Have not even begun yet....

[Ploofafa]

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... and I am already severely doubting myself: Do I have what it takes? Is this really what I want? Will I even be able to go through school having no money?

Ideally, I would love to become a Zoo Veterinarian, but realistically, how probable is that, really? To my understanding, everyone goes through a phase of doubt of whether or not what it is they are doing is not just one huge mistake (especially school, in this case), but I have yet to begin secondary schooling, and I am already doing so. 😕

I have been reading up on many many things, such as whether one should choose a career based on money to support themselves, or for passion and the love of doing it. This, so far, has struck me as the most prevalent reason to put aside what I was thinking of doing instead of being a Vet. (being a Pastry Chef):

"I had a friend through high school who was an amazing guitarist. He played local coffee houses and bars. When we were going to university, he decided on social issues courses -Psychology/Sociology/Community development.

I asked him one day "Hey man, why struggle through university doing things you like, when you have this amazing talent you love to share with people? Why not do the music program and become a teacher?"

I, to this very day, love his response: "well struggling through something I am ok with doing is great. I know I could probably do better with marks if I did Music, but look at it this way - If I chose this, my hobby, my talent as my career, my bread maker, I would slowly come to resent the very thing I love. I can chose to play music when I want, and I chose the people I help learn. If I were to suddenly make it a job, then I would be about 3-5 yrs into it and resent it... I would have less choice about who I want to teach, about when I want to teach it, and like with any job I would begin to resent the whole notion of playing the guitar."

I have asked many a person, on numerous occasions, what it is they think they could see me doing with my life, and the only answer I EVER get is "Well, what do you think would make you the happiest?" Ugh....

I have even go so far out of the box (not really, I suppose) to take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and came up with INFJ. I am drawing a blank right now (I have been thinking way too much) on how that assists me.


I know this is far from the correct place to be asking such a question, but to the members of this forum, of whom I have known for such a short time: What do you think? -- Do you think this foggy-minded individual has what it takes to become a Zoo Veterinarian, or should his career choice lie elsewhere?

 

[david594]

What do you think? -- Do you think this foggy-minded individual has what it takes to become a Zoo Veterinarian, or should his career choice lie elsewhere?

Honestly question, but do you really know what a zoo vet does?

Until you've spent time with one on a daily basis the odds are that you probably don't So I'd work on doing that first to make sure the ideal in your mind matches the reality of the situation.

(Or maybe you've worked with a zoo vet for years....)

 

[sofficat]

Wow! I can just see your mind exploding due to all the thoughts zooming through it 😉
How far along are you in school? Do you have experience with vet stuff? Do you know what it is like to work in a zoo (as a vet)? Private practice? I'm assuming you are in college, are you working with a vet currently?
First of all- I wanted to be a zoo vet for a while. You are right in that it is a small field, and it definitely takes a special person to be a zoo vet because often you have to do what is best for the zoo, or for the public, or for the big wigs who make the money rather than what is best for the animal. I soon realized I am not the kind of person who'd like to do zoo work. I now have some experience working in sm animal and exotic practices and I love it.
So just because you think you want to be a zoo vet doesn't mean you will end up being one.

The response your music friend made is interesting... but I disagree. I have a passion for animals and a mind for medicine and my husband has a passion for music. We are both in school to do just that and we are as happy as can be. What is greater in life than doing what you love all day long and making a living off of it!

As far as making it though vet school- who knows if you can do it? No one does. Everyone goes into vet school with a fear of not being able to handle it. But you know what? We do. We handle it. And it is hard and frustrating but everyone in your class understands and you make it through together.
Ok- back to studying. Good luck.

 

[luplodw]

Honestly question, but do you really know what a zoo vet does?

Until you've spent time with one on a daily basis the odds are that you probably don't So I'd work on doing that first to make sure the ideal in your mind matches the reality of the situation.

(Or maybe you've worked with a zoo vet for years....)

I totally agree. I used to think I wanted to be a zoo vet...until I was an intern at the zoo. I totally changed my mind. It is soooo competitive, and it's a lot more school/money. Unless you are the vet at a huge zoo, you probably won't get paid anything. I was an intern for a zoo vet who has been doing it for a long while and she has like no money (she lives in a trailer.) Also it was a lot of sitting around because most of the time the animals weren't sick

 

[Lechatnoir]

"I had a friend through high school who was an amazing guitarist. He played local coffee houses and bars. When we were going to university, he decided on social issues courses -Psychology/Sociology/Community development.

This sounds exactly like my boyfriend. Except he believes teaching music and having to hear kids butcher it would ruin it for him lol

 

[Ploofafa]

First of all- I wanted to be a zoo vet for a while. You are right in that it is a small field, and it definitely takes a special person to be a zoo vet because often you have to do what is best for the zoo, or for the public, or for the big wigs who make the money rather than what is best for the animal. I soon realized I am not the kind of person who'd like to do zoo work. I now have some experience working in sm animal and exotic practices and I love it.

And what does this entail, exactly? 🙂

*I am reassessing my decision in becoming a Zoo Veterinarian, that is of course, if I ever make it that far. 😛*

 

[rileyroo]

And what does this entail, exactly? 🙂

*I am reassessing my decision in becoming a Zoo Veterinarian, that is of course, if I ever make it that far. 😛*

i did a 2 year internship in the hospital at my local zoo. i STRONGLY advise getting some in depth experience in this field. it'll really help solidify your interest.

 

[sofficat]

And what does this entail, exactly? 🙂

*I am reassessing my decision in becoming a Zoo Veterinarian, that is of course, if I ever make it that far. 😛*

Have you worked at a regular small animal practice (just dogs and cats)? Well, imagine that but you also see bunnies, snakes, chinchillas, pet skunks, mice, gerbils, rats, birds and any other pet creature people can have (I've seen skunks and a wallaby). You never know what you'll get to see that day and I love it! A lot of the time you end up dealing with husbandry issues (caging, housing, enrichment, diet). It's a really exciting and evolving field.
You should look into working or volunteering at an exotics practice. At one place I worked they also took in wildlife, which was really freaking neat. I got to do surgery on a bird who was attacked by a cat and I did an exploratory surgery on a dying baby deer (something caused gastric necrosis/bloat- never did figure it out, prob some system bacterial infection). We got to see hawks, owls, ducks and so much more. I love that kind of stuff!

 

[Ploofafa]

Have you worked at a regular small animal practice (just dogs and cats)? Well, imagine that but you also see bunnies, snakes, chinchillas, pet skunks, mice, gerbils, rats, birds and any other pet creature people can have (I've seen skunks and a wallaby). You never know what you'll get to see that day and I love it! A lot of the time you end up dealing with husbandry issues (caging, housing, enrichment, diet). It's a really exciting and evolving field.
You should look into working or volunteering at an exotics practice. At one place I worked they also took in wildlife, which was really freaking neat. I got to do surgery on a bird who was attacked by a cat and I did an exploratory surgery on a dying baby deer (something caused gastric necrosis/bloat- never did figure it out, prob some system bacterial infection). We got to see hawks, owls, ducks and so much more. I love that kind of stuff!

Sign.
Me.
Up.
😀!

That is, how do I go about finding an Exotics Practice? 🙂

 

[lalzi22]

Sign.
Me.
Up.
😀!

That is, how do I go about finding an Exotics Practice? 🙂

Its hard to find a place, but some exotics vets will not work at one clinic, but will actually travel to different clinics when they get the call, and some will work at a hospital. Google it. Its where I found the exotic vet that I work for. She used to travel between 3 clinics on different days, but now she is opening her own clinic, so no more traveling! Seriously though, google exotic vets in your area, and contact them. I love working for an exotic vet, its very fun.

 

[rileyroo]

my first job was with an exotics vet. it was very exciting! i have actually worked with 2 different exotics vets. the first one i found by doing a local search and the clinic had a website. the second was at an emergency/specialty hospital (one of the best vets i have ever worked with). so hopefully by doing a search in your area you can locate one and start getting some experience in that area of vet med!

 

[sumstorm]

Just a bit of a different perspective:
The odds of becoming a zoo vet = 0 without a DVM. I understand the fellow who wants to keep his hobby as a hobby, but let me share my experience. I went through undergrad making sure I had the requirements for vet and med school. My Sr. year I was accepted to med school (went that path after much the same talk you are having with yourself) and received a Watson Fellowship for international study. I could not defer for the Watson, but was unwilling to pass up the opportunity to travel the world on someone else's dime. So I gave up med school. Best decision ever.
In my travels, I looked at public perceptions on conservation at wildlife parks, nature reserves, carnivals, zoos, etc…and about specific topics like breeding programs, cloning, repopulation, etc. I learned a lot; my goal was to become an expert in application of various techniques to preserve species and niches. When I returned the the US (broke) I accepted a job at a zoo, and worked as a curator for the next 4 years. I confess, I LOVED every single minute of my job. The only thing I didn't love was the fact that to move up (director), someone had to retire, die, or be dang bad at their job.
I was really good at my job…. And my job was both job and hobby. I happily spent many spare hours at the zoo, coming in early, staying late, even occasionally sleeping in my office. I had time for other hobbies (dog training and fostering, friends, going to the lake, a bit of travel) but the zoo was far more than a workplace for me…it was family and entertainment and success. Then Katrina/Rita occurred, and my salary was better spent rebuilding, so I resigned. I could have returned 6 months later or taken another position at another zoo….and I thought about it, but it was time to move on, try something else, so I worked at sea for NOAA for a while, and started looking back into vet school. Here is the secret I haven't mentioned; I was irresistibly drawn to everything the vet did at the zoo. Day in and day out; if the vet was there, I was helping. Didn't matter what it was. Gland removal on skunks, vaccines on raptors, dentals, nail trims, self-mutilation, stereotypy….all of it was great!
So, a decade later, I am in vet school. I couldn't keep my hobby as my hobby; it has always consumed my life, and rather than fight that, I am embracing it. I don't regret taking a round about course. However, vet school is harder now (because I have been out of school for a while) and more expensive. I have also lost some time, income, etc. I have no idea if I will be a zoo vet, but I know a DVM is my only chance, and even if I don't become a zoo vet, I could love running an exotics practice.
So, get some experience, see if you like the yucky stuff, the boring monotonous stuff, and the infuriatingly frustrating stuff. That might tell you a lot. Talk to the vets; get a feel for what they love and hate, what they wish they could have done differently and what they wouldn't change for anything. Only you can decide whether animals are a lifestyle or a hobby… but if they are a lifestyle and you try to make them a hobby, you will likely be dragged back to the application process (kicking and screaming about not having 4yrs and $100k+ to spend) down the road.
Best wishes.

 

[Tobysgirl81]

I agree with everyone else who says get experience to figure out if what you think you like is what you REALLY like.

I'm a horse person. I have been my entire life. I love horses. I love riding, I love training, I love raising foals and everything involved with horses. I spent close to 6 years training horses and riders for a living which I LOVED, but brought very little money to the table. I also spent a lot of time in large animal clinics trying to convince myself I wanted to do equine medicine. Heck, I even went the equine emphasis route for my B.S in Animal Science. At one point I was pretty sure I wanted to do repro, because what's better than helping make babies?

And then, three months into working at an Equine repro clinic I realized I hated it. It was repetitious, and (for me) boring. I got a cold chill down my back when I thought that 6 months down the line I would be doing the exact same thing every.single.day. I noticed I spent so much time with horses at work, I didn't want to play with my horses at home. It took away a lot of the joy of playing with and training my own horses.

So I went back to small animal medicine and felt both immediately at home in the clinic as well as energized to go out and play with my horses after I got off work! I was more challenged even in a general practice clinic than I had been in the repro clinic and I decided then and there that my job and my hobby would be separate. I LOVE my own horses and I want to keep LOVING them and not just taking care of them because I feel like I'm supposed to. But others might feel differently. I know a equine surgeon who goes out to eventing shows every weekend and never feels the way that I did.

So like everyone has said, I strongly suggest getting a feel for what a zoo vet really does before stressing out. And like I tell the students all the time, there's nothing telling you you can't change your mind and do something different when you get out of school. We have stories of board certified internists and surgeons going back to just doing general practice because they lost interest in their field of study. Nothing wrong with that!

Further, its totally normal to doubt yourself. I think its very common to worry you won't have the "chops" to make it through vet school. But then, you take that energy and use it to prove yourself wrong. You're smart, you've made it this far, and there's no reason you can't not only succeed but also exceed all your own expectations!

 

[marycatherine]

When I started college, I loved literature. I wanted to read and teach lit and write. I'm an English/Spanish double major and I wanted to do everything. Last semester-- this is my senior year-- I completely burnt out. I still love reading, and I'll never stop writing, but I just can't see myself going through Masters or Ph.D. programs in literature. So I looked at what made me happy right now-- my job at my animal shelter.

Right now I'm just starting some of the requirements for vet school, and while I'm not always absolutely positive that vet school is the ultimate perfect goal and job for me, I'm focusing more on the present. Right now I know I get to take science courses and I have an excuse to work at the animal shelter, shadow vets, and get all kinds of diverse animal experiences-- and I think that's amazing. I was petrified when I was trying to figure out what I would do after graduation, but I've really calmed down since I decided to think about things in the more short-term. This weekend I'm hoping to sign up with a group that does sea turtle stranding rescue-- and I am so excited.

Eventually you do have to decide how you're going to make money, how you're going to live, but I guess I'm lucky enough to have parents who've told me I can hang out at home for a year or two while I figure things out. Getting all these experiences certainly won't hurt me, and maybe I'll find a different and better job along the way.

edit: not sure if we can curse on here, not that it was a particularly bad word, but just keeping things clean.