I want to become a veterinarian but...

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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Lifeman said:
Well first of all I love animals and I work pretty hard in school so I don't think I could settle for something like marine researcher. I am not going to lie, but from what I've researched Veterinarians don't make good money. I thought this would be different because if you open up your own office/clinic then shouldn't you be making as much as a dentist who practices in the same way - through private clinics. I really want to do something I love, which is with animals, but I might pursue a hospital job which requires more time, but pays better.

I'm also concerned because I don't to apply to a 7yr vet program out of highschool(even though I probably won't get accepted 😀) and change my mind.
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Watch this video:
http://www.avmatv.org/channel.cfm?s=67&c=408
 
I'm going to be blunt and honest. If you are already thinking "wow vets don't make very good money so I might not want to do that", then you are not truly into veterinary medicine. Anyone who is truly committed and in love with a career wouldn't think twice about how much they will be making. I have friends getting masters degrees that will make under 40,000 a year and they are fine with it because they will be doing something they love.

If you have to think twice because of salary, then it's not for you.
 
Vets make a pretty decent amount of money. After some experience, many vets can make $90000-$100000. Also, specializing can boost income a significant amount.

On the point of dentist, no, veterinarians dont make as much as dentist generally. Dental procedures cost more that veterinarian.

7yr vet program? I guessing you mean 3 years of college and then vet school. I'm making the assumption that though it is possible to be admitted without a degree, it makes things harder. Maybe you're not talking about this and maybe there is some program i dont know about.

Worrying about changing your mind is not always a good sign. First worl towards a bachelors in something you like. Second, if you read this forums you should realize the becoming a veterinarian is a serious commitment.

Money is not a good reason to pursue any type of medicine. Trust me, I've weighed both side before and come to the conclusion that becoming a vet is something that just attracts me more, even though I would make a considerable amount less. (Becoming a board certified internist will get a lot of vets income more comparable to Family doctors, though still less). I'm already worried about keeping a relationship if i get into vet school and if i was a med student, pack on another 80hrs a week for 3-5 years, maybe longer.

Dont let the money of a MD be your deciding factor, vets still make a salary that allows good living conditions.
 
It probably depends on how much you consider is a good amount to be making. In general I think many vets make enough for a decent living, and some more than decent depending on where you work and in what field (I mean you are not going to be rolling in Beverly Hills if you go into nonprofit wildlife, but one of my critical care hospital doctors does--roll in Beverly Hills, that is). I'm not going to be one of those people who say IF YOU THINK MONEY IS IMPORTANT THEN GO AWAY, I mean obviously you know what's best for you and what you need, or want, to survive on.

Since you love animals, you should ask some vets (especially ones that make less money than average) why they do what they do, what they love about their job, and what they wish was different. Of course there are depressing aspects but as a whole, the vets I know are very happy with what they do. Plus the money is out there if you are skilled enough to make it. I think that's probably a better idea than having people on this board basically tell you to go away.
 
If you haven't already, try to get some experience volunteering in a clinic or shadowing a vet. Loving animals DOES NOT equal loving veterinary medicine. Get a firsthand look at what vets actually do every day, then reevaluate your feelings on the matter.
 
If you're in the US I assume you're talking about the school where you can apply into a vet path curriculum that would allow you to enroll in vet school after 3 years of undergrad. I think Wisconsin has something like this. If so you'll most likely be taking core sciences which can probably be applied to an undergraduate degree if you change your mind about vet school.

I get what you're saying about money, you spend so many years in school, working hard, racking up student loans and you want to be financially secure when you get out. The thing is though, that most vets go into the field because they love what they do so much that they are willing to do this for a lower salary when compared to their counterparts in human medicine. Kind of like a starving artist though hopefully not quite so starving. It comes down to what is more important. Do you want a job that fulfills you and you love doing or can you be happy doing something you sort of like for a better financial payoff?

I suggest you shadow a vet to get an idea of what they see every day, it's easy to imagine but very different when you actually go in and do it. Also shadow someone in the human medical field so you have an idea of what they put up with on a regular basis. Me, I wouldn't touch human medicine for all the money on earth, people germs creep me out. Animal medicine on the other hand feels like the most natural thing on earth.
 
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People come to their career paths in a vast number of different ways and I don't think you have to have been obsessively hardcore about a particular career since the moment you popped out of your mother's womb to want to do it. At the end of the day, I think what matters most is being aware of what you value. Maybe you value money above a particular career choice because you want to be able to provide for your wife and give your kids a comfortable upbringing, I don't know. Perhaps the way to think about it is to imagine yourself 50 years from now, looking back on your life. Do you think you would be happy having prioritised money, or is there a particular career path or a particular goal that would have given you more satisfaction? That's a question only you can answer.

I don't think it's wrong to be worried about money, and bear in mind that while you might not make as much as a human doctor, a vet's salary is still very reasonable compared to a lot of other jobs you could be doing. Again, it comes down to what matters to you the most. The suggestion to go out and do some vet work experience and talk to some vets is a very good one.

On the question of the length of the degree, I can only speak for universities in Australia and New Zealand but there are different options available to you over here if you wanted to go international. Some BVSc degrees you can do straight out of school and only last 5 years. Other programs are double degrees and if you get a couple of years into it and decide that it isn't right for you after all, you can come out with a science or a medical degree of some kind and move on to other things.
 
aspiringDVM said:
If you haven't already, try to get some experience volunteering in a clinic or shadowing a vet. Loving animals DOES NOT equal loving veterinary medicine. Get a firsthand look at what vets actually do every day, then reevaluate your feelings on the matter.
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I agree, but NOT shadowing, actually WORKING in a clinic. I mean get first hand experience. See what it's like to clean up the pee / poo / vomit, have a Parvo dog cover you from head to toe with nasty bloody poo, get nasty yeasty ear goo under your fingernails, that kind of stuff. If you can handle all of that and you still find yourself running to work everyday, then you're in. 😛
 
calioutlaw1a said:
Watch this video:
http://www.avmatv.org/channel.cfm?s=67&c=408
Click to expand...

Wow that was a very informative video! Vets actually make more, on average, than I thought they did. Now, you have to read between the lines, and also look at the difference between a starting salary, an associate's salary, and the median salary of a clinic owner, who has probably been practicing for more than just a few years. But, and I am most likely going into a more specialized field, the income is more than I'd hoped after say 10 years. I am OK with that, I was OK with my older data. I do not need to become wealthy, just make enough to pay back the larger loans from the more expensive school I am attending rather than the low-ball tuition wise. 👍 That and being able to put food on my table and in my dog's bowls is all I ask for in life.

Kai
 
I work pretty hard in school so I don't think I could settle for something like marine researcher

Settle? Hmm. The people I know in fish and wildlife research, namely marine and freshwater conservation work, have all had to work extremely hard and are very intelligent people...just a thought. There's nothing "inferior" about research versus clinical things. A PhD may not be a "clinician", but they know a damn great deal about their fields.
 
WhtsThFrequency said:
I work pretty hard in school so I don't think I could settle for something like marine researcher

Settle? Hmm. The people I know in fish and wildlife research, namely marine and freshwater conservation work, have all had to work extremely hard and are very intelligent people...just a thought. There's nothing "inferior" about research versus clinical things. A PhD may not be a "clinician", but they know a damn great deal about their fields.
Click to expand...

this x100. They're completely different occupations with needs for different strengths. Some people could do great at both - but a PhD or research should never be seen as 'settling' or a 'backup plan' only.
 
After having read the book, I think all pre-vets should read If Wishes Were Horses as a pre-screen process to see if vet school still sounds ideal after that.

Read the book and volunteer at a local vet clinic - then you can decide if you want to pursue the career at all, and if you do, then you can decide what money is worth to you.

Don't let us discourage you - we're just defensive because we love the idea of being vets so much, if someone comes in complaining about the pay, we assume they don't want it like we do (since we've figured out and accepted the pay issue ourselves already). Er, that's my theory at least. 🙂
 
The AVMATV video was really interesting. I felt much more hopeful after hearing that the salaries are generally a lot higher than I thought. That is...until the video began showing the gender gap. We women make up the vast majority of the profession, and we're still getting screwed. Infuriating.:boom:
 
LivestockDoc said:
The AVMATV video was really interesting. I felt much more hopeful after hearing that the salaries are generally a lot higher than I thought. That is...until the video began showing the gender gap. We women make up the vast majority of the profession, and we're still getting screwed. Infuriating.:boom:
Click to expand...
Ok here is my take on that, and I don't mean this to p/o anyone. First of all if you break it down by sex, most of the older vets are men, while most of the newer vets are female. 20 years ago most vet students were men, now they are mostly women. Now, hopefully the longer you are in a profession, the more you make. Since the older vets are mostly male, this will skew the apparent statistics to make it look like men make more. If they were to do the statistics on an age adjusted basis, things would probably be more even. Does this make sense, sound like a plausible reason to you? Myself I assumed this was the deal.

Kai
 
I feel like this article is also a decent read when considering the issue of gender based pay discrepancy.

http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=463037&pageID=1&sk=&date=

One topic that I have yet to see brought up, is if there is any significant difference in the average invoices between male and female veterinarians with similar levels of experience working in similar situations.

This article take into account what CanineRepro just said, and there is still a pay discrepancy. That is also after including the fact that males typically work more hours in a week than their female counterparts.
 
Caninerepro said:
Ok here is my take on that, and I don't mean this to p/o anyone. First of all if you break it down by sex, most of the older vets are men, while most of the newer vets are female. 20 years ago most vet students were men, now they are mostly women. Now, hopefully the longer you are in a profession, the more you make. Since the older vets are mostly male, this will skew the apparent statistics to make it look like men make more. If they were to do the statistics on an age adjusted basis, things would probably be more even. Does this make sense, sound like a plausible reason to you? Myself I assumed this was the deal.
Click to expand...


I like that argument, Kai, and I would love for it to be true. But, sadly, I think we all know it isn't. Are there any professions where women make equal or greater salaries than men? I can't think of any.
 
LivestockDoc said:
The AVMATV video was really interesting. I felt much more hopeful after hearing that the salaries are generally a lot higher than I thought. That is...until the video began showing the gender gap. We women make up the vast majority of the profession, and we're still getting screwed. Infuriating.:boom:
Click to expand...
I always use this as justification of why the guy should pay for everything on a date. I mean if society is going to have me earning less in whatever profession I choose, then men better be damn willing to make up for it on dinner and drinks😉
 
I've read that women in vet med are usually more willing than men to take lower pay in exchange for other benefits- better health insurance, working in a location they prefer, not having to be on call on weekends, etc. Women tend to place more value on lifestyle-oriented benefits of a job rather than simply pay. I'm not saying that's fair or right or wrong, it's just another possibility for the discrepency.
 
First of all if you are just graduating from highschool, my advice would be to chill out, explore veterinary medicine and anything else that interests you, and wait until you have found a career path that you feel truly dedicated and committed too. I probably changed my intended carreer path at least 5 times during college. Also, enjoy college! It is one of the few times in your life where you truly have almost no responsibility and tons of freedom. This is not to say that you should blow off your classes, but, I feel these years are also really important in finding out more about who you are and what you want from life. Look at the big picture and don't short change yourself. Ok, I'll get off my soap box.

As far as the salary thing, I went to this really interesting seminar where Zoo Vets were talking about balancing a carreer with everything else in their lives. Zoo vets are a notoriously underpaid groupd, especially consitering how competative it is to get into the field. They did ask something of us though, the entering generation of veterinarians. That said that many new graduates accept low salaries just to get a job a gain experience. They asked that we do not low ball ourselves; that we demand the salary we deserve after the very hard work we havce put into becoming the trained proffessionals that we will be. I think this applies to all fields. If we ensure that we are getting paid what we deserve as entering veterinarians (desipite gender), then those who have been working in the field for longer will be paid what they deserve.

This being said, I am not going into vet med to get get rich, but, as with teachers, I resent the assumption that because we are passionate about our work we should be willing to accept salaries that are significantly less than any other group of proffessionals.
 
WhtsThFrequency said:
I work pretty hard in school so I don't think I could settle for something like marine researcher

Settle? Hmm. The people I know in fish and wildlife research, namely marine and freshwater conservation work, have all had to work extremely hard and are very intelligent people...just a thought. There's nothing "inferior" about research versus clinical things. A PhD may not be a "clinician", but they know a damn great deal about their fields.
Click to expand...

Agreed.👍 And just to let the person know, people in the marine field make just as much as some vets (90,00+) a year. It is extremely hard field to get into and work in and very diversified.
 
I think they have to put more into it, too - women strippers need to be somewhat fit and they might need to learn some pole moves or buy a set of boobs, but male strippers are expected to be very muscular and fit. I'm sure that takes a lot of gym time.

Are we seriously having this conversation? Lol.
 
But for men being fit doesn't require much money. Boobs can be expensive plus the pole lessons.

o wow. I guess we are discussing that. :smack:

Back to the relevant conversation...I think that women do put more emphasis than men on other aspects of their job such as time off for maternity leave, benefits, location and such. I don't remember who said it (I'm sorry), but I agree. I do hope that is the reason for the discrepancy in the pay rather than a gender bias.
 
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