Does it ever bother you when...

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Agreed! Although, the difference is that when I (and I'm sure a lot of people) come on SDN, there's an expectation that help will be given and received, as opposed to the random drunk guy in a bar and/or the 18th family member to crack the same joke over holidays... :rolleyes:

Yeah, I'm sure many of us have been there. I think that might come down to a maturity issue :p

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This is what I always get: "Oh, you want to be a vet... Well my dog has this... what's wrong with him?" I first explain that I am not a veterinarian and I advise them to take their animal to the vet. I may give them possible reasons, based on my experience, but will always make the caveat for them to take them to a vet. In order to diagnose an animal's physical condition, you would need to physically see the animal.
 
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When I started volunteering at a small animal clinic for the first time, I had no hands-on experience but I was very knowledgeable about the vet school admissions process and what it takes to get accepted. But since I had no real experience, the vet just assumed I was ignorant and gave me this condescending lecture about how the vet schools will never even think about accepting someone with no experience, which I already knew. The whole staff treated me like an idiot, saying things like "are you sure you want to be a vet...?" every time I asked a stupid question or didn't know how to do something.

I had that same type of experience. When I started interning with a vet he asked me how many hours of experience I had so far. I replied a couple hundred, and he went on to tell me that most vet schools REQUIRE a lot more than that, and told examples of students that applied that had several thousand (implying that I need several thousand). I did feel pretty stupid. I knew that I needed more hours, that's why I was there. And he was trying to be helpful... but I also know he was thinking that I had no idea what I was in for (I did).

We were all ignorant at one point in our lives, whether it was a long time ago or recently. None of us are trying to be on pedestals or be malicious. We're just sharing stories and having a laugh. :) I'm sure at the time most of us are understanding, polite, and take the opportunity to educate... but that doesn't mean we can't get some harmless amusement out of it as well.
 
I don't know... I'm sure a lot of us started out in their shoes, not knowing much and being relatively clueless. You've got to start somewhere.
 
You should tell them "yeah, med school is my back up"

I totally got laughed at yesterday for telling my pre-dental and pre- med friends that I had originally thought of med school as a back-up on account of vet school being too hard to get into! :rolleyes
 
It really bothers me when people constantly ask "Are you sure you want to be a vet?", as if it's some crummy profession to go into. The worst time was when I was a best man at a wedding, and just before I had to walk down the aisle one of my relatives, who I haven't seen in at least a decade, said "I'll give you ten reasons not to be a vet." I asked him to tell me and he gave me a blank stare, so I gave him a shove and went down the aisle.

Another thing is how people ask for discounts/free exams for the vet when they obviously don't need them, they're just too cheap to take care of their pet. A family friend of mine owns car lots, towing companies, gas stations, and real estate all over the city and yet he pesters me to put his dog under my employee discount.
 
all of the above are the exact reasons that I am not telling my family until I am DONE with vet school. My wife knows, a few close friends know, and jobs I apply for know and that is about it.... (except for you guys and gals of course)
 
You should tell them "yeah, med school is my back up"

Several years ago when I was in high school I went to the OSU's vet school open house. The tour guide was a student and actually said that her back up if she didn't get in was med school!! :laugh:
 
all of the above are the exact reasons that I am not telling my family until I am DONE with vet school. My wife knows, a few close friends know, and jobs I apply for know and that is about it.... (except for you guys and gals of course)

TBH, the pressure I received from my family and friends (both support and those weird looks, like "Your still in school?") are a huge motivation. Not everyone handles that kind of pressure the same way, but by putting it out there, its harder to give up on your dream.
 
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The whole four year thing really gets me every time. Would they really want someone operating on their beloved dog with only 2 years of school??
 
The whole four year thing really gets me every time. Would they really want someone operating on their beloved dog with only 2 years of school??

They want you to have a ton of schooling but they only think you deserve to be paid like someone with 2 years of school, that's why. ;)
 
On a related note, it also REALLY irks me when my friends and family members (who share some of the abovementioned misconceptions) say I am a "shoo-in" for vet school because I am "so good with animals." And when I try to explain to them how hard it is to get in, they tell me I'm being modest. Kills me...

You are describing my mother perfectly!! She also thinks that she can “call” someone and they will be able to get me accepted…umm no it doesn’t work like that.
 
all of the above are the exact reasons that I am not telling my family until I am DONE with vet school. My wife knows, a few close friends know, and jobs I apply for know and that is about it.... (except for you guys and gals of course)

Wow! That is some secret to keep! Good luck! :)
 
You are describing my mother perfectly!! She also thinks that she can “call” someone and they will be able to get me accepted…umm no it doesn’t work like that.

OMG, if one more person asks me "isn't there someone you know that can call to get you in?"

Don't you think if I knew that person I would be outside their house every sunday morning washing and waxing their car?!
 
OMG, if one more person asks me "isn't there someone you know that can call to get you in?"

Don't you think if I knew that person I would be outside their house every sunday morning washing and waxing their car?!


Hahahaha :rofl:

Who are these people you talk to? They sound kind of shady :cool:.
 
This is completely off topic, but No Imagination why is your SDN name No Imagination? Is there a story behind this-or do you have no imagination?
 
This is completely off topic, but No Imagination why is your SDN name No Imagination? Is there a story behind this-or do you have no imagination?

LoL, the story is basically i couldn't for the life of me think of a good SN for SDN. I'm pretty vocal about my opinions, and while I am actually very rational and sensative (in terms of how I tend to come off), I know that comments are easily misconstrued. So i didn't want to use any of my normal SN - Least until I get accepted :) Know of at least one adcomm that frequents these boards (Hey Fly!)

As far as my friends being shady, yeah, I have those friends, but I've also worked with a lot of people at one of the schools I applied to. 3 people emailed me and told me they had to recuse themselves from my interview committee due to conflict of interest. Wish they were more like my shady friends...
 
It's amazing how folks associate you by what you do.

I was running some quick errands in my boots and overalls when a former patient of mine (I was a pharmacist before vet school) literally yells at the top of his lungs:

"Hey Doc-I didn't recognize you with your clothes on!"


I don't mind those comments:) (sometimes)

I don't really pay the vet school wannabe posers any mind---they obviously did nothing to educate or prepare themselves for the career. They're doomed to fail, which is no suprise at all.
 
While we're on this topic I could use some advice everybody. As many of you have mentioned it is a lot harder to get into vet school than people think, even some oblivious pre-vets.

Just yesterday a friend of mine (undeclared major) came to me for information about vet schools, what kind of work/commitment was involved and careers in vet med. I was open to helping him out but discovered that 1) he was in it for all the wrong reasons and 2) he is not a really qualified applicant. For one thing, upon mentioning that vets typically make about 1/2 of what MDs make, his face flushed and he goes "What?! I thought you guys made bank!" I mean it was a huge disappointment. Secondly, he has no experience with animals and has taken no science classes despite finishing his sophomore year this May. He said he struggles with and "hates" science courses and asked if i EVER liked science or if you just deal.

So, my question is have you all ever run into someone like this? If so, how do I deter this person from pursuing this, changing his major, getting his hopes up and all when he doesn't really have a chance. The only pre-req he has taken is Econ and he got a D, I don't think he's cut out for it. I really hate to deter someone from their dream because when I was a sophomore, someone could have justifiably told me I didn't stand a chance in hell. But, I think I'd be sparing him a lot of dissapointment and misdirection. How can I discourage him? Thanks.
 
While we're on this topic I could use some advice everybody. As many of you have mentioned it is a lot harder to get into vet school than people think, even some oblivious pre-vets.

Just yesterday a friend of mine (undeclared major) came to me for information about vet schools, what kind of work/commitment was involved and careers in vet med. I was open to helping him out but discovered that 1) he was in it for all the wrong reasons and 2) he is not a really qualified applicant. For one thing, upon mentioning that vets typically make about 1/2 of what MDs make, his face flushed and he goes "What?! I thought you guys made bank!" I mean it was a huge disappointment. Secondly, he has no experience with animals and has taken no science classes despite finishing his sophomore year this May. He said he struggles with and "hates" science courses and asked if i EVER liked science or if you just deal.

So, my question is have you all ever run into someone like this? If so, how do I deter this person from pursuing this, changing his major, getting his hopes up and all when he doesn't really have a chance. The only pre-req he has taken is Econ and he got a D, I don't think he's cut out for it. I really hate to deter someone from their dream because when I was a sophomore, someone could have justifiably told me I didn't stand a chance in hell. But, I think I'd be sparing him a lot of dissapointment and misdirection. How can I discourage him? Thanks.

Hmm...I don't know if it necessarily your job to tell him he isn't cut out for it (that might be harsh-and you never know what the future holds). He may have already been swayed based on his reaction to the pay. I think something you should tell him is to shadow a vet. That can really be a make or break for some people. Some people can't stomach it (you can learn to handle it, but some people are immediately turned off to the career right then and there) and some people can't handle putting animals to sleep. Also, you could give him a list of pre-reqs for whatever vet school is closest to you so he know what it takes to get in. Let him know the average GPA is 3.5 or higher, and he needs to have quite a bit of vet experience.

These are just a few things he should know before he chooses this path. I think something he should do very soon is just shadow a vet for a day. This will give him an opportunity to discover what being a vet is about, and give him a chance to ask the vet about how hard it is to get into vet school. Hopefully that experience will give him an idea as to if he wants to be a vet or not, allowing him to make a decision one way or the other sooner rather then later. But I don't think you need to tell him flat out. He needs to decide for himself based on the facts. So your role could be providing the facts and answering the questions he may have.

Hope that helps! :)
 
Dude, just wait until he gets to organic chemistry. If he's managed to make it that far, somehow, thats when (IMO) he'll really have to see what he's made of. If he can't cope, he won't do well or finish at all, and then he won't be able to apply. He'll have to reconsider at some point, no matter.

Now, if you're wanting to be nice and save him the trouble, you can try to convince him nicely that vet school = science, no doubt. Vet school also = poop, blood, etc etc... hate to use scare tactics, but that's usually what works the best.

Good luck! Lol. :)
 
Or, you could go the gut check route and get him into intro to animal sciences.

If he has a weak stomach and you have fistulated cows at your school, that usually will weed out the pretenders. That and the first whiff of the swine farm.
:hungover: :barf:

Also, if he goes to intro to animal sciences, they will also give other options to work with animals without all of the science. So, if he was still interested, but turned off by the pay, he could find other opportunities.
 
Meat Science was a great "weed out" course for many of my fellow animal science peers. During our first lab the girl next to me passed-out and hit her head on the concrete floor! I felt really bad for her...she never came back to class.
 
I know a girl whose boyfriend decided he wanted to be a vet once he realized that was what she was going for and now they are competing for the same spot at the same schools. He does not even like animals, just thinks they are going to be "partners". To those people I want to say move over and let the people who really want to be a veterinarian have a shot.
 
To those people I want to say move over and let the people who really want to be a veterinarian have a shot.

See, this is one of the comments that kind of bothers me. Does it matter if a person really REALLY wants to be a vet? Now what if the other guy who doesn't want it quite as much is far more qualified though?

I have some friends who really Really REALLY want to be vets, but on their second and third attempts at orgo and physics, you have to wonder if they actually could be successful in veterinary school.


The people who "really want to be a veterinarian" have an equal shot as everyone else.
 
My best friend's back up really is med school :D

In response to all of the above... I'm all for cutting people some slack if they're not IN the field and have no interest. But if you're looking (seriously looking) to become a vet, I think it's pretty easy to figure out the pre-req's on your own if you have access to a computer and know how to use the internet. I went to a community college for 2 years where they said "Yea, one of our students got into a vet school in Kansas once..." (I should send them a note letting them know I got into Penn :D) and a 4 year school where the pre-vet counselor asked me if there was a vet school in NY (which was OUR state...). I just went straight to the source... I stalked vet school websites, and emailed the schools if I had questions. They're all really clear about how many hours of experience they require, what classes, what tests... etc....

I've been really surprised by the number of people from all walks of life who say to me "Vet school? Isn't that harder to get into than medical school?" It's pretty well known. But that said, I agree with David... so what if someone hasn't wanted to be a vet their whole lives? I didn't know I did until right before I went back to undergrad 4 years ago... and I have a close friend who was pre-med, got rejected, and realized he would really LOVE to be a vet. He remembers the exact date he made that decision because it was such a great moment in his life... he was pre-vet for 3 months, got in, and is now a fantastic veterinarian. He loves his job, and the field is lucky to have him. I don't hate him for realizing it later than most do.

I agree most with those who are saying we the need to up the anty in pre-vet counseling. I think I might actually get in touch with my community college and become a contact person for anyone who expresses an interest in pre-vet. I mean, how much fun is it to talk about all the work it took to get where you are, and just know that your'e spreading knowledge about your chosen field?! If we all make an effort to curtiously spread the word about what it really takes to be a vet, soon the whole country will be saying "real doctors treat more than one species...." :D:laugh:
 
I think I might actually get in touch with my community college and become a contact person for anyone who expresses an interest in pre-vet. I mean, how much fun is it to talk about all the work it took to get where you are, and just know that your'e spreading knowledge about your chosen field?! If we all make an effort to curtiously spread the word about what it really takes to be a vet, soon the whole country will be saying "real doctors treat more than one species...." :D:laugh:

I think that's such a great idea! What a wonderful way to try and make pre-vet career counseling better rather than just whining about it like we usually do. (Which, of course, is fun too. :))
 
I know a girl whose boyfriend decided he wanted to be a vet once he realized that was what she was going for and now they are competing for the same spot at the same schools. He does not even like animals, just thinks they are going to be "partners". To those people I want to say move over and let the people who really want to be a veterinarian have a shot.

That is unusually to do it solely for those reasons, isn't it? People do things for strange reasons sometimes.

Look at the number of people in the last years that now apply to medical school. Its so ridiculous. People are having a hard time getting in on there 3rd try now. Applicants have tripled in the past few years. Good stats have to be over the top stats. I used to think vet school was the hardest to get in, but now I don't.

The economy got bad, and not everyone wants a "decent living/decent job". A lot less people are going into other fields now. Qualified people for vet and med school almost have to be over qualified. I worry about the competitiveness of these fields. There just isn't enough seats for everyone anymore.

I told a friend a few weeks ago that I thought that if I applied to vet and med school at the same time I bet I would get into a ave medical school then a prestigious vet school. He laughed. I don't think I am right though:laugh:.

I am about 70% sure I want to be a vet and the other is for human med or scientist for the environment. I feel like I am more of a "pre-vet/med". Its just not a easy choice for everyone at first. So, does this mean I shouldn't be a vet? No. you do not need to be a die hard " I was wanted to be a vet since I was a kid" to have a interest in choosing vet school. Something has to have interested them to be interested in vet school. It could be money (haha prob not)/respect/morals/easy because of circumstance/good in sciences/etc/want to help people with choices of solving pet problems/ ect....)

People need careers and jobs so they can have a life one day.

Its a equal oppertunity to pursue goals like education. If you are more qualified then the other person, and you get in, then you deserved the spot, regardless of "your feelings". I do realize though, a lot of people in pre-vet are qualified when they apply, but just can not get a seat yet and result is wait listed and rejected.
 
I think that's such a great idea! What a wonderful way to try and make pre-vet career counseling better rather than just whining about it like we usually do. (Which, of course, is fun too. :))

Thanks! I emailed them today, so we'll see what happens :D. And I think there was still a good amount of whining in that post lol... if not, here's some. It bothers me when human doctors/nurses/whatever come in and start dictating their pets treatment. GAH! My husband (surgical intern) freely admits that he knows human medicine, and defers to me with the pets even though I only know a smidgeon of the technical end of vet med....

We had an interventional radiologist come in today and he had us gurneying his dog EVERYWHERE because it had a torn CCL.... it could walk fine.... and he tried to force us to do the surgery monday, even though our surgeon is booked. You just want to look at him and say "CALM DOWN". :p
 
Wow! That is some secret to keep! Good luck! :)

I think you jinxed me... Mom's lab was bitten yesterday at the dog park by a GSD and her vet (also my vet until recently) was packed so I magically knew a vet who could help out on short notice. We got to my vet's office (where I volunteer) and I went into vet tech mode and shaved the area, helped clean the wound and administer antibiotics until the doc could get there (his wife owns a flower shop nearby and it was Valentine's Day so he was helping there). We got him stapled up and on the way, but of course my mom wanted to know how I knew where to go, what to do, etc...

oops...
 
I wonder if this also bothers you guys, especially since we are all working our butts off for competitive GPAs...I have a friend who has close to a 3.9, and he always says that he's "undecided" between med or vet school, basically in a tone that suggests he's good for both. Except that he's never had to work a day in his undergrad career, and doesn't do anything with animals or have much experience to speak of. I have something like a 3.65, except I have been working the entire time (one year I did 40 hours a week), commute for about ten hours a week in LA traffic, and volunteered at a shelter and now a wildlife hospital--and have been doing all these things for four years--and he still acts like he's a hotter shot at getting in!!!
 
I wonder if this also bothers you guys, especially since we are all working our butts off for competitive GPAs...I have a friend who has close to a 3.9, and he always says that he's "undecided" between med or vet school, basically in a tone that suggests he's good for both. Except that he's never had to work a day in his undergrad career, and doesn't do anything with animals or have much experience to speak of. I have something like a 3.65, except I have been working the entire time (one year I did 40 hours a week), commute for about ten hours a week in LA traffic, and volunteered at a shelter and now a wildlife hospital--and have been doing all these things for four years--and he still acts like he's a hotter shot at getting in!!!

No vet school will look at him even with a 4.0 if he has no experience. Unfortunately I'm sure if he 'decides' to apply to med school, he'll always act like he could've easily gotten into vet school. I guess it's one of those situations where you have to just be content in knowing the truth. :rolleyes: And if he's even half serious about applying to vet school, I'm sure he secretly knows the truth too and just doesn't want to admit it.
 
Dude, just wait until he gets to organic chemistry. If he's managed to make it that far, somehow, thats when (IMO) he'll really have to see what he's made of. If he can't cope, he won't do well or finish at all, and then he won't be able to apply. He'll have to reconsider at some point, no matter.

Now, if you're wanting to be nice and save him the trouble, you can try to convince him nicely that vet school = science, no doubt. Vet school also = poop, blood, etc etc... hate to use scare tactics, but that's usually what works the best.

Good luck! Lol. :)

Thanks for the feedback Pooch and I'm not trying to be the gatekeeper here, just help him out. I've encouraged my friend to shadow a vet and made him aware of the competitiveness and course requirements.

Twelvetigers, I think you're right that a few of the courses or clinical experiences might scare off some ppl with the gut-check. Thanks for the lol with the scare tactics, had to share that with the gf, she goes, "Thats what you want to do with your life?" yup!

Speaking of gut-check, I'll have to set him up with the fistulated cow at the barn. In the fall, a freshman was shoulder-deep in her when she let off a huge, snotty sneeze! He was COVERED in rumen content.:eek: Dude never missed a beat though.
 
Ha! I got a picture of me after a cow farted and the poo went over the glasses and right into my eye ball.

We are a SPECIAL BUNCH!
 
I've got some recent good ones!!

#1- A classmate of mine went to meet her boyfriend's family for the first time. His sister, a med student, had some questions about vet school. Started off with the typical "so how long is it?" Then proceeded to say "It must be really hard- you have to treat dogs of different sizes" To which my witty friend responded... "you have to treat people of different sizes". Yes, let's not focus on the different SPECIES we have to learn about and treat- let's focus on dog sizes.

#2- I was giving a tour of the vet school to a vet tech. She was very nice and very talkative and asked a lot of questions. Every time I pointed out something animal related she would say "yeah we learned that in vet tech school." Finally she said "So vet tech school is just like vet school, but condensed into 2 years" :eek: I didn't get a chance to respond because she immediately started talking about something else, but man! If I weren't so freakin polite I would have loved to gone back to that statement.
 
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"So vet tech school is just like vet school, but condensed into 2 years"

HAHA! I love/hate when that happens. A woman brought her dog into the clinic I work at and a little while into the conversation told me that she had studied Veterinary Medicine...Of course I asked where and her response was "Oh, just one of the community colleges" ::sigh::


I actually got into a heated discussion with one of my friends today who will be starting Med school this fall....it ultimately ended with both of us frustrated. She thought med students have the tougher learning process and I just couldn't see it.

This stuff still bothers me...every day something happens!!
 
I really wished I would have said "oh- so you guys take 45-50 credit hours per semester, then?" or "so you know how to diagnose and treat diseases, and do surgery?"
 
There's a girl in my lab period who says she wants to be a vet. So since she's a vegetarian and has fainting problems when it comes to our dissection animals(nothing against either of those things!), someone was asking her how she felt about euthanasia, specifically, euthanasia when an animal could be treated but the owners couldn't afford it. She had already gotten my feathers ruffled when she stated something along the lines of owners just choosing not to pay for expensive treatments for their pets because they don't care enough.

Girl: Oh, well in that case then I will TAKE the animal, treat it myself, and either keep it or find it a home.
Me: Umm, you are going to be in some major debt when you graduate, you won't be able to just treat any animal that comes in for free. You'll be trying to run a business. And if that business fails, you will be unable to help any of the others animals.
Girl: (shrugs and waves her hand) Whatever, I'll be fine, I can do it.
Me: OK, then, these are people's PETS. They aren't just going to hand them over to you to give away to someone else.
Girl: (shrugs again)

A conversation like this ensues nearly every week. I keep my mouth shut because it doesn't matter what I say, but boy is it frustrating!! She's bordering on a PETA groupie and it drives me nuts... simply because she has a snarky, holier-than-thou attitude.

Hoping that this one doesn't get past the ad-coms!!! (and I feel bad saying that, but she clearly doesn't understand the realities of vet med, nor does she care)
 
I love this thread!!! haha!

the thing that always made me the maddest was when people would constantly tell me (for years) that i would change my mind about becoming a vet. Im sure most people do change their minds, but it was just sad that no one ever believed in me.

another thing that gets me is the pre-med students that think their life is sooo much more difficult. I work hard too!!
 
My husband was talking to one of his college professors who said "at least when she gets out she'll be making over 100 k a year"

I WISH!
 
I understand where you guys are coming from, however, here’s my issue with this topic. I grew up in a family with no medical, veterinary, or even college background. I was the first to graduate from college, I was the first to even attend college. I really had no idea what was going on until probably third year in school. I was in a pre-vet program, but I had no idea what it really took. I saw all these people getting in to whatever they wanted and I never asked what it took until I had to do it myself. I mean, I knew it was hard, but I didn’t realize how hard. Just because someone doesn’t know EXACTLY what it takes to get in, does NOT mean they will never get in. They just have to work harder than you; you should feel lucky. (Of course this only relates to the comments on vet school wannabes not knowing what it takes)
 
someone was asking her how she felt about euthanasia, specifically, euthanasia when an animal could be treated but the owners couldn't afford it. She had already gotten my feathers ruffled when she stated something along the lines of owners just choosing not to pay for expensive treatments for their pets because they don't care enough.

I really don't get why some people, especially some of my pre-med classmates, think that issue is only relevant to vet med. In human medicine, there are many times when people don't have insurance or their insurance companies won't pay for a bone marrow transplant or whatever, and the doctor cannot treat them. Obviously, they don't normally euthanize them, but the underlying principle is the same.
 
An acceptance into vet school was enough for some of my family to prematurely start calling me "Dr.". I tried to explain that I haven't earned the title yet, but quickly figured that was a futile effort! (not to mention it has a nice ring to it!:p)

bigfoot777: I completely understand where you are coming from, as I am also a first generation college student. If you were referring to EqSci's comment, I think she was commenting on how frustrating it is for people to be ignorant and not care. We are all ignorant about something; however, if a knowledgeable person is challenging you to confront real issues about a situation, you should be open to discussing and thinking about said issues. Shrugging your shoulders in apathy or ignorance isn't acceptable when the information is out there at your fingertips and you do not take it upon yourself to research it or seek out information.
JMHO.:D
 
I'm just graduating from high school this year and we have a girl in our class that thinks she's going to vet school straight after high school. I don't think she even has college credits, veterinary experience, any of the harder math or science courses, or any idea of what becoming a veterinarian entails. I'm pretty sure it's just a vet tech school, but she thinks she will be a veterinarian when she graduates.

I get the we hope you will change your mind and decide to be a human doctor spiel all the time too. :laugh:
 
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