New to the field.

[MaorBern]

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Hi everyone.
I am a high school student going to grade 12 this year. What happened to me a while ago is that I started realizing that veterinary really attracts me. For about 2 years I have been interested in human medicine, and followed this path searching, researching and recently volunteering. While volunteering, I started realizing that human medicine isn't really for me. I felt like something in this field is not exactly what i look for. And so I remembered my long love for animals. It's not only the love for animals that's in me, it's the fact that i have been dedicating a big part of my life to animals. First of all I refused to eat meat more than a year ago. Second, since I can remember myself I've enjoyed being surrounded by animals, helping animals on the street, and so on. Even more, lately my love for animals has intensified, and so I am almost completely not interested in human medicine anymore. And yet, it is a tough question for me, and a very hard decision to make.
Now, my question is simple, does it really sound like I am fit to this? Is there any way to know that?
Also, I will very much appreciate if you could give me any tips as of the education, the career path, and anything that connects to veterinary. Any books, articles, websites, or any other resource that will help me understand about it will be very appreciated.
Thank you very much, hope to get supportive answer 🙂

 

[moosenanny]

I can't tell if this is a joke or not, so I am reticent to respond, but all I'll say is being a veterinarian IS the practice of medicine. So no, you are probably not cut out for this field one bit if you strongly dislike medicine, as you say in your post

 

[deleted266066]

.

 

[MaorBern]

This is not a joke, why would you say it is a joke? O.O
I meant human medicine yes.

 

[david594]

I love animals too. Ate like 3 different animals for dinner today.

You should start looking for veterinary experience so you can gain exposure to the field. And what are your thoughts on the use of animals for research? For dinner? And as pets?

 

[MaorBern]

Wow, this forum is actually a joke :|

 

[david594]

Wow, this forum is actually a joke :|

Why is that? You asked how you would know if this is the field you are cut out for. Unfortunately books, articles, and websites really won't help you with that.

Experience actually working with veterinarians will. Its the only way you will get to see the good and the bad parts of the field.

 

[MaorBern]

The experience part is obvious, like in any other field it is the best way to fully understand it. I was asking for books just to be able to go in the right direction, to understand how this path works. I wasn't asking for books that will help me know exactly what veterinary medicine is..
you're asking why it looks like a joke? read the comments, instead of helping you comment about some different things.

 

[thearsonist]

The experience part is obvious, like in any other field it is the best way to fully understand it. I was asking for books just to be able to go in the right direction, to understand how this path works. I wasn't asking for books that will help me know exactly what veterinary medicine is..
you're asking why it looks like a joke? read the comments, instead of helping you comment about some different things.

We were wondering if it was a joke because of your first post. The way it is written sounds almost cliche, IMO. Remember, you're asking us for help, at least show a smidgen of appreciation for our responses, whether they're what you are looking for or not.

Also, wouldn't it make sense to understand what the practice of veterinary medicine is BEFORE you decide what "path" you want to take? It seems like you're getting too far ahead of yourself without wanting to take the time to understand the field.

take the time to visit the AVMA website or do some Googling.

 

[parietal]

Hey, guys, let's not go all pre-Allo on him/her.

MaorBern, in your initial post, you happened to tread on about three different sensitive stereotypes about what it means to be a veterinarian. In doing so -- perhaps very innocently -- you came across as someone who deliberately meant to provoke us. I don't think that's what you meant, so I'll try to explain why and maybe that will help you better understand the profession as well.

First, veterinary medicine IS medicine. I don't think you really meant to imply otherwise, but if you re-read your first post, I think you'll see how it could have been read that way. Pre-vet students must spend three to four years as undergraduates taking difficult science courses (usually more than are required of pre-med students), plus another four years of veterinary school in a curriculum that is very similar to medical school, but that requires a broader understanding of many species. Like physicians, some veterinarians then go on to do internships and residencies (like you see on Grey's Anatomy, for example) to specialize in surgery or oncology or cardiology, etc. So if you decide you do want to become a veterinarian, there is LOTS of medicine and science in your future.

Second, while many of us love animals, being a veterinarian is about a lot more than just that. That's why it is so important to spend lots of time working with or shadowing veterinarians. Some people think we just play with puppies and kitties all day, but sadly, that's a very small part of the job. On the other hand, there are a lot of aspects of the profession -- euthanasia, shelter medicine, financial limitations of owners, abuse/neglect -- that are extremely difficult emotionally. Figuring out how to deal with these things is very challenging, and the general population often doesn't understand that.

Finally, veterinary medicine is about more than just cats and dogs and horses. Food animals (cows and pigs and chickens, etc.) are a very important part of the profession as well. A big part of veterinary medicine is working with farmers and even slaughter houses to ensure that their animals are healthy and don't pass diseases on to either the humans that care for them or the humans that eat them. Food-animal veterinarians also ensure animals are treated humanely and don't suffer when they die, just like small-animal veterinarians. While some veterinarians are vegetarians, lots also really savor a good steak. Both dietary choices are fine, but it's very important to respect the other.

There really aren't enough books and websites out there that look honestly at veterinary medicine as a career, so that's why it's so important to spend time with veterinarians in your area, learning about all aspects of the profession.

Good luck to you. If you are willing to pursue veterinary medicine after looking honestly at the profession, you have a very exciting but difficult road ahead of you. If not, that's fine too. That's what being young is all about. 🙂

 

[psilovethomas]

Hey, guys, let's not go all pre-Allo on him/her.

Agreed.
Parietal has some great advice for you, OP.

 

[MaorBern]

Yes I know that veterinary medicine is medicine, never tried to deny it, just referred to human medicine as medicine instead of specifying. And also, by saying that i have been surrounded by animals and helped animals on the street, i did not mean that i was just petting some puppies. I grew up in a place where cats and dogs and other animals who lived outside were kids' favorite games, as in, throwing them or throwing something at them. Thirdly, i dont support the meat industry, but i also dont go against people who eat meat. if you think that i wrote any of this to somehow insult vets, you understood exactly the opposite of what i was trying to say. In any case, you could have understood whatever you saw that you want to understand from what i wrote 🙂
that being said, i really thank you for the SUPPORTIVE comments. I have researched what the profession is about, and i am starting to search for a veterinarian to shadow.
Could anyone expand a bit about the education (that is, the courses being taken before and during vet school)?
I appreciate your responses :]

 

[sumstorm]

Another suggestion that will help others take you seriously; proof read what you post. I had difficulty reading your post; which makes it difficult to answer your questions.

There is a search function; if you use it, you will find many answers to the questions you asked (books, how to start the process, etc.)

Finally, you expressed a disinterest in medicine several times; perhaps rescue, grooming, training, fiber farming, etc would be more appropriate for a person that dislikes medicine. Unfortunatly, veterinary medicine isn't a field that love of animals will sustain you through a dislike of medicine. In your message, it seems like you are only interested in hearing if you love animal enough to go into veterinary medicine. A simple answer is 'no' but a realistic answer is there are many factors that determine whether or not veterinary medicine is an appropriate path, and many of the qualities you are concerned with (vegetarianism, helping dogs on the street, surrounding yourself with animals) have very little to do with being suitable for veterinary medicine as a profession.

If you want something to read, start reading the posts on this forum...there is a lot of material to keep you occupied and give you an impression of veterinary medicine and the individuals that will be your associates if you pursue this field.

 

[MaorBern]

edited my massage, it's not that my love for medicine disappeared, but I simply don't want to be a human's doctor.

 

[david594]

edited my massage, it's not that my love for medicine disappeared, but I simply don't want to be a human's doctor.

What in human medicine do you dislike? And what is it in veterinary medicine that you like?

They are very different fields, and its completely valid to like one and not the other (as must of us here do). It's really an important question to be able to answer for one's self.

 

[sunshinevet]

it seems like you are only interested in hearing if you love animal enough to go into veterinary medicine. A simple answer is 'no' but a realistic answer is there are many factors that determine whether or not veterinary medicine is an appropriate path, and many of the qualities you are concerned with (vegetarianism, helping dogs on the street, surrounding yourself with animals) have very little to do with being suitable for veterinary medicine as a profession.

+1👍

I actually know a vet who doesn't own any pets, and doesn't want to. the way he sees it, is that he's surrounded by animals all day, why would he want them at home? Despite that, he still cares for animals and he is a FANTASTIC clinician.

What was it about human med that turned you off? If it was dealing with people, than in many ways, vet med is no better - every animal comes with an "owner", or someone that you have to answer to - and sometimes its harder dealing with them in that situation than it would be otherwise. I gather you are primarily interested in dealing with small animals - in that case, think of it like paediatrics. You might love dealing with the kids/animals, and yeah, you practice medicine on the kids/animals - but at the end of the day, you are serving the parent/client, and always answering to them.

And you do realise you will have to learn/do rotations in food animal medicine in vet school?

 

[sumstorm]

Things to do (assuming you are in the USA):
1. clean up your writing (massage vs message, veterinary vs veterinary medicine or veterinarian, refused to eat....year ago vs stopped eating meat over a year ago, etc.) you'll need it for communications and applications.
2. do well in your classes so that you can apply to and enter a school to obtain your pre-reqs and/or BS/BA (including letters of recommendation, clubs, activities, etc.)
3. shadow vets in a variety of settings and become involved in a variety of animal activities
4. do well in your college classes, preferably while taking a demanding full time course load and continueing to work or volunteer in vet med regularly while completing the pre-reqs for most vet schools
5. Notice if any vet schools of interest have special pre-reqs and take those
6. Take the GRE and do well
7. work well with people to obtain solid letters of recommendations (most schools require vets as authors on one or more recommendation)
8. apply to vet schools via VMCAS or independent applications (a process)
9. attend 4 yrs of vet school and pass required exams.
10. take the NAVLE & boards (varies by state/education/etc.)
11. possibly an internship, a residency, or start your career

Best wishes.

 

[letsbereal]

Things to do (assuming you are in the USA):
1. clean up your writing (massage vs message, veterinary vs veterinary medicine or veterinarian, refused to eat....year ago vs stopped eating meat over a year ago, etc.) you'll need it for communications and applications.
2. do well in your classes so that you can apply to and enter a school to obtain your pre-reqs and/or BS/BA (including letters of recommendation, clubs, activities, etc.)
3. shadow vets in a variety of settings and become involved in a variety of animal activities
4. do well in your college classes, preferably while taking a demanding full time course load and continueing to work or volunteer in vet med regularly while completing the pre-reqs for most vet schools
5. Notice if any vet schools of interest have special pre-reqs and take those
6. Take the GRE and do well
7. work well with people to obtain solid letters of recommendations (most schools require vets as authors on one or more recommendation)
8. apply to vet schools via VMCAS or independent applications (a process)
9. attend 4 yrs of vet school and pass required exams.
10. take the NAVLE & boards (varies by state/education/etc.)
11. possibly an internship, a residency, or start your career

Best wishes.

Look at your Number 1... then read your Number 4. 👎

You all need to chill out. This kid is asking for help and few of you are being supportive. Way to foster the field.

 

[moosenanny]

OP, if you want a book to read, order a VMSAR through Amazon.com (just search for it and it will be the first book to pop up - be sure to get the most updated edition since they are published annually). This book talks about all of the accredited vet schools, and what it takes to be accepted to them (required college courses, average GPA of admitted students, etc.). It's basically the more thorough book form of sumstorm's condensed list.

Granted, this information is all available online on each individual school's website, but it sounds like this format would be better suited to you since you asked for a book from the beginning, and you may not know which schools to look at until you've seen a compilation discussing all of them.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Look at your Number 1... then read your Number 4. 👎

You all need to chill out. This kid is asking for help and few of you are being supportive. Way to foster the field.

I don't see anything wrong with number one. It's extremely true, and very necessary for both application and in school/work. *shrug*

I think the confusion was over the wording of the question. It (initially, the OP clarified) sounded like the OP didn't like science/medicine in general, but loved animals...

MaorBern - if I understand correctly, you are looking for resources as to how to become a vet, correct? As in steps in the career path? As opposed to resources explaining veterinary medicine, the lifestyle, the work, the specialties, etc?

This seems a bit off to me, because it would make more sense to explore the field and what it is about before you decide you want to get into the nuts and bolts of how to pursue it.

You said you have done research about the profession, but I would highly recommend shadowing before really starting to tackle the admissions process. How do you know it is really the field for you without learning about it by being IN it first, as opposed to just learning how to get into it? And not just shadowing a clinical vet, but maybe other types of vets too (specialty, ambulatory, research, etc)

And not supporting the meat industry....do you mean you don't support the current system or eating animals in general? While I agree that some operations need some revamping...to be honest (and I'm not trying to be mean) veterinarians need to learn and be knowledgeable about ALL aspects of all species, and that includes everything from basic husbandry and breeding, to production/feedlot/slaughter operations for food animals. We really are their only voice and their only doctors, if you will. I respect your views, but you need to be prepared for and accepting of that, especially for your fourth year rotations in FA will you will be doing these things

 

[psilovethomas]

Look at your Number 1... then read your Number 4. 👎

You all need to chill out. This kid is asking for help and few of you are being supportive. Way to foster the field.

I believe this is referring to the spelling mistake in sumstorm's post:

Things to do (assuming you are in the USA):
1. clean up your writing (massage vs message, veterinary vs veterinary medicine or veterinarian, refused to eat....year ago vs stopped eating meat over a year ago, etc.) you'll need it for communications and applications.
4. do well in your college classes, preferably while taking a demanding full time course load and continueing to work or volunteer in vet med regularly while completing the pre-reqs for most vet schools

Just for clarification.

 

[that redhead]

The best place to start, aside from Google and the posts in this forum, is to find a veterinarian to shadow. This will give you exposure to veterinary medicine and what its like on a day-to-day basis. I would also go to AAVMC.org and look up the requirements for a few schools to give you an idea of what you'll need to focus on in your undergraduate degree.

I think what's gotten a lot of people in reading your post is that you seem to connect love of animals with wanting to be a vet. You say that you were interested in human medicine but changed your mind - is this just because you love animals and not people? Interacting with people is a HUGE part of veterinary medicine - either clients, fellow vets, your techs, the public, etc - and this is something you'll need to be cool with too.

Anyway, start with aavmc.org looking through pre-requisite requirements for undergrad. These courses include but are not limited to chemistry (organic and inorganic), physics, biology/animal science, genetics, microbiology and composition. I'd say get yourself into a good undergraduate school and start with these classes. If you can't get through them, your decision is made for you 😛 Just remember that there are a ton of other careers working with animals aside from veterinary medicine.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Interacting with people is a HUGE part of veterinary medicine - either clients, fellow vets, your techs, the public, etc - and this is something you'll need to be cool with too.

Yes, I had failed to mention this too. Anyone who truly thinks (and I not saying you do, OP, I am just saying as a generalization) "I love animals, I hate people/dealing with people's issues and neuroticism/working with crazy people" is going to be one miserable vet.

You work with the clients/public (and more than a few crazy and demanding ones, just like human med!) just as much as, and sometimes even MORE than, you do with the animals. Plus all working with other clinicians, your technicians, assistants, etc.

If you truly want a more animal-only oriented job...a technician might be more suitable as they tend to have less (but still important) communication with clients and more "grunt work" with the animals (and I don't say that demeaningly, I mean things like careful anesthesia monitoring, drug administration, catheter placing, blood draws, surgical assistance, providing supportive care, etc). And skilled techs really are the heart of a clinic, bless em. I have a LOT of admiration for them.

 

[breenie]

Just throwing this out there... Is English your first language?

 

[sumstorm]

I believe this is referring to the spelling mistake in sumstorm's post:


Just for clarification.

yes, I am sure. I messed up when I changed from 'continue' to 'continueing' but my suggestion wasn't just about a typo or a single improper tense or even about using jargon like 'pre-req' but rather the overall tone and consistency of the original post. I presume everyone actually understood what point 4 suggested; apparently many of us were off track on what the OP wanted information on based on their post.

 

[sumstorm]

Just throwing this out there... Is English your first language?

I thought the same thing, but when we asked a similar question a year ago (about a similar post) it really offended a lot of people.

 

[psilovethomas]

yes, I am sure. I messed up when I changed from 'continue' to 'continueing' but my suggestion wasn't just about a typo or a single improper tense or even about using jargon like 'pre-req' but rather the overall tone and consistency of the original post. I presume everyone actually understood what point 4 suggested; apparently many of us were off track on what the OP wanted information on based on their post.

I didn't mean to criticize such a negligible mistake. Just wanted to clarify for Whtsthfrequency because she wasn't quite sure why letsbereal had an issue with your number 1 and number 4.

 

[breenie]

I thought the same thing, but when we asked a similar question a year ago (about a similar post) it really offended a lot of people.

Oops.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I didn't mean to criticize such a negligible mistake. Just wanted to clarify for Whtsthfrequency because she wasn't quite sure why letsbereal had an issue with your number 1 and number 4.

Yup - read it too quickly 😉 I think I had so much weird sarcasm in the last couple days my brain fails to recognize it anymore, heh.

 

[sumstorm]

I didn't mean to criticize such a negligible mistake. Just wanted to clarify for Whtsthfrequency because she wasn't quite sure why letsbereal had an issue with your number 1 and number 4.

LOL. I didn't think you were; thought you were just offering clarification. When I read it this evening I saw it instantly, but I guess that is what I get for typing a message between surgery class and anesthesiology class. I think most of us ignore typos.

 

[sofficat]

I love the book "Tell Me Where it Hurts" by Dr Nick Trout. It is a fun and cute read but goes through a lot of emergency cases and a 'typical' day for an ER vet.

Also I think the most important thing now is to volunteer or get a job as a kennel tech at a vet clinic. That'll get your feet wet and eventually look great on an application for vet school.

You can also look on different vet school websites to get an idea for pre-reqs. Generally you can get a degree in biology or zoology or microbiology etc and most pre-reqs for vet school will be covered (but not all! check with each school).

Good luck! This is a fun and exciting field!

 

[MaorBern]

Thanks a lot for the supportive comments.
No, english is not my first language. some of you who actually intend to be vets should learn to be more respectful to such issues.
And i never said i dislike humans in general, or interacting with humans whatsoever. If this was the case, i wouldn't have gone to human medicine in the beginning. I do enjoy communicating with humans, I just don't think that treating humans is what would make me feel like I am doing the most I can do.
But again, thanks a lot for all the supportive comments. I truly appreciate those of you who actually try to help instead of ridicule, it is a big help 🙂

 

[nohika]

Thanks a lot for the supportive comments.
No, english is not my first language. some of you who actually intend to be vets should learn to be more respectful to such issues.
And i never said i dislike humans in general, or interacting with humans whatsoever. If this was the case, i wouldn't have gone to human medicine in the beginning. I do enjoy communicating with humans, I just don't think that treating humans is what would make me feel like I am doing the most I can do.
But again, thanks a lot for all the supportive comments. I truly appreciate those of you who actually try to help instead of ridicule, it is a big help 🙂

Good thing you never tried to post for advice in the human side of things. Think we're bad? You've never met the pre-allos.

 

[sumstorm]

Thanks a lot for the supportive comments.
No, english is not my first language. some of you who actually intend to be vets should learn to be more respectful to such issues.
And i never said i dislike humans in general, or interacting with humans whatsoever. If this was the case, i wouldn't have gone to human medicine in the beginning. I do enjoy communicating with humans, I just don't think that treating humans is what would make me feel like I am doing the most I can do.
But again, thanks a lot for all the supportive comments. I truly appreciate those of you who actually try to help instead of ridicule, it is a big help 🙂

I traveled around the world; the French made fun of my French, the Thai's struggled to understand my Thai, and the Aussies picked at my American accent. Apparently you are able to write clear communications in English (based on this post) so you may need to be aware that communicating with associates may take a bit of extra effort if you desire a specific type of response. Like many vets who have clients come through the door and say 'do everything to save Fido' only to realize 5 minutes later that 'anything' needs to cost less than $50 dollars this board gets a fair share of individuals who presume that 'I love animals and I prove it by not eating meat' are the key qualifications for studying veterinary medicine with little or no actual research. If you are the $50 dollar client or the presumptive pre-vet, you will get a very different response than the client who says 'I do have financial concerns, but I want to save my pet' or the pre-vet who writes 'I googled veterinary medicine and found out X, Y, & Z but had some questions about the details.' One truth about getting into this profession; you will need to do alot of the leg work and research yourself to obtain accurate information as it applies to you; and if you want people to take you seriously, you will have to show some effort to do the legwork before asking the questions. It has very little to do with how we treat a client for whom English is a second language and more to do with evaluation of the effort and attitutde the client brings to the table.

 

[OneDay81]

Thanks a lot for the supportive comments.
No, english is not my first language. some of you who actually intend to be vets should learn to be more respectful to such issues.

When somebody asks if English is your first language, they aren't trying to insult you (necessarily). In this case, it is to see if your sentence construction, misspellings, and sprinklings of jibberish in your posts are because you are not communicating in your primary language or because you have spent the last eleven years of your life not putting forth the effort to learn how to communicate logically and clearly. As you have just seen, word choice is important on an online forum, just as it will be when writing college papers and your admissions essays. Try not to take offense, because it will probably not be the last time that you ever get asked that question (as long as you keep writing the way that you do, at least).

We are here to help each other, and as a student who's first language is not English, your journey into becoming a veterinarian in the US may be a little more difficult. Knowing this information can allow us to offer advice pertaining to this one "weakness" that may help you out later when you start applying to schools.

 

[thearsonist]

I traveled around the world; the French made fun of my French, the Thai's struggled to understand my Thai, and the Aussies picked at my American accent. Apparently you are able to write clear communications in English (based on this post) so you may need to be aware that communicating with associates may take a bit of extra effort if you desire a specific type of response. Like many vets who have clients come through the door and say 'do everything to save Fido' only to realize 5 minutes later that 'anything' needs to cost less than $50 dollars this board gets a fair share of individuals who presume that 'I love animals and I prove it by not eating meat' are the key qualifications for studying veterinary medicine with little or no actual research. If you are the $50 dollar client or the presumptive pre-vet, you will get a very different response than the client who says 'I do have financial concerns, but I want to save my pet' or the pre-vet who writes 'I googled veterinary medicine and found out X, Y, & Z but had some questions about the details.' One truth about getting into this profession; you will need to do alot of the leg work and research yourself to obtain accurate information as it applies to you; and if you want people to take you seriously, you will have to show some effort to do the legwork before asking the questions. It has very little to do with how we treat a client for whom English is a second language and more to do with evaluation of the effort and attitutde the client brings to the table.

Agreed.
(p.s. this brings up bad memories of working with an ER vet.)

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

And i never said i dislike humans in general, or interacting with humans whatsoever. If this was the case, i wouldn't have gone to human medicine in the beginning. I do enjoy communicating with humans, I just don't think that treating humans is what would make me feel like I am doing the most I can do.

Thats ok, MaorBern, we were just trying to get a more specific understand of exactly what about human medicine you didn't like 🙂 No worries.

 

[Maddiegirl]

My thoughts exactly! Everyone seems so quick to crucify someone for what may have been a simple typographical error. The kid's just looking for some advice and instead is getting slammed by most of these posters. Kudos to those who've attempted to provide some solid advice and support!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

"Crucify"? "Slammed" by "most" of the posters?

I don't see any posts that are anything like that. People were just asking for clarification on things, and giving their honest advice on what they interpreted the question to be (whether he didn't like medicine, or just working with people, or just loved animals, or only didn't like practicing medicine on humans, or what)...the initial question was a bit convoluted due to a small language barrier, and it was clarified as the the progressed. That's all. Relax. Have a beer.

 

[CorporateFatCat]

I love the book "Tell Me Where it Hurts" by Dr Nick Trout. It is a fun and cute read but goes through a lot of emergency cases and a 'typical' day for an ER vet.

I love this book, and I think it would be a good one to pick up if one is considering to pursue vet med. It touches on some positive and negative aspects of the career (mostly positive and touching ones though) which I think is a good initial perspective. He also likes to use some very GRE friendly words 🙂.

I would follow the advice of others and look for good experience in the field. You have time on your hands, so you should not feel pressured to commit to anything at this point. Do well in college and keep your mind open. Good luck!

 

[sumstorm]

My thoughts exactly! Everyone seems so quick to crucify someone for what may have been a simple typographical error. The kid's just looking for some advice and instead is getting slammed by most of these posters. Kudos to those who've attempted to provide some solid advice and support!

If I wanted to crucify someone, there are far more effective methods than suggesting they communicate clearly. Let's be a bit realistic; ad coms are not going to say 'come to our school' because someone says they don't eat meat and love helping animals on the street, particularly if they communicate in a way that is difficult to understand. While I may be blunt and offer doses of reality, I also ran through the basics of getting into vet school, which isn't the simplest process. If there are some obvious problems with a person's plan to enter vet school, and they post, it isn't unreasonable for folks to point out when 'that dog doesn't hunt.' Getting hostile and calling the forum a joke, criticizing what is honest advice like 'if you really hate medicine, vet med probably isn't for you' doesn't improve the willingness to help out.

I actually don't see, given the basic request "Also, I will very much appreciate if you could give me any tips as of the education, the career path, and anything that connects to veterinary" what is so 'slamming' about a list of what the basic process is for someone coming out of highschool. Maybe I wasn't elegant enough or gentle enough, but I am also squeezing posts in during study breaks while preparing for an exam tomorrow and dealing with a financial disaster that may force me to withdraw from vet school. Well, at least crucification fits the melodrama.

 

[FutureDVM2016]

Granted, I didn't see the original post for this thread, but don't forget this person is an incoming 12th grader!! They have a completely different mind set. They don't know the proper questions to ask, or how to ask them. They are just trying to feel out the "world" they don't know yet. Let's not squash their dreams before they can get started.

Maorbern, I sent you a private message with all kinds of stuff 😀 ENJOY!

 

[thearsonist]

If I wanted to crucify someone, there are far more effective methods than suggesting they communicate clearly. Let's be a bit realistic; ad coms are not going to say 'come to our school' because someone says they don't eat meat and love helping animals on the street, particularly if they communicate in a way that is difficult to understand. While I may be blunt and offer doses of reality, I also ran through the basics of getting into vet school, which isn't the simplest process. If there are some obvious problems with a person's plan to enter vet school, and they post, it isn't unreasonable for folks to point out when 'that dog doesn't hunt.' Getting hostile and calling the forum a joke, criticizing what is honest advice like 'if you really hate medicine, vet med probably isn't for you' doesn't improve the willingness to help out.

I actually don't see, given the basic request "Also, I will very much appreciate if you could give me any tips as of the education, the career path, and anything that connects to veterinary" what is so 'slamming' about a list of what the basic process is for someone coming out of highschool. Maybe I wasn't elegant enough or gentle enough, but I am also squeezing posts in during study breaks while preparing for an exam tomorrow and dealing with a financial disaster that may force me to withdraw from vet school. Well, at least crucification fits the melodrama.

perhaps I didn't read each post carefully, but I didn't see any slamming or crucifying (or anything relative to those extremes)

Maybe the biggest confusion in total lies within how someone interprets a "this is what it takes..." type of message. (...or i'm rambling about nothing)

Best of luck to you, Sumstorm, with your unfortunate financial situation.

 

[breenie]

Granted, I didn't see the original post for this thread, but don't forget this person is an incoming 12th grader!! They have a completely different mind set. They don't know the proper questions to ask, or how to ask them. They are just trying to feel out the "world" they don't know yet. Let's not squash their dreams before they can get started.

Maorbern, I sent you a private message with all kinds of stuff 😀 ENJOY!

They also speak English as a second language, which I think is a way better excuse than being 17. I could write a sentence at 17, and so could the rest of the people on this forum.

 

[FutureDVM2016]

They also speak English as a second language, which I think is a way better excuse than being 17.

All the more reason...

 

[sumstorm]

All the more reason...

Didn't mention ESL till asked & managed to write a post that was easy to understand after that. Again, if a 16-19 year old can post on a forum, they can do a little legwork (ie google veterinarian + career.) I'm getting old; to find this info when I was in HS you went to the state library, wrote a letter to the schools, and made lots of phone calls. Even telneting didn't provide much info and GUI search engines were so new that a search turned up a few dozen hits.

Either way, the folks here HAVE provided info and suggestions; the OP can use them or not. If his or her experience is like many of us, when they get experience with vets they are as likely to hear how horrible the profession is. Also, as noted, much of this information is based on the individual. Ie citizenship, visa status, academics, etc will all affect these decisions, hence why legwork will be necessary. The advice forum members gave was solid; do well in school, look up the stuff you are interested in, like medicine and people, get experience early, and evaluate what you value and if it is compatable with vet med.

Solid advice, so seems the gripe is that we weren't nice enough. Maybe you get what you give. I've noticed that folks saying we are slamming the OP and are harsh aren't actually answering the OPs questions nor offering useful information. Isn't that as much of a failing (to come in and criticize but not actually provide help? Vs offering criticism and information?)

 

[FutureDVM2016]

Didn't mention ESL till asked & managed to write a post that was easy to understand after that. Again, if a 16-19 year old can post on a forum, they can do a little legwork (ie google veterinarian + career.) I'm getting old; to find this info when I was in HS you went to the state library, wrote a letter to the schools, and made lots of phone calls. Even telneting didn't provide much info and GUI search engines were so new that a search turned up a few dozen hits.

Either way, the folks here HAVE provided info and suggestions; the OP can use them or not. If his or her experience is like many of us, when they get experience with vets they are as likely to hear how horrible the profession is. Also, as noted, much of this information is based on the individual. Ie citizenship, visa status, academics, etc will all affect these decisions, hence why legwork will be necessary. The advice forum members gave was solid; do well in school, look up the stuff you are interested in, like medicine and people, get experience early, and evaluate what you value and if it is compatable with vet med.

Solid advice, so seems the gripe is that we weren't nice enough. Maybe you get what you give. I've noticed that folks saying we are slamming the OP and are harsh aren't actually answering the OPs questions nor offering useful information. Isn't that as much of a failing (to come in and criticize but not actually provide help? Vs offering criticism and information?)

Again, I didn't get to see the original post, so I have no idea what exactly was said, but people come on here to get help, guidance, etc. Why is it difficult to give advice without the ridicule? It's not just on this forum, it's on every forum I've ever been on for any topic where people go to get advice (horses, military spouses, etc). Some people on this thread did give sound advice, without the negativity, but not everyone. If someone has something productive for the poster to learn from, great, if not, why post anything at all?

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

All the posts I read offered counsel or advisory opinions based on their interpretation of the OPs question (i.e. something productive to learn)....saw no ridicule there either....unless I'm totally missing something or my skin's grown too thick (but I doubt it).

 

[breenie]

Again, I didn't get to see the original post, so I have no idea what exactly was said, but people come on here to get help, guidance, etc. Why is it difficult to give advice without the ridicule? It's not just on this forum, it's on every forum I've ever been on for any topic where people go to get advice (horses, military spouses, etc). Some people on this thread did give sound advice, without the negativity, but not everyone. If someone has something productive for the poster to learn from, great, if not, why post anything at all?

What do you mean you didn't see the original post? I don't think anyone deleted anything or DRASTICALLY edited anything. I think this thread is pretty representative of what all happened.

Unfortunately, negativity is part of life. If you apply to vet school with no experience and write your whole personal statement about your choice to be a vegetarian to save all of the animals, you're probably going to receive a rejection letter and a "negative" file review. Critique is useful and necessary, and MaorBern INITIALLY presented a picture of someone desperately in need of it. If you think it's harsh to tell someone who is potentially misguided about veterinary medicine that maybe it's not the right field, I think you're doing them a disservice.

Maybe everyone could have sugar coated it to your tastes, but they offered realistic and useful information with a small dose of skepticism. I can't really blame them, given MaorBern's antagonistic responses and not mentioning ESL status. A LOT of people come through and do this. It wears people out (though I personally am more tired of answering "is research veterinary experience?").

 

[FutureDVM2016]

What do you mean you didn't see the original post? I don't think anyone deleted anything or DRASTICALLY edited anything. I think this thread is pretty representative of what all happened.

The OP edited the original post, so I did not get to see what they wrote the first time, and no one "quoted" the original post from what I could see, so I couldn't read it in any of the other posts either... 😉

Unfortunately, negativity is part of life. If you apply to vet school with no experience and write your whole personal statement about your choice to be a vegetarian to save all of the animals, you're probably going to receive a rejection letter and a "negative" file review. Critique is useful and necessary, and MaorBern INITIALLY presented a picture of someone desperately in need of it. If you think it's harsh to tell someone who is potentially misguided about veterinary medicine that maybe it's not the right field, I think you're doing them a disservice.

Yes, negativity is a part of life, but again, this kid is a KID. They will learn as they grow up (hopefully), and if not, so be it. Trying to tell someone that the field "might not be right for them" isn't a forum poster's job. Let them figure it out for themselves after helping them find the right tools needed to make that decision. If someone is worn out from "helping" people, then they should stop before they don't realize they are being cynical (which is why they offer and some require communications classes in college). I have the same thoughts on working as a vet... (stop before you get worn out and hateful towards your clients or patients without realizing it). What is this forum good for if people feel uncomfortable asking questions? If its a social thing, they should open up a Facebook account.

Maybe everyone could have sugar coated it to your tastes, but they offered realistic and useful information with a small dose of skepticism. I can't really blame them, given MaorBern's antagonistic responses and not mentioning ESL status. A LOT of people come through and do this. It wears people out (though I personally am more tired of answering "is research veterinary experience?").

Obviously, it's not only "MY taste," seeing as how several people made similar observations/comments to mine. Again, if someone doesn't feel like answering the same question over again, then they shouldn't answer the person. I'm sure they aren't the only person with a solid answer or at least a reference to where that person can find the answer. I don't think Maorbern's responses would have been so "antagonistic" if other poster's posts weren't so antagonistic...

My skin is thick when things are directed towards me, but I can still recognize when someone else might be offended or get uncomfortable. Tact, humility, and respect are all important qualities for anyone, in any profession, and is only acquired with maturity and experience. 🙂