, but I agree that it is a small field and probably difficult to get into -- so the idea of spending almost $300,000 to try just doesn't make any sense to me. I suspect that a DVM is not necessary to do rehab work, but that's just a guess and I don't want to lead you down the wrong path. It would be better for you to contact some people in rehab and ask them about their educational background and that of the people they work with.