Misleading article on CNN about Vet training...infuriating

[NNRC]

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Hi all,

I'm getting my Ph.D. in clinical psychology but am engaged to a veterinarian. I thought you would all appreciate this misleading article on CNN.com (9/1/08) where it listed psychologists and veterinarians as careers that avereage 70k/year that don't require "years of school, advanced qualifications, extensive training and many years of experience..." Since I know what you all go through, either the author is sadistic or more likely misinformed.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/08/27/cb.jobs.that.pay.70k/index.html

 

[Trilt]

As irritating as that is, the story is true; they make the claim of:

...that don't require a Ph.D. or at least 10 years experience...

Technically, becoming a vet could be 6 years+, though that's definitely not typical. And it doesn't require a Ph.D. So they're not lying, just definitely looking at the veterinary degree as much less than a (human) medical degree, which is roughly the same time-span. (Minus internship and residency, obviously, but to my knowledge those don't fill over the 10+ years of experience.)

 

[sofficat]

wow. how obnoxious. thanks for posting that. interesting, and infuriating.

 

[NittanyKitty]

I remember a few months ago Yahoo had a similar article about good jobs to consider if you were ready for a second career. One of them was a veterinary pathologist.

Yeah...they mentioned the earning potential and that all that was required was a "veterinary degree and some further training in pathology". Kinda neglected to mention the difficulty in obtaining said degree and that pursuing that path would take a minimum of about 8 years. 😡 And then we wonder why some folks act so shocked when they find out a DVM/VMD requires 4+ years of schooling after undergrad.

 

[Electrophile]

I guarantee that unless you get an advanced degree in psychology, you're going to be saying "do you want fries with that?" Everyone and their self-diagnosing bipolar brother has psych degrees. 🙄 And that's sad we make just about the same as a physicians assistant. I respect them, but it's not the same.

 

[Pandacinny]

Electrophile, I was thinking the exact same thing on psychology. My sister is pursuing an upper level degree in it and it's SUPER competitive. There are just SO MANY people out there with psych degrees trying to apply into these programs that it's really hard.

 

[tastrophe]

I dunno, it seems like the primary focus is more on fields that "are expected to increase in demand", rather than the schooling/experience angle. Last time I checked, it wasn't a walk in the park to become a judge either, or even a school admin. I don't know about 10+ years of experience, but it doesn't sound like there's a job on the list that you can walk into straight out of undergrad and make 70k/yr (or at least, the very vast majority of us couldn't). Even most PhD's won't walk straight out of grad school and make those kinds of salaries. tsk tsk, CNN...

 

[Electrophile]

Ugh, it was reprinted on CareerBuilder.com too. Yeah, like I'll just stop my other career and be a vet. Just for the money, though, because it like totally pays over 70K a year on average.

http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobsee...05be42590a49919bb7888c475277ca-274316218-VR-4

 

[david594]

I don't know about 10+ years of experience, but it doesn't sound like there's a job on the list that you can walk into straight out of undergrad and make 70k/yr (or at least, the very vast majority of us couldn't). Even most PhD's won't walk straight out of grad school and make those kinds of salaries. tsk tsk, CNN...

I looked at the list and saw 3 of them actually....

Environmental engineer
Computer systems analyst
Marine engineers and naval architect

Speaking for myself and my 2 college roommates who all graduated with degrees in computer science and got jobs as computer systems analysts, the $73k sounds about right as that was actually the average starting salary of the 3 straight out of undergrad. That number was before benefits and bonuses.

Engineering school is where all the money is right out of undergrad. $62k/year was the average starting salary for a computer science major with a BS from my school for my graduating class. http://www.rpi.edu/dept/cdc/AverageAcceptanceSalaries2007.pdf

 

[projekt]

Well, it all depends where you work. $73k/yr is poverty wages for a software developer in SF or NYC.

 

[yeasterbunny]

As irritating as that is, the story is true; they make the claim of:



Technically, becoming a vet could be 6 years+, though that's definitely not typical. And it doesn't require a Ph.D. So they're not lying, just definitely looking at the veterinary degree as much less than a (human) medical degree, which is roughly the same time-span. (Minus internship and residency, obviously, but to my knowledge those don't fill over the 10+ years of experience.)

4 years undergrad
+ 4 years med school (more like 7 for MD/PhD students)
+ 3-5 years residency
+ possibly 2-3 years fellowship depending on the field (though admittedly most of the people doing these were in the 3 year residencies)

= adds up really fast to at least 10 years for all M.D.s (except those in accelerated undergrad + med school 6 year programs). Typical medical subspecialists like cardiologists, gastroenterologists, surgical subspecialists add up to about 14 years. As a radiation oncolgist I will rack up 13 years before the end when I can finally practice.

By the way, I did notice radiation therapist at the top of the list which is definitely a sweet job.

And don't ask me what I'm doing in the DVM forum. It's been a really slow day.