DVM at 43 pondering about MD Program...

[K9VET]

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I just wonder how many DVMs out there are thinking the same thing...

I graduated from vet school (abroad) in 1994, did some work as a large/small animal vet and then almost 10 years of research in critical care at a top notch medical school in the US (have several research articles published). I love animals, but I do love PRACTING high quality medicine; I am getting tired of euthanizing my patients! When the case begins to get interesting (usually the emergency and critical care cases), owners complain about costs and invariably, their pets are put to sleep. This is more so now with our economic crisis (which is only getting worse as our debt deepens). I don't have a very optimistic view of vet medicine. Our nation is getting poorer and pets are certainly not a priority when people have to fasten their belts.

I am frustrated and have been thinking that a career in medicine will afford more opportunities and will be more challenging. Has anybody in this forum made the switch? Are you enjoying it? Would I need to go over 8 years of studying again, or my background as a vet would count?

Thanks for your insight.
Cheers

 

[0919mmk]

I just wonder how many DVMs out there are thinking the same thing...

I graduated from vet school (abroad) in 1994, did some work as a large/small animal vet and then almost 10 years of research in critical care at a top notch medical school in the US (have several research articles published). I love animals, but I do love PRACTING high quality medicine; I am getting tired of euthanizing my patients! When the case begins to get interesting (usually the emergency and critical care cases), owners complain about costs and invariably, their pets are put to sleep. This is more so now with our economic crisis (which is only getting worse as our debt deepens). I don't have a very optimistic view of vet medicine. Our nation is getting poorer and pets are certainly not a priority when people have to fasten their belts.

I am frustrated and have been thinking that a career in medicine will afford more opportunities and will be more challenging. Has anybody in this forum made the switch? Are you enjoying it? Would I need to go over 8 years of studying again, or my background as a vet would count?

Thanks for your insight.
Cheers

Interesting story...

I am not a former DVM, so take my advice for what it's worth (i.e. free 🙂). To become an MD you would need to go to med school obviously (not sure if you were thinking you could skip over this, sorry if that was obvious). To get in to med school, you need to take certain prerequisite classes, and the MCAT, plus hospital clinical experience. That all could take 1-3 years, then 4 years of med school, so yes, to become an MD, you need about 7-8 years, no less. Have you looked in to DO schools? Same time commitment, but might be easier for you to get in. Oh yeah, and any classes you took in the past that cover the medical prereqs still count (physics, gen chem, organic chem, english). Good luck.

 

[MiDoc2]

Having completed the pre-reqs to vet school basically you would just need the MCAT and possibly a few extra-curriculars that shows your commitment to human medicine. You should contact the admissions office of a school you are interested in. Many of them will council you as long as you don't have a pending application with them. Beyond that, it's a personal decision whether it is worth the 4 years of med school plus residency...

 

[Dr Yiot]

I would think (and I could b and most likely am wrong) that you might just have to sit for the mcat and then apply. Schools will look favorably for you bieng a DVM, thats for sure. I am pretty sure that the prereq's for vet school are similar(if not, you probably have to take more as pre-vet) to pre-med. so if you have the years of bio, orgo, etc. I am thinking you would just have to sit for the mcat and then apply. i would 100% get someone elses advice on this and probably call schools your interested into applying too and ask for their advice. also look into the DO option as stated above.

 

[bassvp]

I'm sure vet school is ridiculously hard and has the same prereqs. no problem there.

You probably just have to promise them to not confuse the two practices and accidentally euthanize if a case gets too interesting. i hear that sleep deprivation in residency can make you do funny things...😉

 

[Zarika]

I'm sure there are people who have made the switch. You have to think about if it's worth it for you or not. If it is, go for it!

Med school is four years. You mentioned liking critical care and emergency. Emergency medicine residencies are three or four years depending on the program. Critical Care is a fellowship. I know you can do it off of anesthesiology, surgery, and medicine and I think there might be a few other residencies but I'm not 100% sure. So, at a minimum you would be 7 years (EM) or more (critical care) from the time you start med school until the time you can practice independently. You will be 50. There are certainly non-trads on these forums who have proven that you can be successful. Just remember to think about what your family and financial situation is like. I have no idea if you have the cash to fund medical school or not. If you don't, you will probably have loans for at least ten years after you start practicing full time.

I think it's definitely do-able. Just try to do as much research as possible to make sure you really want what you're signing up for badly enough. Make sure to do lots of shadowing and talk to lots of MDs in fields that you are interested in.

Good luck!

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

I used to wish I could be both... with animals in the back and people in the front, pharmacy in the middle 😉

I have seen all the stuff for both schools. Vet schools take the GRE med schools the MCAT, and everything else is the same. You need a good GPA, you need solid LORs, volunteering, PS, etc for both. If you don't want to have put animals to sleep any more, do it! Personally, my dream when I was younger was to be a vet. Then, I realized that I would be in tears EVERY day as a vet. Some case would come in with neglect, abuse, whatever, and it would have made me cry. How can I perform surgery when I'm in tears... SOOO... logical next thing was people. I don't have to put them to sleep, they don't get tied to chains and left to die, fought in rings, etc... I can't watch TV shows about pets dying, I cry, soooo I picked medicine instead. Go for it! If it's what you want, do it... I know I am making the right choice NOT being a DVM, if you think MD/DO is right for you too, get 'er done!