Mixed animal veterinarian

[FutureCrazyCatDVM22]

Hi all!
I'm a current first year vet student at UC Davis and I needed some advice on future career goals I have. Unfortunately, our school doesn't have a mixed animal program, but we can adjust our fourth year and take large animal rotations. My question is, if I end up doing the mixed animal route can I practice as a small animal or large animal veterinarian? Is compensation similar? Is there a large job outlook for mixed animal veterinarians? Also, I may want to specialize in emergency and critical care - small animal likely. Will having large animal experience as well hinder an application? I currently have more small animal experience, but this summer I am applying for a Zoetis Bovine Externship to gain more experience with livestock.

Thank you so much!! 🙂

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[KCgophervet]

Hi all!
I'm a current first year vet student at UC Davis and I needed some advice on future career goals I have. Unfortunately, our school doesn't have a mixed animal program, but we can adjust our fourth year and take large animal rotations.

Seriously? I find this really hard to fathom, the basic vet school education is mixed animal because we have to know all of the major species for NAVLE, there's no separate "small animal only" DVM or "food animal only" DVM (at least not yet).

My question is, if I end up doing the mixed animal route can I practice as a small animal or large animal veterinarian?

Do you have a lot of vet experience prior to vet school? Because I feel like you should know the answer to this already. Maybe I'm just snarky today but again, there's no separate credentials for a small vs large animal veterinarian. A DVM grants you the ability to practice either or both.

Is compensation similar? Is there a large job outlook for mixed animal veterinarians?

This would definitely depend on your location and what you really mean by mixed. If you're talking companion animals like dogs, cats, and horses in a more urban setting you could make really good money. If you're talking rural countryside with barn cats, cows, and goats probably not so much. As far as jobs go, that I can't help much with as I was never very interested in that particular branch of vet med.

Also, I may want to specialize in emergency and critical care - small animal likely. Will having large animal experience as well hinder an application? I currently have more small animal experience, but this summer I am applying for a Zoetis Bovine Externship to gain more experience with livestock.

I don't think any veterinary experience will hinder an application, so long as you have enough demonstrated experience in the field you end up wanting to go into. So, don't turn down a job working in an emergency clinic to palpate cows all summer if you know that's what you want to do, but exploring different fields of vet med before making a decision is generally not a bad call.

 

[FutureCrazyCatDVM22]

Thanks for your response! Yeah so our school has it where in third year, you either track small animal or large animal. Within large animal you have equine, livestock, or zoo med. For mixed animal you can either take an extra 10 weeks of large animal classes if you track small animal initially and you can tailor your fourth year rotations with large animal streams. There is no specific mixed animal stream.

Also, I guess because we have specific streams in our school, I thought which stream you track is pretty much what you want to go into as a career but yes I have about three years of veterinary experience as an assistant.

Thank you for your advice! I appreciate it 🙂

 

[battie]

Also, I guess because we have specific streams in our school, I thought which stream you track is pretty much what you want to go into as a career

You're under no obligation as a DVM to commit to anything until you sign a contract for your first job as a doctor. Your fourth year streams or focuses just help you prepare for what you want.

Our associate dean loves to tell this story of a 4th year who focused on ophtho right up until his equine rotations in, like, February of 4th year. The 4th year then switched gears during our professional development course (last 6 weeks of 4th year at U of I) to focus on equine.

You can do whatever you want after graduation.

 

[FutureCrazyCatDVM22]

You're under no obligation as a DVM to commit to anything until you sign a contract for your first job as a doctor. Your fourth year streams or focuses just help you prepare for what you want.

Our associate dean loves to tell this story of a 4th year who focused on ophtho right up until his equine rotations in, like, February of 4th year. The 4th year then switched gears during our professional development course (last 6 weeks of 4th year at U of I) to focus on equine.

You can do whatever you want after graduation.

I love that story! That makes me feel a lot better! Thank you! 🙂

 

[CalliopeDVM]

You can do whatever you want after graduation.

Yup. And you can change your mind after graduation too!

 

[SkiOtter]

You're under no obligation as a DVM to commit to anything until you sign a contract for your first job as a doctor. Your fourth year streams or focuses just help you prepare for what you want.

Our associate dean loves to tell this story of a 4th year who focused on ophtho right up until his equine rotations in, like, February of 4th year. The 4th year then switched gears during our professional development course (last 6 weeks of 4th year at U of I) to focus on equine.

You can do whatever you want after graduation.

I have definitely heard this story at least once