DVM post-vet school: is it worth it?

[randombird]

(EDIT: Title is supposed to say Phd post vet school. Oops.) Hey all! I'm a 4th year eyeing the prospects of what all is out there post graduation. I love birds, and I want to work with birds, and as long as birds are in the picture I'll work with just about any other species too. I recently saw an open position for a Phd program, and was wondering if anyone's heard of if it's really that career-furthering to go for a Phd on top of their DVM if they do still want some exposure to the medical side of things. I enjoy research as long as I'm getting some exposure to live vertebrates and I'd be perfectly happy ending up in academia, but I'm not sure if doing a three year Phd program straight out of 4th year would be the best idea. Any thoughts?

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[lilylilac]

I can't answer your question directly, but I can say that almost no PhD is going to be a three year program if it's not combined with another degree. Think more like 4-6 years, depending on several factors. Also, birds aren't a typical research species, so I don't think you'll get much exposure from most projects either. Can you provide more information about the PhD program that you're interested in?

 

[futurevet3]

Texas A&M's Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center has several ongoing research projects related to avian conditions and diseases. They were recently published with their work on avian bornavirus. I worked with chickens that I was able to house and necropsy in their labs (as an MS student). One of the PhD students took care of the parrots that she was using in her experiments. So at least in that Center, you would be hands on with birds. What do you mean by 'medical side'? Researching avian diseases is medicine. If you mean taking on birds as patients and diagnosing like you would in private practice, very little of that is done by researchers. There is one lady at Schubot that does research and clinical work, but it not very often.

As to whether it is a good idea to pursue another degree after finishing a DVM, that would be personal preference and where yiou see yourself in 10/20 years. PhDs require a lot of time and dedication and often go past the 4 year norm. I know quite a few who are on year 6 or 7. If you want to be in academia, then that is the way to go, as a DVM only means next to nothing to them. You have to have a certain number of publications and a phd, sometimes even a postdoc before you can even apply to some academic positions. I suggest talking to a graduate school advisor, or someone in a university research lab to gain more information about phd programs.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

(EDIT: Title is supposed to say Phd post vet school. Oops.) Hey all! I'm a 4th year eyeing the prospects of what all is out there post graduation. I love birds, and I want to work with birds, and as long as birds are in the picture I'll work with just about any other species too. I recently saw an open position for a Phd program, and was wondering if anyone's heard of if it's really that career-furthering to go for a Phd on top of their DVM if they do still want some exposure to the medical side of things. I enjoy research as long as I'm getting some exposure to live vertebrates and I'd be perfectly happy ending up in academia, but I'm not sure if doing a three year Phd program straight out of 4th year would be the best idea. Any thoughts?

....three year PhD program?

Lol.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Texas A&M's Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center has several ongoing research projects related to avian conditions and diseases. They were recently published with their work on avian bornavirus. I worked with chickens that I was able to house and necropsy in their labs (as an MS student). One of the PhD students took care of the parrots that she was using in her experiments. So at least in that Center, you would be hands on with birds. What do you mean by 'medical side'? Researching avian diseases is medicine. If you mean taking on birds as patients and diagnosing like you would in private practice, very little of that is done by researchers. There is one lady at Schubot that does research and clinical work, but it not very often.

As to whether it is a good idea to pursue another degree after finishing a DVM, that would be personal preference and where yiou see yourself in 10/20 years. PhDs require a lot of time and dedication and often go past the 4 year norm. I know quite a few who are on year 6 or 7. If you want to be in academia, then that is the way to go, as a DVM only means next to nothing to them. You have to have a certain number of publications and a phd, sometimes even a postdoc before you can even apply to some academic positions. I suggest talking to a graduate school advisor, or someone in a university research lab to gain more information about phd programs.

If we are talking high-quality research institutions, more like usually. Unless you also have a specialty under your belt in addition to the DVM and PhD.

 

[Lab Vet]

....three year PhD program?

Lol.

Three years....never happen. Think 4 if you are incredibly fortunate (i.e. handed a project that is already troubleshot...you're basically a glorified technician). I would put the average time to completion at 5 years...or more, depending on the discipline and composition of the dissertation committee. I laughed when I saw three. Not in this lifetime, OP.

 

[Staffie]

Three years....never happen. Think 4 if you are incredibly fortunate (i.e. handed a project that is already troubleshot...you're basically a glorified technician). I would put the average time to completion at 5 years...or more, depending on the discipline and composition of the dissertation committee. I laughed when I saw three. Not in this lifetime, OP.

PhD programs in the UK are usually 3 years. It's crazy. Three year PhD's don't have a rotation year, and the project is already set up by the PI. I'm not a fan of the UK system for PhDs, but they do crank them out pretty quickly. Post docs I know in the UK say that a UK PhD grad needs to complete a post doc before getting to the same level of a US PhD grad.

 

[DickVetPlease]

More information about your interests and this program would be helpful. In my experience and as others have said, a typical PhD in the US is definitely not 3 years. As someone in the thick of it right now, I can't stress the commitment and patience needed for these programs. Honestly, I partied my way through vet school--not so much once you're in the trenches of a PhD. That being said, I'm aiming for a research-heavy career in academia and I generally am enjoying my PhD far more than vet school. In my case, it has been and I think will continue to be absolutely worth it. Find yourself a good academic advisor, and remember that ultimately it's a very personal choice.