Careers like Veterinary?

[Ploofafa]

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All right, confused once again. 😕

I really, really would like to be a Veterinarian, but there are multiple things having me at a lack of proper direction. The top three: 1.) I understand there is great satisfaction in helping a pet, and relieving a worried owner, but I feel as though there are other animals that need more help then that of those living a more civilized lifestyle. I do not mean to say they do not deserve it, but what about those that also deserve, but do not receive it? 2.) I think I might rather work with animals, something more within nature? 3.) I really don't want to own my own clinic (at least in my current mindset), it would seem to stray away from the actual interaction with animals.


I don't know; I have this picture of me one day owning a home (I fear that may not be possible with negative things I have read about Veterinary debt, but let us put that aside for now) with ample enough money to own land, and furthermore, animals (pets, in a way). 🙂

I suppose what I am trying to get at is, are there careers that are like Veterinary, but you get to interact with animals in a more profound way? -- I have done my research, trust me, but I am still an ignorant teenager living the sheltered life at home with Mom and Dad... I would like some real world insight. -- I see titles like Wildlife Biologist, and Ecologist (Jane Goodall, if she may be put into such a broad term), but they seem to live lives without true homes, which I would cherish. Then I see things like Aquarist, and Zoologist, and how you get to be with the animals, and interact with them on such a large scale... but to bring up the most ungrateful thing possible, the money (I must sound completely terrible). I have always been big on (very bad habit, I must admit) on acting off what I read, and to me it sounds as though life as an Aquarist, Zoologist, Wildlife Biologist, or anything of the such, is devastating.

As I mentioned way up there in this wall of text, I would love to be a Veterinarian, but I just need some insight, I suppose. Can anyone help me and my ignorance? 🙂

I thank anyone and everyone who reads my plight, and furthermore, those who throw any helpful tidbits up here! 😀

 

[GellaBella]

Since you are still young you have a perfect opportunity ahead of you: to shadow, work, volunteer with various veterinarians (and non veterinarians) who do work you're interested in.

There are lots of opportunities to work with animals and vets in private practice, in wildlife clinics, abroad, and in research. The possibilities are pretty endless so its up to you to seek out what is available around you and to see if it is right for you.

One of the professors at my undergrad studied monkey vocalizations in south america and often took students down for months at a time to live in the jungles recording, playing back and analyzing the vocalizations. When you go off to college you can shadow a veterinarian on weekends or during breaks who works in private practice...maybe its not as bad as you currently imagine it to be. ...If there are zoos near your house or near college same thing...

You really are in an excellent position to learn more about the veterinary field as you go through school and if you don't like any of those aspects of vetmed, you can also get experience in other areas that DO interest you. Maybe you won't end up being a vet one day but if you're happy where you end up, thats what matters.

 

[Smileystar5]

I think you should do more research about Veterinary medicine and any other career you're interested in. Generally, private practice is where the $$$ is. So, if you want to work in a zoo, or raising animals, or in wildlife... you may want to let the money thing go. But moving on from money...

Veterinarians do so many different things! There are a lot of people who don't want to work with small animals and don't love clinical medicine. I know a veterinarian who recently went to space! There are jobs for veterinarians in wildlife preservation... they are competitive... but they're out there.

Keep looking! Talk to veterinarians you know about what their peers did after vet school. You'll be surprised what you learn!

 

[sumstorm]

Hmmm.....this is a hard one for me to answer because I don't believe there is '1 true calling' for each person.

Parts of it I can answer from experience; I worked for quite a while as a zoo curator. I made enough to afford a 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath house in a quiet neighborhood with a yard. I made enough to stock back for retirement. I didn't make enough for regular travel or elaborate vacations (ie no disney, no diving off the FL keys.) I made more (2x) as a fisheries biologist/marine observer, however, I also worked out to sea for 3-6 wks at a time. Then I could afford to travel; but I also didn't have a lot of typical life luxuries (old beater car, no cable TV, no cell phone, etc.)

One thing to remember; the higher up you go in zoo, wildlife, etc, the LESS you will work with animals. The trade off is good position, good money vs time with animals. I could not have made it as a keeper, which made 7-15k less/yr than I did. Also, the higher you get, the more likely you are to work really long hours under salary.

You have plenty of time to explore...there are no hard and fast rules about how and when to go to vet school. I struggled with the same decision you are, and chose zoo, then field biology, and I loved both, but I found the stuff I enjoyed most was with the vets, whether that was pathology, toxicology, zoo med, etc. So, I came back to this as another career.

As for money, that is a constant worry for me, because I know what it is like to have none. However, I have learned some valuable life lessons: the top people, best paid, in any field aren't just good at their job, they are excellent at dealing with people and in communication (written and spoken.) They have a solid set of core values that they have carefully considered. They hold themselves to very high standards, and surround themselves with folks that also perform to high standards. They are able to empathizes with others and yet get their concepts across. They also see and embrace opportunities frequently.

Keep exploring. Get experience doing different things, including stuff outside of your comfort zone. Realize that there isn't really a wrong path, but if you think it may ever lead back to vet med, keep your GPA up, get the pre-reqs in as best you can, and track your experience. Develop a network by keeping in touch with the folks you work with, meet, etc. A limitless contact list is very beneficial. I recently had an instructor drop a potential thesis project in my lap in zoo med because I have an interest in behavior. Just communicating, repeatedly, my passion for zoo + behavior brought the opportunity to me, but being able to call experts on bears, experts on behavior, and experts on the issue we are testing is what will enable me to do this well, and that has more to do with maintaining a network and/or never being afraid to cold call someone with very specific questions (and always sending out thank you notes for help.)

Just remember, the path you figre out, whether to vet med or elsewhere, is the right path for you. I am happy to answer any questions about field bio or zoo work. Oh, just an aside, to get really great jobs in field bio often requires at least an MS.

 

[Ploofafa]

Answer me this, please, if you can: To your knowledge, what is like to be a Veterinarian? What EXACTLY does it entail? I am not entirely certain what I may be picturing may be true, and I can say I am scared.

I would love, so very much, to be able to go out and ask about careers, but I simply cannot. Given my current situation very little is available to me. I am trying to the best of my abilities to figure this out, but this question has taken a serious toll on me. 😳 I know I should not be so worried, but I am...

 

[moosenanny]

Hey Ploofafa! I think it's great that you are thinking about what being a vet truly entails because admissions committees look for a realistic understanding of the profession (or so I've been told/experienced first-hand myself).

I'd love to tell you what my personal impressions of the field are, but honestly I think they are irrelevant because there are so many types of vets/vet jobs, and the position is really what you make of it. I've worked with zoo vets, private practice companion animal vets, state government vets, veterinary pathologists, mixed-animal practice owners, vet school professors, etc. Each of these people is a totally different type of vet, and their daily experiences are more diverse than I can even begin to express in words.

My recommendation to you would be to try to expose yourself to many different veterinarians within each subfield of vet med, as well as veterinarians spanning the different subfields. Try to gain a well-rounded variety of experience, starting with jobs/shadowing positions/volunteering that sound most in alignment with your vision of what type of vet you'd like to be. This way, you can either confirm or reshape your career aspirations.

In summary, only you can gain the experience to let you know if you're right for this job, and if this job is right for you. Throughout my variety of experiences, I have loved some more so than others, but in each area I was happy and knew veterinary medicine is my life's passion.

Does this help at all? 😳

 

[Ploofafa]

I'd love to tell you what my personal impressions of the field are, but honestly I think they are irrelevant because there are so many types of vets/vet jobs, and the position is really what you make of it.



Does this help at all? 😳

First, it did help, so thank you very much for that! 🙂 However, let us say that you HAD to sum up what your impressions were, in any multitude of sentences, what would you say you took from it? I hear Vet., and naturally I think animals, but then start to think more about it... I really do not have an interest in Medicine, what-so-ever. I think I may be trying to make more out of compassion for animals then I realize.

 

[moosenanny]

First, it did help, so thank you very much for that! 🙂 However, let us say that you HAD to sum up what your impressions were, in any multitude of sentences, what would you say you took from it? I hear Vet., and naturally I think animals, but then start to think more about it... I really do not have an interest in Medicine, what-so-ever. I think I may be trying to make more out of compassion for animals then I realize.

Glad I can help out 🙂 I've been pretty shy about posting my opinions and insights on this site, but this question really grabbed my attention 😉

I think that compassion for animals is only one component of being a vet. Sure, it's a vital element, but not the only ingredient. You also need a love of medicine (at least in my opinion). Being a vet is in some ways like being a detective . . . you don't know what's wrong, and you use your strong background in science and medical knowledge to treat and to heal.

I personally want to be a zoo or wildlife vet. I've worked relatively extensively in each area, and most of my application hours fall in this area of vet med. However, I know that it is extremely competitive to enter this field. While I do have a "leg up" because of my current connections, I am okay with the harsh reality that I may never live this dream. That's especially why I've spent tons of hours working in other areas (companion, mixed, etc.) to make sure I'd enjoy working as those sorts of vets as well.

Throughout all of my zoo hospital work, I've gotten to meet many animal keepers and curators. They have such compassion for "their" zoo animals and dedicate a large portion of their lives taking care of them. They don't practice vet med directly, but they are most often the people that first report symptoms to the vets, and they bring the animals up to the hospital and watch when they are treated. They also administer some follow-up medicines such as antibiotics, etc.

Not knowing you very well (or really at all, for that matter), it's hard for me to say, but this type of job may be a better match for you. There are elements of vet med strongly incorporated, but you spend more time actually taking care of the animals, vs. practicing medicine on them.

I don't know how competitive it is to become a zookeeper, but you may want to start looking into zoo internships at your local zoo . . .

 

[sumstorm]

Hmmm...

Being a veterinarian, in my opinion, is all about guiding clients in making the best decisions for the health and well being of the animals (and people around tose animals) they are responsible for, using the knowledge and skills that they have gained and will continue learning.

I think that is true regardless of the field of vet med one enters.

I don't think it is a good field if you don't want to work with people, don't enjoy any science, don't want to spend the rest of your life learning and updating skills, aren't able to tolerate the risks of mistakes including patient death, and/or believe there won't be any drudgery or bad days.

I think it is extremely wise of you to consider other fields that may fulfill your needs/desires. I met a woman yesterday who loves her career; she is the primary biologist at a turtle rescue center. She really thought she wanted to do vet med, but the continued schooling and costs sent her on another path; and she believes she is even happier now with her career path (and she does work with vets) than if she had pursued vet med (she wasn't putting vet med down, just felt her path was good for her.)

The only way you are really going to know is to volunteer/shadow/work in the fields. You need enough experience to have a grasp of the bad points of the career. The best thing you can do is choose a career where you really love the good stuff, and the bad stuff really isn't too hard to tolerate. And the stuff that is great for me might be different for you, while the stuff that I hate may be part of what you like, which is why experience is necessary.

 

[Ploofafa]

I don't think it is a good field if you don't want to work with people, don't enjoy any science, don't want to spend the rest of your life learning and updating skills, aren't able to tolerate the risks of mistakes including patient death, and/or believe there won't be any drudgery or bad days.

The bold is the one part about that, that I COULD NOT (I quite like the rest) stand. Me and it just would not float. 🙁

I have some serious thinking to do....

 

[cowgirla]

The bold is the one part about that, that I COULD NOT (I quite like the rest) stand. Me and it just would not float. 🙁

I have some serious thinking to do....

Unfortunately, death is part of the job, whether it's a mistake, a "nothing you could do" situation or planned, expected or unexpected, assisted or unassisted. Whatever way you look at it, it is something that you need to be comfortable with. You don't need to like it, but there's really no avoiding it. Some days it will feel like you "kill" everything you touch, and you'll feel that pain even when it is in the best interest of the patient (at least I do.)

Some days, like yesterday for me, just plain suck. But at the end of the day, you need to be okay with that, and ready to start the day over again the next day. Because you never know--tomorrow you might walk in to a litter of kittens, or health certificates on those eight week old lab puppies.

As horrible as the bad days are, that's what I love about veterinary medicine (the clinic aspects)...I never know what's going to walk through my door next.. it could be puppies with parvo, ferrets with fleas, sheep with scrapies, alpacas with attitude, horses with hay fever, ANYTHING. It could be a good situation or a bad, but either way, you need to be able to medically support the patient and get through it, while practicing your "people" skills and emotionally supporting the client.

I hope that makes sense..

 

[Ploofafa]

When given superfluous time, I think, which is not always a good thing (in this such case, it was VERY bad). The subject of my thoughts this time (we were snowed in for quite some time, as I am sure most of you know) were obviously about whether or not I was making the correct decision in terms of my career path. I think.... I can do it, and I think I might really love it. Prior to reading the culmination of your posts (especially cowgirla's) I was doubting myself, almost saying what I had to, to make myself believe I could not, or would not do it.

But I think.... I am starting to see things much clearer now. One thing, however, remains a slight mystery to me. Must you enter Private Practice...? Because I really do not want that... 😛

 

[Minnerbelle]

But I think.... I am starting to see things much clearer now.

not to burst your bubble... but i highly doubt the contents of this thread gives you enough information for you to see your future career path "much clearer." i think the best piece of info given here, that i really think you should stop avoiding, is that in order to actually get a clearer vision, you need to go and actually explore different aspects of the field first hand. if you can't go and do that do to your situation as you say, then you're not ready to commit to this aspiration of becoming a vet. there's really no getting around that.

don't worry about it so much, cause all of this worrying is only going to be wasted energy! you have the rest of high school and college (and even beyond!) to figure this out. keep getting good grades and once you ARE able to, go get some experience. gosh i feel like a crotchety old woman (and i'm still only 24!)

One thing, however, remains a slight mystery to me. Must you enter Private Practice...? Because I really do not want that... 😛

no you don't, but most people do.

 

[Ploofafa]

not to burst your bubble... but i highly doubt the contents of this thread gives you enough information for you to see your future career path "much clearer." i think the best piece of info given here, that i really think you should stop avoiding, is that in order to actually get a clearer vision, you need to go and actually explore different aspects of the field first hand. if you can't go and do that do to your situation as you say, then you're not ready to commit to this aspiration of becoming a vet. there's really no getting around that.

And not to come of as, as you put it "crotchety", I never once said that I know exactly what I am going to do, or for that matter, anywhere close. I simply meant that I just need to step back and actually look at things, hence, much clearer.

As for the advice that I am "avoiding", I am not. I am pursuing all available options, however futile my efforts may be.

I appreciate your input; just one more helpful bit of advice, I should say. 😉

 

[david594]

I really do not have an interest in Medicine, what-so-ever. I think I may be trying to make more out of compassion for animals then I realize.

In order to get a DVM (or VMD) you would need to learn a TON of Medicine.

 

[Minnerbelle]

And not to come of as, as you put it "crotchety", I never once said that I know exactly what I am going to do, or for that matter, anywhere close. I simply meant that I just need to step back and actually look at things, hence, much clearer.

As for the advice that I am "avoiding", I am not. I am pursuing all available options, however futile my efforts may be.

I appreciate your input; just one more helpful bit of advice, I should say. 😉

sorry, you caught me in a bad mood! it wasn't very nice of me to take it out on you. if i don't have anything nice to say, i shouldn't say anything at all.

 

[marycatherine]

You have lots of time. To work with animals it will always look good for you to have a strong science background, so the pre-requisites for veterinary school won't hurt you if you decide to do something else. However getting experience will tell you which jobs you might really enjoy.

However a lot of working with animals requires the acceptance of death-- this isn't exclusive to veterinary medicine. Many wildlife jobs involve the recognition that animals are wild animals and you will have to accept that some get hurt or die. However you're young-- I don't mean this offensively! When I was in high school I don't think I could have euthanized an animal or coped with the death involved in working with animals, however I grew to accept it. Now I realize that the sad days are far outweighed by the good. I've helped sick and old animals have a peaceful end to their lives and it's really rewarding. Me being able to kiss a cat on the head and hold it as it passes away is a lot more calm than a slow and painful death. I don't mean to say that they don't still make me sad. Sometimes I do cry, you just can't help it. But the emotions are what actually make me appreciate veterinary medicine. I want a career that I am passionate about and where I make a real difference, and working with animals gives me that every day.

Sorry if this got rambly.

 

[sunshinevet]

The bold is the one part about that, that I COULD NOT (I quite like the rest) stand. Me and it just would not float. 🙁

I have some serious thinking to do....

Pretty much every single one of us will make a mistake in our career which will lead to the death of an animal. I don't think anyone should ever be "comfortable" with the idea - but I think you need to know and acknowledge that the likelihood of it happening is high. But I think that acknowledgment is a good thing - its always in the back of your mind, and is the thing which keeps you going at the end of a long, hard day to explore the differentials on that last patient. Its about accepting responsibility.

Really, go get experience. I thought I wouldnt be able to deal with animals dying and stuff - and then I got experience and learnt that I could. You might surprise yourself!

 

[Ploofafa]

sorry, you caught me in a bad mood! it wasn't very nice of me to take it out on you. if i don't have anything nice to say, i shouldn't say anything at all.

I apologize as well, my response was much less than a warm greeting. None the less, your advice was more than welcome! 😀

You have lots of time. To work with animals it will always look good for you to have a strong science background, so the pre-requisites for veterinary school won't hurt you if you decide to do something else. However getting experience will tell you which jobs you might really enjoy.

However a lot of working with animals requires the acceptance of death-- this isn't exclusive to veterinary medicine. Many wildlife jobs involve the recognition that animals are wild animals and you will have to accept that some get hurt or die. However you're young-- I don't mean this offensively! When I was in high school I don't think I could have euthanized an animal or coped with the death involved in working with animals, however I grew to accept it. Now I realize that the sad days are far outweighed by the good. I've helped sick and old animals have a peaceful end to their lives and it's really rewarding. Me being able to kiss a cat on the head and hold it as it passes away is a lot more calm than a slow and painful death. I don't mean to say that they don't still make me sad. Sometimes I do cry, you just can't help it. But the emotions are what actually make me appreciate veterinary medicine. I want a career that I am passionate about and where I make a real difference, and working with animals gives me that every day.

Sorry if this got rambly.

Pretty much every single one of us will make a mistake in our career which will lead to the death of an animal. I don't think anyone should ever be "comfortable" with the idea - but I think you need to know and acknowledge that the likelihood of it happening is high. But I think that acknowledgment is a good thing - its always in the back of your mind, and is the thing which keeps you going at the end of a long, hard day to explore the differentials on that last patient. Its about accepting responsibility.

Really, go get experience. I thought I wouldnt be able to deal with animals dying and stuff - and then I got experience and learnt that I could. You might surprise yourself!

I must say, you two gave me quite something to chew on. I came to the brink of tears just thinking of all the raw emotion involved in Veterinary Medicine.

I understand I still have quite some way to go, but could anyone tell me (or guide me in the direction of) the different divisions of Veterinary Medicine? I was initially thinking Zoo Vet. (as I have stated here, before), but something within that discussion made me reassess that; however, it still might be a possibility!

I would like to thank, at this point in time, all those who have dealt with my ignorance and stubbornness, and still gave magnificent advice. To you, I owe an unsurmountable debt of gratitude.

 

[Ben and Me]

Ploofafa - The University of Pennsylvania (your in-state school, at least at this point in time!) is starting a pre-vet "day camp" this summer for high school and college students.

It might be worth checking out - it sounds like fun, and a good way to get your feet wet and see what veterinary medicine is all about.

I know that Tufts (in Massachusetts) also has a pre-vet summer program...not sure if any other schools do as well.

Here is the link to the Penn program:
http://www.vet.upenn.edu/Educationa...ssions/VETSSummerCamp/tabid/1506/Default.aspx

 

[Ben and Me]

I remembered seeing these links last year when I was applying to Illinois - they have some helpful info as well.

Questions and Answers:
http://vetmed.illinois.edu/asa/hs.html

Good books for learning more about vet med:
http://vetmed.illinois.edu/asa/read.html

 

[sunshinevet]

I must say, you two gave me quite something to chew on. I came to the brink of tears just thinking of all the raw emotion involved in Veterinary Medicine.

I understand I still have quite some way to go, but could anyone tell me (or guide me in the direction of) the different divisions of Veterinary Medicine? I was initially thinking Zoo Vet. (as I have stated here, before), but something within that discussion made me reassess that; however, it still might be a possibility!

I would like to thank, at this point in time, all those who have dealt with my ignorance and stubbornness, and still gave magnificent advice. To you, I owe an unsurmountable debt of gratitude.

Veterinary medicine is an emotional journey, and we all shed some tears over it. However, I feel its important to remember that as vets, its not our job to love the animals that we deal with - yes, we need to love and have compassion for animals, but it is our job to remain detached and rational to give the best possible options to the owners, who are the people who are meant to love those animals. Of course we will love a few, but its not the priority, and you need to be able to set that aside. We do our jobs so someone else can love them.

If you want to work with the human animal bond (which i absolutely love) then small animals is where its at. If you want to work with farmers to help improve the health and welfare of their animals while increasing their profits (which i absolutely love) large animals is where its at. If you are a bit strange, equine is where its at (just joking! but you're either into equine or your not. im not).

 

[VeganSoprano]

Just for another thought: my first career was with a nonprofit that advocates for spay/neuter and humane public policy for outdoor cats. My job was to help the people who took care of outdoor cats, by helping them figure out how to get veterinary care for them and to be advocates for cats in their communities. I also worked with animal shelters and public officials. I loved it. Nonprofit work is one example of how you can work for animals if medicine isn't your passion. I personally changed career paths because I realized that medicine is my personal passion. Your job right now is to find your own passion. Don't worry if it takes some time and trial and error. It does for most people!

 

[nymeria1]

If you want to work with the human animal bond (which i absolutely love) then small animals is where its at. If you want to work with farmers to help improve the health and welfare of their animals while increasing their profits (which i absolutely love) large animals is where its at. If you are a bit strange, equine is where its at (just joking! but you're either into equine or your not. im not).

This is hilarious! (I am into equine. But I also absolutely love other things as well.)

 

[Ploofafa]

Just for another thought: my first career was with a nonprofit that advocates for spay/neuter and humane public policy for outdoor cats. My job was to help the people who took care of outdoor cats, by helping them figure out how to get veterinary care for them and to be advocates for cats in their communities. I also worked with animal shelters and public officials. I loved it. Nonprofit work is one example of how you can work for animals if medicine isn't your passion. I personally changed career paths because I realized that medicine is my personal passion. Your job right now is to find your own passion. Don't worry if it takes some time and trial and error. It does for most people!

I really have no basis for claiming such a thing, as I cannot say truthfully I know all that much about Medicine. For all I know, I may in face love it. I suppose there is only one way to find out! 😀

 

[sumstorm]

I understand I still have quite some way to go, but could anyone tell me (or guide me in the direction of) the different divisions of Veterinary Medicine? I was initially thinking Zoo Vet. (as I have stated here, before), but something within that discussion made me reassess that; however, it still might be a possibility!

Just a note: do NOT go into vet med if you only want to pursue one field and the others would make you unhappy; things/options may change. especially if your interest is zoo, surgery, etc.

Here is what we break ours down into (but we all learn LA and SA, with tastes of research, path, and lab animal):
SA
SA + exotics
food animal
mixed (SA + LA + equine)
research
public health/epi/pop
lab animal
path
equine
zoo med