Career goals - c/o 2022 hopefuls

[ChoopLoops]

Hey all! Just joined up the other day but I'm falling down the rabbit hole reading everyone's posts 🙂

Been thinking about that writing prompt (There are many career choices within the veterinary profession. What are your future career goals and why?)

Just curious what you all are thinking. Is everyone trying for small animal? Are there large animal people out there? I'm pretty interested in exotics but *not* zoo/wildlife, more pocket pets. But I'm worried about mentioning that because I feel like *everyone* wants to be a zoo vet...

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[cellowars]

Hi there! My goal is to become a licensed veterinary technician because I believe that every living being deserves to have a long, happy, healthy life, and, it's pretty hard to have one of those when you're sick. In addition, I want to return the gentle, loving kindness animals have given me during the struggles I have had with my physical and mental health. I also want to become an LVT because I know how much animals can help people, and I know how much it hurts to know that your best friend is suffering.

I am also interested in the veterinary field because it has yielded many successful treatments for human diseases, and I want to contribute to that. When I was 3 years old, I was diagnosed with a Chiari Malformation, which is where the cerebellum occluds the spinal canal, putting pressure on the cranial nerves, cranial blood vessels, and brain stem, as well as partially occluding the flow of CSF. This can result in extreme headaches, hypoxemia in the extremeties, trouble swallowing, a fine tremor, weakness in the extremeties, dis-coordination, balance problems, trouble urinating, urinary incontinence, constipation, fecal incontinence, paralysis, and hydrocephalus. If a veterinarian had not perfected the Chiari Malformation decompression surgery on St. Charles Spaniels, which are prone to this condition, I may not be as functional as I am now.

That's why I want to be a vet tech.

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[Aqua_girl87]

I'm interested in wildlife medicine, but am afraid the majority of my veterinary experience lays with small animals so I'm not sure how that'll look on my application. I did work at small animal/exotic/avian/wildlife animal hospital for over 4 years after high school and during my undergrad but that was about 6 years ago since I've done that.

The character limit on the prompts is definitely going to be challenging in my opinion.

 

[Rozzieray]

I'm leaning towards 50/50 of large and small. But I'm also interested in wildlife, I worked with a vet that rehabilitated black bears on the side. Then my ultimate goal, more like dream , would be to work on a wildlife reserve and then possibly teaching at a veterinary school.

 

[Devastating]

I've been interested in zoo/exotics/wildlife for a long time (in high school I even thought I could work solely as a wildlife rehab vet...hahhahaha) but failing that, I also have an interest in large animal/food animal. I'm currently taking an externship at an equine-only clinic to gain some equine experience, and after only 3 days I've already seen several events and procedures I never had before (or at least not in equines/large animals). I'm definitely not dead-set in any particular direction though, so who knows if I end up falling in love with some specialty down the road. I thought dentistry was kinda cool last semester? I also love poultry and would like to look into opportunities in that area (with avians I've so far mostly seen things concerning pathology, which I'm not a huge fan of)

Just curious what you all are thinking. Is everyone trying for small animal? Are there large animal people out there? I'm pretty interested in exotics but *not* zoo/wildlife, more pocket pets. But I'm worried about mentioning that because I feel like *everyone* wants to be a zoo vet...

I wouldn't worry too much about what other people may be answering. I think adcoms would mainly be concerned with your demonstrated understanding of the profession (opportunities available, realistic view of your area of interest, etc.), not whether your stated goal is common. Someone made a good post about this in the 2022 applicant thread, I think.

 

[Harsheeney]

In what ways do veterinarians contribute to society and what do you hope to contribute?
Just curious what do you guys think about this prompt. Any ideas?? I am really confused with this topic.

 

[SkiOtter]

In what ways do veterinarians contribute to society and what do you hope to contribute?
Just curious what do you guys think about this prompt. Any ideas?? I am really confused with this topic.

Cross posting violates TOS bro