Can I Process my Pro/Con List With You?

[Pawll]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forums. I'm considering veterinary medicine and wanted to run some pros/cons by some people who are interested in or already in the field.

A little background: I have an undergraduate degree in philosophy (believe me, I'm rolling my eyes at myself for that choice). In high school and college I did very well in the math and science courses I took, with a 4.0 college GPA in those fields and an overall 3.68 GPA. I currently work in animal care at a large animal shelter and work closely with vets and techs, and I envy what they get to do, particularly the vets. I've watched spay/neuter surgeries, have administered medications, taken observational notes for our vet, and also do vaccinations, and I love all of it, but I know I'll hit a wall eventually and want to learn more.

I love watching the vets most of all, because they get to diagnose, research and problem-solve, which fascinates me.

The cons in getting my DVM are: money and stress. I currently have debt from my expensive and not particularly lucrative philosophy degree, and will have to go back to get my pre-reqs, and then on to med school. I know that people in previous forums have said that if you love it, the money doesn't matter, but I would be interested in details in how you plan to manage the debt, what plans you took to reduce debt, etc, etc. I want to go into this with my eyes open. I won't be having children, so that takes some of the burden off the financial question, but I still don't want to be struggling under a mountain of debt. It has honestly made me consider going the tech route. I do like the nursing aspect of what techs do and get to do a little bit of it myself. With NAVTA specializations and continuing education, I could see myself growing in that career as long as I demonstrate initiative and create my own opportunities.

Secondly, I struggle with anxiety. Where I currently work I often do ten hour days, have watched animals die, and have calmly handled emergency situations. In the workplace, I seem to have a thicker skin and cooler head; my anxiety seems to peak more with personal problems than work problems. I also don't have time to ruminate much; I have to think quickly, which doesn't leave much energy for worry. That being said, a veterinarian deals with a larger amount of pressure and stress than an animal care worker, and they have lots of tough calls to make, and that has the potential to impact my anxiety more than what I currently do. Particularly situations such as losing a patient. Do any of you struggle with worry and anxiety or have any tips for someone who does? I know that this question is highly subjective, and ultimately I'll have to answer for myself whether I believe I can handle it, but I would appreciate anecdotal insight as it could help me answer this question.

Thank you for your time and for reading this long-winded thread.

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[Pawll]

This thread seems to have posted twice; sorry about that! Can a moderator delete one of them? Thank you.

 

[bunnity]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forums. I'm considering veterinary medicine and wanted to run some pros/cons by some people who are interested in or already in the field.

A little background: I have an undergraduate degree in philosophy (believe me, I'm rolling my eyes at myself for that choice). In high school and college I did very well in the math and science courses I took, with a 4.0 college GPA in those fields and an overall 3.68 GPA. I currently work in animal care at a large animal shelter and work closely with vets and techs, and I envy what they get to do, particularly the vets. I've watched spay/neuter surgeries, have administered medications, taken observational notes for our vet, and also do vaccinations, and I love all of it, but I know I'll hit a wall eventually and want to learn more.

I love watching the vets most of all, because they get to diagnose, research and problem-solve, which fascinates me.

The cons in getting my DVM are: money and stress. I currently have debt from my expensive and not particularly lucrative philosophy degree, and will have to go back to get my pre-reqs, and then on to med school. I know that people in previous forums have said that if you love it, the money doesn't matter, but I would be interested in details in how you plan to manage the debt, what plans you took to reduce debt, etc, etc. I want to go into this with my eyes open. I won't be having children, so that takes some of the burden off the financial question, but I still don't want to be struggling under a mountain of debt. It has honestly made me consider going the tech route. I do like the nursing aspect of what techs do and get to do a little bit of it myself. With NAVTA specializations and continuing education, I could see myself growing in that career as long as I demonstrate initiative and create my own opportunities.

Secondly, I struggle with anxiety. Where I currently work I often do ten hour days, have watched animals die, and have calmly handled emergency situations. In the workplace, I seem to have a thicker skin and cooler head; my anxiety seems to peak more with personal problems than work problems. I also don't have time to ruminate much; I have to think quickly, which doesn't leave much energy for worry. That being said, a veterinarian deals with a larger amount of pressure and stress than an animal care worker, and they have lots of tough calls to make, and that has the potential to impact my anxiety more than what I currently do. Particularly situations such as losing a patient. Do any of you struggle with worry and anxiety or have any tips for someone who does? I know that this question is highly subjective, and ultimately I'll have to answer for myself whether I believe I can handle it, but I would appreciate anecdotal insight as it could help me answer this question.

Thank you for your time and for reading this long-winded thread.

I was in a similar situation to you re: choosing between a really awesome but dead-end job in a shelter versus going to vet school. I ultimately (and reluctantly!) chose vet school because I felt like I could make the biggest difference as a vet. I am very focused on shelter med and I felt like I needed the knowledge and expertise that comes with a degree in order to do the most good and have enough sway to get things done. YMMV of course

The money thing is really hard. I think the best thing you could do is sit down with a financial advisor and look at your options. There are a lot of good loan repayment options out there but it's going to depend a lot on when you took the loans out, if they are federal or private, and so on. My class had a great loan guy come out and individually go through our loans with us; if you're near SE PA I'll find his name and pass it on, if you want. I think you should also look into other, similar jobs (human med, for example) and see if that would float your boat as well as leave you in a better financial situation. Also consider which vet schools you might be willing to attend (and if you have an instate school or would be able to establish residency somewhere) because there is a huge difference in cost between schools.

The anxiety: all I can say is it's you and everybody else. Anxiety is huge in vet school and in the profession. I think the more time you spend at your job and talking with vets the more you will know if it's right for you and something you can handle. Vet school alone is really not great for your mental health, so practicing coping skills now (whether that be getting a counselor or exercise or support system) will really benefit you during school and beyond.

 

[Pawll]

I was in a similar situation to you re: choosing between a really awesome but dead-end job in a shelter versus going to vet school. I ultimately (and reluctantly!) chose vet school because I felt like I could make the biggest difference as a vet. I am very focused on shelter med and I felt like I needed the knowledge and expertise that comes with a degree in order to do the most good and have enough sway to get things done. YMMV of course

The money thing is really hard. I think the best thing you could do is sit down with a financial advisor and look at your options. There are a lot of good loan repayment options out there but it's going to depend a lot on when you took the loans out, if they are federal or private, and so on. My class had a great loan guy come out and individually go through our loans with us; if you're near SE PA I'll find his name and pass it on, if you want. I think you should also look into other, similar jobs (human med, for example) and see if that would float your boat as well as leave you in a better financial situation. Also consider which vet schools you might be willing to attend (and if you have an instate school or would be able to establish residency somewhere) because there is a huge difference in cost between schools.

The anxiety: all I can say is it's you and everybody else. Anxiety is huge in vet school and in the profession. I think the more time you spend at your job and talking with vets the more you will know if it's right for you and something you can handle. Vet school alone is really not great for your mental health, so practicing coping skills now (whether that be getting a counselor or exercise or support system) will really benefit you during school and beyond.

Another shelter medicine person! I'm interested in that and high volume spay/neuter, but I could also see myself happy in small animal practice or a variety of specializations. But I really want to be on the frontlines of ending pet overpopulation and promoting pet health. Opening my own shelter/sanctuary or working for one would be my dream.

Sadly I'm not near SE PA, but seeking out a financial advisor is a great tip. There is no vet school in my state, by my state has contracts with other schools where I could get a resident tuition rate. That limits me to three schools, one of which is UGA, which I like and of the 3 would be my dream school. There are other schools I salivate over, but alas, their price tag would be insane unless I established residency first. And really, I don't want to spend a year doing that when I could be already digging into my studies. Then again, I may not get accepted to one of those three schools and may have to widen where I apply.

While I'm sad other people are struggling with anxiety, I'm relieved to hear I'm not alone in that department. I do have some coping skills in place and may have to add others. Thanks!

 

[PetPony]

Not much to say, but GO UGA. You should totally come here.

But I think they are working on a new program with shelters and fosters. I'm not sure exactly yet what it will be but I can keep you updated as I find out more. It'll be for both pre-vet and vet students.

 

[Pawll]

Not much to say, but GO UGA. You should totally come here.

But I think they are working on a new program with shelters and fosters. I'm not sure exactly yet what it will be but I can keep you updated as I find out more. It'll be for both pre-vet and vet students.

That sounds really neat, please keep me posted! I love what I've read about UGA so far and would love to attend. What do you like most about it?

 

[Emiloo4]

That sounds really neat, please keep me posted! I love what I've read about UGA so far and would love to attend. What do you like most about it?

Are you a GA resident?

 

[Pawll]

Are you a GA resident?

No, I'm a resident of a state that has a contract with UGA to pay in-state tuition.

 

[PetPony]

That sounds really neat, please keep me posted! I love what I've read about UGA so far and would love to attend. What do you like most about it?

I've just found that the vets are so very encouraging and helpful. So far, all of them have loved to explain things to me when I was shadowing (and I don't have as much knowledge as vet students so they had to explain much more) and are always willing to help you find more experience (other people to shadow or do research with).

They just had the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new hospital. The pictures of it look awesome. I can't wait to watch it being built (I pass the property every day to get to school and work).

 

[Emiloo4]

No, I'm a resident of a state that has a contract with UGA to pay in-state tuition.