comment on last weeks Grey's Anatomy

[jesse14]

I'm just wondering how you DVM's fee about the comment made by one of the actors on the show Grey's Anatomy where she said "vet's arn't even real doctors". This is a internationaly seen show and it must gug you to know that that's what's being uttered on telivision. I'm really interested in your thoughts.

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[frozen_canadian]

Personally I couldn't care less. A DVM allows you to be a doctor for animals. If some people think you aren't a real doctor thats their problem. As an interesting side note though, I have heard that in Europe, Britain in particular, vets/dentists/optometrists are not 'real doctors' either. They are referred to as Mr./Ms. X. Anyway I'm not going into this profession for the title. (or the money!)

 

[ReinaDeLuz]

Personally I couldn't care less. A DVM allows you to be a doctor for animals. If some people think you aren't a real doctor thats their problem. As an interesting side note though, I have heard that in Europe, Britain in particular, vets/dentists/optometrists are not 'real doctors' either. They are referred to as Mr./Ms. X. Anyway I'm not going into this profession for the title. (or the money!)

i totally agree with you. i saw the show, and simply won't let myself get riled up about it. who cares? hopefully, if you're a good vet, your clients know how much skill and care and effort goes into being a vet. thats what matters in the end.

on the flipside, i have to say that motto that gets thrown around a lot in vet schools..."real doctors treat more than one species" has always made me cringe too.

 

[Bill59]

... and if that's the worst thing said about veterinarians on TV these days, we're in good shape. How would you like to be a lawyer? Or priest for that matter?

 

[julieDVM]

I never introduce myself as "Dr"... Usually just as Julie and that I'm a surgical resident. I dont think most vets are viewed as doctors by most people - i think we're viewed as vets. Most of the large animal guys will tell you if you arrive on farm and introduce yourself as Dr so and so, the farmer will look at you kinda funny, and say i called a vet, not a doctor. Similarly, i think most equine guys will tell you that you establish a much better rapport with your clients if you go by your first name...

i there is a much bigger attitude towards our profession than towards the human medical profession - and i see that as a plus, not a bad thing.

just my two cents though...

 

[Medic_9]

*I'm not a Dr. or a DVM...yet*

I think that vets in some circumstances have a harder time than doctors. They don't have the ability to ask their patients "So what's bothering you today?"

They have to rely on symptoms and changes in behaviour over what a person can physically tell them.

 

[Quaggi]

I'm just wondering how you DVM's fee about the comment made by one of the actors on the show Grey's Anatomy where she said "vet's arn't even real doctors". This is a internationaly seen show and it must gug you to know that that's what's being uttered on telivision. I'm really interested in your thoughts.

I was wondering when someone was going to comment on this! I thought it was pretty annoying personally, and so did my roomate whos also going to vet school in the fall...I think vets are most certainly real doctors and we should get the credit we deserve! i partly think it was the character though, and not the general concensus of the show's writers, everyone knows christina is full of herself.

 

[ReinaDeLuz]

I was wondering when someone was going to comment on this! I thought it was pretty annoying personally, and so did my roomate whos also going to vet school in the fall...I think vets are most certainly real doctors and we should get the credit we deserve! i partly think it was the character though, and not the general concensus of the show's writers, everyone knows christina is full of herself.

yeah, thats what i was leaning towards. if it had been someone else who said that... but it was christina. it's soo what she'd say.

 

[almostglue]

yeah, thats what i was leaning towards. if it had been someone else who said that... but it was christina. it's soo what she'd say.

I agree that it was totally something that would come from Christina. She's so intense that it's just her character. I'm an EMT (will be attending vet school starting in the fall) and every Dr./EMT/Paramedic I've ever run into is impressed more by people going to vet school than those going to med school (although pre-medders are a dime a dozen at my school and that could be they're just tired of hearing about it because it's the norm). Not to say that means anything, but I think most people realize that vets do just as much as doctors, including schooling and such. A lot of people get caught up in the fact that we have 4 years to learn about multiple species and doctors have 4 years to learn about just people. I personally think they're not comparible in that fashion, they're both difficult and I certaintly don't think less of doctors because they 'just' do people.

I've met several people in human medicine that would rather be pre-vet, they all say 'I love animals too much and I would never be able to handle the euthanasia part.' I think they're both highly respectible professions. Not that anyone was arguing otherwise. I really think it was Christina's character. But I do hope that some of my classmate's look like that, we all need a McVet! Chris O'Donnell has seriously grown up. And now I'll stop being vain.

 

[chris03333]

Every medical show made has a some point took their jab at vet med. I was waiting for this and saw it comming on when the vet first showed up. Do I care, sure I was a little ticked off but it's just tv.

 

[HorseyVet]

Most of the large animal guys will tell you if you arrive on farm and introduce yourself as Dr so and so, the farmer will look at you kinda funny, and say i called a vet, not a doctor. Similarly, i think most equine guys will tell you that you establish a much better rapport with your clients if you go by your first name...

I've *never* heard a client call any of the large animal (equine mostly) vets by their first name, unless they knew them personally. They alway use Dr. X or "Doc"...."Doc" is very popular.....sort of an inbetween on the formality scale but still showing some respect...

 

[ReinaDeLuz]

I agree that it was totally something that would come from Christina. She's so intense that it's just her character. I'm an EMT (will be attending vet school starting in the fall) and every Dr./EMT/Paramedic I've ever run into is impressed more by people going to vet school than those going to med school (although pre-medders are a dime a dozen at my school and that could be they're just tired of hearing about it because it's the norm). Not to say that means anything, but I think most people realize that vets do just as much as doctors, including schooling and such. A lot of people get caught up in the fact that we have 4 years to learn about multiple species and doctors have 4 years to learn about just people. I personally think they're not comparible in that fashion, they're both difficult and I certaintly don't think less of doctors because they 'just' do people.

I've met several people in human medicine that would rather be pre-vet, they all say 'I love animals too much and I would never be able to handle the euthanasia part.' I think they're both highly respectible professions. Not that anyone was arguing otherwise. I really think it was Christina's character. But I do hope that some of my classmate's look like that, we all need a McVet! Chris O'Donnell has seriously grown up. And now I'll stop being vain.

Yeah, I hope this isn't TMI but my gynecologist was very impressed about the fact I got into vet school last I saw her. So some people do understand, others don't. It's just life

 

[HorseyVet]

Yeah, I hope this isn't TMI but my gynecologist was very impressed about the fact I got into vet school last I saw her. So some people do understand, others don't. It's just life

lol...I think my internist is jealous....Years ago she didn't go into veterinary b/c she had allergies and there really weren't any great drugs....Of course now she prescribes these drugs like candy and sometimes seems kinda down when she talks to me about vet school.....I guess her soln takes the form of her numerous visits to her house in the Caymans.....I think she'll survive....lol

 

[adenovirus]

Saw an old ER last month that kinda took a jab at vets...cocky surgeon (chief of surgery I think?) made the comment. Any one else familiar?I'm of course paraphrasing here, regarding Dr. Benton's impromptu surgery (he's not a surgeon on the show, but had to act an open up a guy's chest quick and no thoracic surgeons were on hand): "Geez Benton! A good veterinarian could have done a better job on that incision!" But he did save the day - although I came out a little jaded. They're just jealous of such a cool-ass and multifaceted profession, IMO.

Adeno

 

[tygris]

on the flipside, i have to say that motto that gets thrown around a lot in vet schools..."real doctors treat more than one species" has always made me cringe too.

Aw come on now, don't cringe at that... I think the vast majority of people who wear or say that phrase say it totally in jest And if not, well then I guess they should be shot or something.

Christina, on the other hand, meant it!

Saw an old ER last month that kinda took a jab at vets...

Actually, ER has taken many jabs at vets.. lol... mostly in the time of Dr. Benton and Dr. Romano... there was the one episode that Dr. Romano operated on his own dog... that was a classic

 

[chris03333]

Aw come on now, don't cringe at that... I think the vast majority of people who wear or say that phrase say it totally in jest And if not, well then I guess they should be shot or something.

Christina, on the other hand, meant it!



Actually, ER has taken many jabs at vets.. lol... mostly in the time of Dr. Benton and Dr. Romano... there was the one episode that Dr. Romano operated on his own dog... that was a classic

I don't watch ER usually but it was in the background when I was studying about a year ago, and it was about a baby chimpanzee being snuck in because the zoo vet did not know what to do with it (and it was something routine like diarrhea in an infant chimp).

 

[tygris]

I don't watch ER usually but it was in the background when I was studying about a year ago, and it was about a baby chimpanzee being snuck in because the zoo vet did not know what to do with it (and it was something routine like diarrhea in an infant chimp).

Actually I think it was a baby chimp that was privately owned, and the attending physician (I forget his name) was doing some guy a favor by looking after it... But regardless, yeah another in the long line of jabs at vets from ER... It doesn't really bother me, it's TV - they're going to put on what people will watch *shrug*

 

[chris03333]

Actually I think it was a baby chimp that was privately owned, and the attending physician (I forget his name) was doing some guy a favor by looking after it... But regardless, yeah another in the long line of jabs at vets from ER... It doesn't really bother me, it's TV - they're going to put on what people will watch *shrug*

That's possible since it was on in the background. But I think one of the people actually said something to the effect of "the vet did not know what to do so I brought it here" which is what pulled me out of my studies going, WTF? A vet does not know what to do with a young chimp (or any animal for that matter) with diarrhea? You've gotta be beepin kidding me? Then I went back to my studies.

 

[Quaggi]

That's possible since it was on in the background. But I think one of the people actually said something to the effect of "the vet did not know what to do so I brought it here" which is what pulled me out of my studies going, WTF? A vet does not know what to do with a young chimp (or any animal for that matter) with diarrhea? You've gotta be beepin kidding me? Then I went back to my studies.

actually, it sort of makes sense that a human doctor might be able to help a chimp (not that a vet couldn't, that's ridiculous), it's closer to humans than to the animals most studied in vet school...not that a human doctor would know how to handle it or know anything about it's behavior. in south africa, at the baboon sanctuary i worked at, they often take orthopedic cases on baby baboons to a local pediatric orthopedic surgeon. makes a lot of sense to me

 

[chris03333]

actually, it sort of makes sense that a human doctor might be able to help a chimp (not that a vet couldn't, that's ridiculous), it's closer to humans than to the animals most studied in vet school...not that a human doctor would know how to handle it or know anything about it's behavior. in south africa, at the baboon sanctuary i worked at, they often take orthopedic cases on baby baboons to a local pediatric orthopedic surgeon. makes a lot of sense to me

I understand that. I have worked with chimps and have seen human doctors consult on ortho cases. What my problem was, was that I think they said that a vet did not know what to do with an infant chimp with diarrhea. My argument is any vet should know what to do with any animal with diarrhea, chimp or not. Then again I have been told numerous times how crazy I was for working with chimps so I would guess it might be hard to find one who will examine one owned privately.

 

[youthman]

there was the one episode that Dr. Romano operated on his own dog... that was a classic

Not a vet student (yet), but I do recall that episode! I think the cheap shots at vets do matter because these shows are so popular with the general public that it basically becomes bad public image for veterinarians. Millions of pet owners watch these shows, especially when you consider the reruns for years to come. It trickles down to how much vets can expect to charge for their services and effects the vet industry as a whole - including vet students who graduate with more debt and knowledge than they can afford.

 

[dvm'08]

I'm just wondering how you DVM's fee about the comment made by one of the actors on the show Grey's Anatomy where she said "vet's arn't even real doctors". This is a internationaly seen show and it must gug you to know that that's what's being uttered on telivision. I'm really interested in your thoughts.

i pretty much couldn't care less

 

[2Bsure]

That's possible since it was on in the background. But I think one of the people actually said something to the effect of "the vet did not know what to do so I brought it here" which is what pulled me out of my studies going, WTF? A vet does not know what to do with a young chimp (or any animal for that matter) with diarrhea? You've gotta be beepin kidding me? Then I went back to my studies.

A little off topic: Living in Maryland, if I owned a chimp, I might soon want to take it to a human doctor too. Within the past two months, both houses of the state legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill banning exotics that are not kept in licensed institutions. Unless the chimp happens to serve as a disabled person's helper, it will likely become illegal to own one. I'd guess a human physician would be more naive about animal laws.

That said, I believe the law is good thing. Most owners are ill suited to care for an adult chimpanzee or hybrid wolf.
.

 

[HorseyVet]

A little off topic: Living in Maryland, if I owned a chimp, I might soon want to take it to a human doctor too. Within the past two months, both houses of the state legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill banning exotics that are not kept in licensed institutions. Unless the chimp happens to serve as a disabled person's helper, it will likely become illegal to own one. I'd guess a human physician would be more naive about animal laws.

That said, I believe the law is good thing. Most owners are ill suited to care for an adult chimpanzee or hybrid wolf.
.

I lived in MD and at the time I was really into exotics and wildlife...their exotic-type animal laws are ridiculous in some places....It was always funny though, at least with reptiles b/c I guess at the time Pensylvania had rather loose laws about what you could own/import so all these crazy herp guys would always be going there to get their venomous snakes, crocs, etc....I'm not saying that it's the brightest idea to own some of that stuff but all of these guys' trips to Penn were amusing.

 

[cpw]

I just had to pipe in and say I have the utmost respect for veterinarians. Mine always calls me back, answers my questions, and has been a god-send to my epileptic doggie.
Not real doctors ? Please.

We were laughing over the fact that in Florida she could write prescriptions for drugs I wasn't allowed to as an OD. (even though I could when I was in Texas) Stupid state laws.

 

[CoffeeCrazy]

actually, it sort of makes sense that a human doctor might be able to help a chimp (not that a vet couldn't, that's ridiculous), it's closer to humans than to the animals most studied in vet school...not that a human doctor would know how to handle it or know anything about it's behavior. in south africa, at the baboon sanctuary i worked at, they often take orthopedic cases on baby baboons to a local pediatric orthopedic surgeon. makes a lot of sense to me

Makes sense to me, too. A vet knows the dangers of working with chimps... hello, zoonotic diseases. A human doctor wouldn't be quite so aware.

But seriously, the exotics vets I know won't see primates. They don't want to deal with the health hazards. And the zoo vets I know will call in human MDs to consult on primate cases. They just have to reassure the "real" doctors that yes, that's the way the heart is supposed to look in a 600 lb. gorilla. Now on to the real problem...

 

[DoggyDoc80]

I think we're real doctors!
Hi, I'm new here. I'm Scott and recently graduated from MSU CVM. Seems like a cool forum!
<3 Scott

 

[Medmaid]

From one of the GA writer blogs:

"Apparently, Mer had told both McDreamy and McVet to meet her in the bar tonight. I overheard a little bit of what was said. It turns out that Mer’s not making a choice. Yet. For me, it’s totally obvious: MCDREAMY, MCDREAMY, MCDREAMY. I mean, come on. One saves lives – HUMAN lives. The other puts helpless little doggies to sleep. Seriously. Has my girl Mer gone crazy? This cannot be that hard of a decision."

http://www.emeraldcitybar.com/

 

[Orthonut]

I watched, and the way I took the comment was in jest-a joke. Like she was repeating the whole 'vets aren't real doctors' thing as a joke to dig at her friend, not actually the writers of the show saying "VETS ARE NOT REAL DOCTORS"

Hey, if you get right down to it, DOs and MDs aren't even 'real' doctors-by some schools of thought, (particularly the AP's) the only "real" doctors are the ones who go through the whole 8 yrs post grad MSc education then write a dissertation/thesis thingy-and none of us do that lol, only PhDs.

So we all need to come down from our high horseys and relax. Cause I've got way more important things to think about. Like somehow getting that internship to CSU...nevermind this real doctor schmeal doctor.

You know what it says on my diploma? Orthonut, has been awarded the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. hah. take that suckas. I'm orthonut DVM and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. (I think. I mean, you can try, but I don't think you know what I look like so you might have trouble finding me)

 

[poopypants_yum]

I watched, and the way I took the comment was in jest-a joke. Like she was repeating the whole 'vets aren't real doctors' thing as a joke to dig at her friend, not actually the writers of the show saying "VETS ARE NOT REAL DOCTORS"

Hey, if you get right down to it, DOs and MDs aren't even 'real' doctors-by some schools of thought, (particularly the AP's) the only "real" doctors are the ones who go through the whole 8 yrs post grad MSc education then write a dissertation/thesis thingy-and none of us do that lol, only PhDs.

So we all need to come down from our high horseys and relax. Cause I've got way more important things to think about. Like somehow getting that internship to CSU...nevermind this real doctor schmeal doctor.

You know what it says on my diploma? Orthonut, has been awarded the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. hah. take that suckas. I'm orthonut DVM and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. (I think. I mean, you can try, but I don't think you know what I look like so you might have trouble finding me)

*yawn*

 

[UKYWildcat]

I watched, and the way I took the comment was in jest-a joke. Like she was repeating the whole 'vets aren't real doctors' thing as a joke to dig at her friend, not actually the writers of the show saying "VETS ARE NOT REAL DOCTORS"

QUOTE]

I love the show and could care less the shots they take at any other profession...I think it just emphasizes the sterotypical hotshot 'look at me my testicles are as big as basketballs' surgeon mentality, myself.

Why are we even bothering to discuss it here?

Ortho - what school did you graduate from?

 

[toofache32]

I have both dental and medical degrees, but there was a time I considered vet school instead. We dentists get the same jabs by the media.

At least I only had to learn the anatomy of one animal. I can't imagine learning all those different critters.

 

[Orthonut]

Ortho - what school did you graduate from?

Oh, LBCC followed by OSU (the real OSU, Oregon State University. Which qualifies as the real OSU since it was founded before Oklahoma and The Ohio, which technically should be TOSU if they're going to keep insisting on putting THE infront of everything) followed shortly by SGU.

Toss in basic training too lol.

So I guess I should have said "My diploma will say" blah blah blah. but I think my point is still valid. Moreso than my unnamed relative, who thinks I should do clinicals in Australia, because then I could have MACVS after my name too, and then I"d have more letters after my name than in my name. er, don't thinkso. he's a bright one...

 

[J-Rad]

Lesson learned from Gray's Anatomy: when the surgical intern (?!?) admits the ill newborn abandoned in the garbage at some high school he will immediately have the OB GYN (?!?!?) doc take the case over. As she is leading the resuscitation (?!?!?) of said infant and she notes the low platelet count she will immediately order an infusion of IVIg (?!?!?!?!?). Now, I have not learned that in my pediatrics residency (the closest thing to human veterinary medicine).
This is the level of medical realism on this show (if you don't know how profoundly stupid the above scenario is I'll be happy to explain, but you can probably figure it out). They pretty much pick up a Dorland's, throw a dart at a page, and write whatever word was hit into the script. I wouldn't get offended that a character on the show maligned vet's.
I personally have yet to have a converstion with one of my professional peers about vets that wasn't summed up by "Jee zus H, I had a hard enough time learning about one species. God bless, em..."

 

[shine_bluesky]

Personally I couldn't care less. A DVM allows you to be a doctor for animals. If some people think you aren't a real doctor thats their problem. As an interesting side note though, I have heard that in Europe, Britain in particular, vets/dentists/optometrists are not 'real doctors' either. They are referred to as Mr./Ms. X. Anyway I'm not going into this profession for the title. (or the money!)

Correct; in Britain vets, dentists and optometrists are not doctors at all. We would just be plain Mr/Mrs/Miss or actually in most cases with vets its just first name terms.

To be honest, if i did become a Dr. it would annoy me if people called me Miss. But on Greys Anatomy, its just a TV program, and i expect there are loads of people out there with that opinion, and they are entitled to it, i just disagree with it.

Katie

 

[Bill59]

In the past, surgeons were not physicians. While physicians (doctors) had advanced degrees, early surgeons and dentists were actually barbers with little to no formal training (they had those sharp instruments though). They were referred to as Mister, to distinguish them from physicians.

In the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, that tradition of referring to surgeons as Mister continues, although it seems to be dying out.

 

[Orthonut]

I have a friend that went to vet school in Scotland- he is actually very proud of being a "Mr" whilst overseas.

He goes by "Dr" when here, as in his experience it can be confusing to the client "Hi, I'm Mr Jones, your horse's surgeon..."

It's a cultural thing-not a disrespect thing with the British/Scottish/Australian MRCVS being Mr/Ms. The Mr and Ms are titles of respect.

Eitherway, the guy's a helluva hand with the scalpel. I should hope to be half as good

 

[futuresurgeon00]

Personally I couldn't care less. A DVM allows you to be a doctor for animals. If some people think you aren't a real doctor thats their problem. As an interesting side note though, I have heard that in Europe, Britain in particular, vets/dentists/optometrists are not 'real doctors' either. They are referred to as Mr./Ms. X. Anyway I'm not going into this profession for the title. (or the money!)

Apparently, even surgeons are referred to as Ms/Mrs./Mr....

 

[twelvetigers]

Necrobump?

 

[pooter]

Zombie thread wants to eeeaat your braaaaiinzzz!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Nom nom nom.

On a more serious note...the students all call me Dr. WTF out of convention, but I don't care one way other other. If they called me Ms. WTF, I wouldn't mind. My parents address all letters to me as "Dr. WTF" and I cringe when I read it

Honestly though...I have never run across anyone in the medical field who has anything less than a huge amount of respect for veterinarians. The few that look down on our profession may be vociferous, but are also few and far between.

 

[Coquette22]

Apparently, even surgeons are referred to as Ms/Mrs./Mr....

Despite the zombie thread... Yes, it's true that in the UK at least, surgeons are referred to as Mr/Ms/Mrs. The way it was explained to me, it's a throwback to the days of the barber-surgeon. Anyone who is licenced to perform surgery, goes by Mr/Mrs/Ms, including human surgeons and yes, veterinarians because all vets are trained in surgery, even if they don't all end up doing it that often.

 

[No Imagination]

I understand that. I have worked with chimps and have seen human doctors consult on ortho cases. What my problem was, was that I think they said that a vet did not know what to do with an infant chimp with diarrhea. My argument is any vet should know what to do with any animal with diarrhea, chimp or not. Then again I have been told numerous times how crazy I was for working with chimps so I would guess it might be hard to find one who will examine one owned privately.

I know this is a zombie thread, but I will be the first to say, short of opening a book, I would have NO IDEA what to do with a chimp that had... anything wrong with it. I don't know much about starfish anatomy either.

 

[VeganChick]

Q: What do you call a veterinarian who only treats one species?

A: A physician.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Isn't Grey's anatomy a book about human anatomy?
Why would it be of concern to vets?

 

[JoBreeze]

ER!?! Ah... 5/2/2006.

Carry on.