Creatives in Vet Med

[Springs10808]

Hi all,

Third year vet student here, wondering if there are any other vets/vet students out there who are also working on artistic careers and want to discuss their experiences/commiserate?

Back when I was in undergrad, I was really torn about whether or not I wanted to apply to vet school. It was something I'd been interested in ever since I was a little kid, but as I got older, I started to explore creative writing more and more. In undergrad, I loved my creative writing classes and tolerated my biology ones, though I did really enjoy my job at a vet clinic. I knew I had a choice--follow my heart, get a Masters in Fine Arts, and hope I could land a hard-to-obtain teaching or publishing job, or go the safer route and apply to vet school, probably be completely miserable for four years, but then work in vet med doing something I at least knew I would enjoy as a day job and hope someday my writing would take off. As you can probably guess, I was too nervous about the job market for option A and ended up going the vet school route. My first year of vet school was great; I was thrilled at having gotten in and my school had problem-based learning so it felt more clinics-oriented than undergrad, at least at first. But for the past year or so, I've been really burnt out and frustrated. I knew I was going to be because I wasn't in love with studying the material in undergrad either, and I know that actually working in a clinic will be different, but I also feel like vet school is destroying what interest I once had in the field. It's also sort of frustrating when it feels like the majority of your classmates are living their greatest passion: going to class and studying all day and then staying for optional dinner lectures and getting involved in vet-related extracurriculars, then looking for externships to do on their summer breaks on top of it. Meanwhile, when I finish up my homework, I just want to curl up with a good book and not think about medicine anymore, and I spent last summer at an admittedly well-respected six week writing workshop instead of getting more vet-related experience. Now, I think the whole paradigm shift of social distancing really brought these feelings to the forefront of my attention, because my clinical rotations got delayed and I've basically been on an unplanned six-week break from school with four weeks of online classes to follow. I've been staying home and spending hours a day working on writing a new novel, and realizing how happy I am now is just highlighting how unhappy I have been for the past several years. If it weren't for the fact that I'm already six digits deep in the debt hole, I think I'd just cut my losses and walk away, but that's not really an option financially, especially when my actual field of interest doesn't offer much in the way of job security. My parents and my partner are always saying that once I get out of school, it will be different, and without homework to do I can come home evenings and focus on building my writing career, but I get nervous, especially with what I hear about the veterinary field having a major issue with work-life balance.

I know there isn't much advice to be given except to just push through to graduation and look for a job with reasonable hours, but I do feel rather alone in this and would love to hear from others who feel similarly, especially if you feel like you've made it work.

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[Cephal0pod]

Hi all,

Third year vet student here, wondering if there are any other vets/vet students out there who are also working on artistic careers and want to discuss their experiences/commiserate?

Back when I was in undergrad, I was really torn about whether or not I wanted to apply to vet school. It was something I'd been interested in ever since I was a little kid, but as I got older, I started to explore creative writing more and more. In undergrad, I loved my creative writing classes and tolerated my biology ones, though I did really enjoy my job at a vet clinic. I knew I had a choice--follow my heart, get a Masters in Fine Arts, and hope I could land a hard-to-obtain teaching or publishing job, or go the safer route and apply to vet school, probably be completely miserable for four years, but then work in vet med doing something I at least knew I would enjoy as a day job and hope someday my writing would take off. As you can probably guess, I was too nervous about the job market for option A and ended up going the vet school route. My first year of vet school was great; I was thrilled at having gotten in and my school had problem-based learning so it felt more clinics-oriented than undergrad, at least at first. But for the past year or so, I've been really burnt out and frustrated. I knew I was going to be because I wasn't in love with studying the material in undergrad either, and I know that actually working in a clinic will be different, but I also feel like vet school is destroying what interest I once had in the field. It's also sort of frustrating when it feels like the majority of your classmates are living their greatest passion: going to class and studying all day and then staying for optional dinner lectures and getting involved in vet-related extracurriculars, then looking for externships to do on their summer breaks on top of it. Meanwhile, when I finish up my homework, I just want to curl up with a good book and not think about medicine anymore, and I spent last summer at an admittedly well-respected six week writing workshop instead of getting more vet-related experience. Now, I think the whole paradigm shift of social distancing really brought these feelings to the forefront of my attention, because my clinical rotations got delayed and I've basically been on an unplanned six-week break from school with four weeks of online classes to follow. I've been staying home and spending hours a day working on writing a new novel, and realizing how happy I am now is just highlighting how unhappy I have been for the past several years. If it weren't for the fact that I'm already six digits deep in the debt hole, I think I'd just cut my losses and walk away, but that's not really an option financially, especially when my actual field of interest doesn't offer much in the way of job security. My parents and my partner are always saying that once I get out of school, it will be different, and without homework to do I can come home evenings and focus on building my writing career, but I get nervous, especially with what I hear about the veterinary field having a major issue with work-life balance.

I know there isn't much advice to be given except to just push through to graduation and look for a job with reasonable hours, but I do feel rather alone in this and would love to hear from others who feel similarly, especially if you feel like you've made it work.

While I don’t consider myself an artistically gifted person by any stretch of the imagination, can confirm that I was also very, very burnt out during 3rd year and struggling to remember why I was subjecting myself to this whole vet school business.

And that’s very common. I wish it wasn’t, but it is.

A lot of the people who seem like they are out there living their best lives and attending every vet school function to ever exist are likely struggling to some extent too.

I’m not going to lie to you and say that everyday on clinics is going to be amazing. However, I can tell you that clinics did help me remember why I enjoy and am pursing veterinary medicine.

Vet school is truly not at all what it is like to be a vet. Clinics aren’t quite either, but get you a heck of a lot closer to living that life than the classroom years.

Don’t feel bad about taking time to pursue and enjoy your art form, too. That kind of stuff is good for the soul and crucial for getting through vet school/life in general.

Also, please be kind to yourself and do what you need to do to take care of yourself, especially during these crazy times.

I wish you all the best.

 

[JaynaAli]

Once you're out of vet school and get settled in to your first job, time will be there to pick up hobbies you may have sat down in the past. I myself have taken up leatherworking as a hobby. I know vets who draw or paint, some that sew, and many other hobbies. Horses, working out, dog sports, etc. My best friend commissioned another vet to draw me a pencil portrait of my dog after he died. A few classmates are Beachbody coaches on the side. It doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing thing. Yes, we tend to focus solely on vet school when we are in it, but things are (or can be) much different on the other side. It's okay to not enjoy vet school...it is hard. Work life balance can be tough, but you have to advocate for yourself and make time for what is important to you.

Edit: We also have a thread over in Pre-Vet called The Pet-Vet Creative Thread where people post some of their hobbies. If you write novels that may be less conducive to sharing in that setting, but search over there if you want to see how some vet students and vets and our beloved interlopers from other areas of SDN spend their free time.

 

[that redhead]

Echoing the above that it is common to feel burnt out during vet school. However, while rotations and actual clinical practice are a lot better than sitting through lecture/studying all the time, they come with their own unique challenges that can also contribute to burn out. I would encourage you to find a job that will allow for a work-life balance where you have time to pursue your interest in writing. This means finding a place that will share your planned schedule before you even sign your contract so that you can negotiate your hours/schedule, and that will respect your days off. Depending on finances, you could consider working part time.

You may want to message @chickenlittle - she writes now instead of practicing, but I think she's doing medical writing, not fiction. Perhaps that would be something you could look into in the future as a way to bridge the gap? But be careful of the "grass is greener" outlook; I have a friend who wasn't happy in clinical practice and went to a (vet) desk job and now misses clinical practice a lot and works a night a week at a local GP. I'd hate for you to abandon the field all together (especially with the debt) before you'd even tried it. You may find that you're happy working as a vet and are fulfilled creatively with writing in your down time.

 

[Springs10808]

Depending on finances, you could consider working part time.

My partner has actually suggested this a few times. Do you know if there's really a market for vets who only want to work part-time, especially if they're still fairly new to the field? I've perused ads a few times and haven't really seen a lot of people looking for part-time vet work. It seems like the perfect solution to help me pursue both careers; I still could without vet work being part time of course, but if we could swing it financially, that would be a lot easier.

You may want to message @chickenlittle - she writes now instead of practicing, but I think she's doing medical writing, not fiction. Perhaps that would be something you could look into in the future as a way to bridge the gap?

Yeah, I suspect this wouldn't do it for me. My uncle is a science fiction writer who started working as a freelance editor for scientific papers, and he's hardly written any fiction since he started that job because he's using all his "writing energy" on that and doesn't tend to have any left for his own projects at the end of the day, if that makes sense. Sort of like if you were a short order cook and then went home and tried to play Overcooked; by that point, you just want to be doing something else. And I don't really think I'd enjoy the medical writing the way I do fiction, so it wouldn't be worth the trade. But I do appreciate the suggestion! It crossed my mind at one point

 

[WildZoo]

My partner has actually suggested this a few times. Do you know if there's really a market for vets who only want to work part-time, especially if they're still fairly new to the field?

Yes, it probably just depends on your area, so if you're willing to move to somewhere where you could get a part-time job, definitely not out of the realm of possibility. My first job will be part-time. There's also the option of doing relief work, picking up ER shifts, things like that.

I'm a fiction writer myself and I understand how difficult it is not to have time for that. I ended up sacrificing some study time first year to write a novel, but there just wasn't time for it later on. I picked it back up during quarantine and it has been wonderful to get back to it, so I understand that feeling too. Hopefully having a little more time to do that will help you recharge your batteries. And yes, as others have said, there will be ways to make time for it after you graduate.

 

[Laradd]

My dog just recovered from parvo virus but last time when we visited vet clinic - the attendants were so negative. They even don't give you any positive words about your sick dog, so I realize my aunt friend working on the same vet clinic, told me several of people working their do not have any vet degree.

 

[LyraGardenia]

My dog just recovered from parvo virus but last time when we visited vet clinic - the attendants were so negative. They even don't give you any positive words about your sick dog, so I realize my aunt friend working on the same vet clinic, told me several of people working their do not have any vet degree.

Not sure how this pertains to this thread, but I'm sorry you had a poor experience at that clinic. If this person was referring to technicians/assistants, it's very common for these individuals to be trained on the job without holding any formal certification or degree. In many states unlicensed techs/assistants can do many of the same tasks as licensed ones. If you're referring to veterinarians possibly not having their degree, that would be a much more serious accusation. I'm glad your dog is doing better!

 

[DurzoBlunt1221]

Back to the thread... I find I use a fair bit of my free time painting but it’s more of a hobby for me unfortunately. I’ve always been in art classes and even was accepted to RISD out of high school but my parents wouldn’t pay for art school and since I didn’t want to pay myself I went to school for science and ended up a veterinarian. I think it’s possible to build up an art career when you’re practicing as opposed to during vet school because you’ll have more free time but if you’re already practicing full time then you may struggle to find the actual time to build and manage an art business while creating as well as working.
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