New to Veterinary Medicine - Some questions

[mercerpharmacist]

Hello All,

So I'm a student who's somewhat exploring Veterinary medicine for the first time. I got introduced to it as a potential career after watching Wildlife Docs, and I got really inspired after seeing the vets.

I'm new to the field, but I have read stories of over saturation and what not.

So basically, I wanted to ask, how is the field doing these days from current vets and vet students?

Would you recommend the field at this point in time?

How competitive is it to get a residency? Especially in something like Ophthalmology or surgical based.

Is the off shore program, like that of SGU, easy to get into? Are they equally competitive? (I'm only asking because I'm a little late to the party and I'd like to apply without a bachelors degree but only after after completing all prereqs).

What are the best and worst part of the job?

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[Ashgirl]

Hello All,

So I'm a student who's somewhat exploring Veterinary medicine for the first time. I got introduced to it as a potential career after watching Wildlife Docs, and I got really inspired after seeing the vets.

I'm new to the field, but I have read stories of over saturation and what not.

So basically, I wanted to ask, how is the field doing these days from current vets and vet students?

Would you recommend the field at this point in time?

How competitive is it to get a residency? Especially in something like Ophthalmology or surgical based.

Is the off shore program, like that of SGU, easy to get into? Are they equally competitive? (I'm only asking because I'm a little late to the party and I'd like to apply without a bachelors degree but only after after completing all prereqs).

What are the best and worst part of the job?

Hello there!

To answer a few of your questions:

I honestly have a hard time recommending this field to a lot of people if they think they could be happier with another career. The amount of crippling debt along with compassion fatigue and high depression/suicide rates is really scary and should not be taken lightly. Have you shadowed at a vet yet? That is the first thing I would recommend you doing to get a feel for this profession and see if it is the right one for you.

As far as residencies go, it depends on which one you are looking at. Some are more difficult to get into than others, and some do like to see high grades/ranking, though it has be stated a lot in these forums that networking and good letters of recommendation can carry you as far if not more when looking at residencies.

I wouldn't say that SGU is automatically "easier" to get into. You will still need quite of bit of vet experience and relatively good grades.

Regarding bachelors degree, most vet schools (except for a few) do NOT require them, so you can apply to a lot of those in the states without them. I know quite a few people (including myself) who applied and got accepted to several vet schools with just the pre-reqs so it is possible.

 

[that redhead]

How is the field doing these days from current vets and vet students?

Class sizes are ever-increasing, more schools are being accredited so over-saturation is a thing. However, when I graduated in 2015 (and as I look for jobs now), there are plenty to be had in my area. I am an hour from a big city but even outside the city there are many jobs to apply to.

Would you recommend the field at this point in time?

That really depends. If you can go to school on in-state tuition and have a way to manage your debt, sure. If you're needing to go out of state, already have a bunch of debt or are a career changer...not so much.

How competitive is it to get a residency? Especially in something like Ophthalmology or surgical based.

Again, it depends. I applied for and did not get accepted to a lab animal residency. Other residency programs are done after internship, which are relatively easy to get. @SocialStigma could speak to surgical residencies in particular.

Is the off shore program, like that of SGU, easy to get into? Are they equally competitive? (I'm only asking because I'm a little late to the party and I'd like to apply without a bachelors degree but only after after completing all prereqs).

No easier or harder than other accredited schools. Most veterinary schools do not require a Bachelor's right now, not just island schools. (And yes, there is still some residual bias against "off shore" programs, unfortunately.)

What are the best and worst part of the job?

This depends on your personality and interests. In general practice, I find the worst parts to be dealing with owners who are without resources or inclination to help their pets. Day to day can be monotonous. People and animals can be jerks. The best parts to me are being able to fix problems (I love things like cystotomies and laceration repairs), getting to dabble in a bit of everything and making people happy by helping their pets.

 

[LetItSnow]

Would you recommend the field at this point in time?

How competitive is it to get a residency? Especially in something like Ophthalmology or surgical based.

Is the off shore program, like that of SGU, easy to get into? Are they equally competitive? (I'm only asking because I'm a little late to the party and I'd like to apply without a bachelors degree but only after after completing all prereqs).

What are the best and worst part of the job?

Recommend? Tough one. The issue really is money - the income-to-debt ratio is just stupid. If you have some way to get through school and keep your debt low I probably would happily recommend it (at least, as much as any other career). If your debt is going to be average or above ($140k+), I'd recommend finding another occupation.

I make about double the starting average income, and I <still> think that it's not worth it financially. So ,whatever you do, don't undervalue the financial factor in your decision-making.

Finding a JOB isn't hard - there are plenty of vet jobs available. Finding one that you like or want might be tough. It also depends on your field. If you want to do zoo medicine ... good luck (because you'll need some). If you want to do GP small animal medicine, there are plenty of frustrated clinic owners looking for vets and not having luck hiring .... but what many of them can offer for compensation might leave you living like a pauper if you have any significant loan payments.

Residency competition probably varies from residency to residency, but yes, they are competitive. Most require an internship, and for a few (like Sx) it's typical to do a general internship and then a specialty internship (though a classmate of mine started his Sx residency after just a regular rotating internship).

The best part of the job is some clients. The worst part of the job is some clients and some other vets. I love the "doing medicine" part of my job - I get sick patients, and if given the resources by the owner, I can usually help my patient. That part is pretty satisfying. Nothing like a good old foreign body Sx that is eating 8 hours after surgery, wagging its tail, and ready to go back home to look for its next FB to make you feel good about your job.... I recently saw a patient with a minor problem, didn't recognize the patient or owner until they said "You don't remember us, do you? You saved Fido a year ago." That was pretty cool. My favorite cases are easily-scoped gastric FBs - I love that I can take a patient that's been miserable and vomiting and with a 10-minute procedure immediately fix the problem and send home a happy patient.

You'll be happier as a vet if you have that ability to let **** roll off your back - if other vets tossing you under the bus is something you can laugh at ... if angry, frustrated, dumb, aggressive clients is something you can get past easily ... you'll do well.

 

[SocialStigma]

Thanks for bringing me here, @that redhead!

Surgery is one of the more competitive residencies, not because of the low number of spots available (as with cardio, ophtho, etc), but because it's one of the more popular specialties that people want to pursue. This year my school has 2 positions available and we received ~170 applications. Last year there were ~150 applicants. I just finished reviewing our residency candidates for this year and I'd say about 50% of them have at least 1 surgery internship under their belt, some with 2+ surgery internships in addition to the required rotating internship. It is becomingly increasingly common for applicants to complete multiple internships prior to matching to a surgery residency, although it's not impossible to match to one straight out of a rotating internship (my residentmate and I both matched after a rotating internship only). You will definitely need a high class rank/GPA, amazing LORs, and research experience in order to be a competitive applicant.

 

[mercerpharmacist]

Hello All,

Thank you all for your responses. This information really taught me a lot about the field. I understand that the financial aspects of the career are for one, in my opinion, not worth it at all. It seems like a career that people who have a burning passion and can see themselves doing nothing else going into, irregardless of the pay. For me, the ROI just seems insane. I cannot invest that much money with such a low ROI. I think for that reason alone, Vet is not really such an option.

Honestly, the thing about being a Vet that would attract me is working in a Zoo or Aquarium. I live in a city with these opportunities and other nearby, but I found out these aren't so easy to come by.

Becoming a vet was just a fun thought that came in my head after watching wildlife docs, but I think i'll go back to my original plan

Thank you again everyone. i'm sure this thread will be very informative to anyone in the future with similar concerns. Also, I have to say, you guys on the Veterinary forum are much more friendly and way less vicious than on the other forums (especially Med and pharm). I really appreciate that

 

[TrashPanda]

Hello All,

Thank you all for your responses. This information really taught me a lot about the field. I understand that the financial aspects of the career are for one, in my opinion, not worth it at all. It seems like a career that people who have a burning passion and can see themselves doing nothing else going into, irregardless of the pay. For me, the ROI just seems insane. I cannot invest that much money with such a low ROI. I think for that reason alone, Vet is not really such an option.

Honestly, the thing about being a Vet that would attract me is working in a Zoo or Aquarium. I live in a city with these opportunities and other nearby, but I found out these aren't so easy to come by.

Becoming a vet was just a fun thought that came in my head after watching wildlife docs, but I think i'll go back to my original plan

Thank you again everyone. i'm sure this thread will be very informative to anyone in the future with similar concerns. Also, I have to say, you guys on the Veterinary forum are much more friendly and way less vicious than on the other forums (especially Med and pharm). I really appreciate that

Good luck to you! If you haven't already, you may want to look into volunteering at a zoo or aquarium just for fun. Volunteering doing wildlife rehab can also be very rewarding. There are many, many ways to scratch the animal itch without becoming a vet!

 

[mercerpharmacist]

Good luck to you! If you haven't already, you may want to look into volunteering at a zoo or aquarium just for fun. Volunteering doing wildlife rehab can also be very rewarding. There are many, many ways to scratch the animal itch without becoming a vet!

Thanks for the suggestion! I never considered that, but come to think of it, my local Zoo and Aquarium have so many opportunities to consider (like scuba diving). I'm definitely going to keep this in mind! Best wishes to you and thank you so much!

 

[SkiOtter]

Also, I have to say, you guys on the Veterinary forum are much more friendly and way less vicious than on the other forums (especially Med and pharm). I really appreciate that

We like to have fun and only get mean when people insult our WW games and say they're dumb and that they're offended because they're the most popular threads


But good luck with your other life path!!

 

[battie]

We like to have fun and only get mean when people insult our WW games and say they're dumb and that they're offended because they're the most popular threads


But good luck with your other life path!!

Don't forget, we get to play with puppies and kitties all day! Those silly med students get gross humans.

 

[mercerpharmacist]

Don't forget, we get to play with puppies and kitties all day! Those silly med students get gross humans.

Wow! Never thought about it like that haha.

 

[mercerpharmacist]

We like to have fun and only get mean when people insult our WW games and say they're dumb and that they're offended because they're the most popular threads


But good luck with your other life path!!

Much appreciated! The same to you! Best wishes! I can only say that I have utmost respect for Vets after hearing the thoughts on the forum. Going through so much for a passion is extremely commendable. I wish you all only success. Hopefully, I'll see you on Wildlife Docs someday (because I love that show).

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

@mercerpharmacist If you decide to go the pharmacy route, I believe there are opportunities to specialize in veterinary pharmacy if you were interested. Typically for vet pharmacology you do a DVM and then a residency in vet pharm approved by the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology (usually 3 years + board certification), but I think "human pharmacists" can still get exposure as well through ~1 year long specialty programs. I believe NCSU, UC Davis, and some others have programs like this.

Good luck!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Good luck to you! If you haven't already, you may want to look into volunteering at a zoo or aquarium just for fun. Volunteering doing wildlife rehab can also be very rewarding. There are many, many ways to scratch the animal itch without becoming a vet!

This is really important - loving animals and loving the field itself are two different things. If someone tells me they would be just as happy doing something more lucrative that vet med (especially wildlife/zoo med which is very competitive and a very difficult specialty to thrive in due to $ and availability of positions), I tell them that they should really consider it. There are a lot of ways to help animals without going to vet school that are much less financially and emotionally taxing.

 

[mercerpharmacist]

@mercerpharmacist If you decide to go the pharmacy route, I believe there are opportunities to specialize in veterinary pharmacy if you were interested. Typically for vet pharmacology you do a DVM and then a residency in vet pharm approved by the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology (usually 3 years + board certification), but I think "human pharmacists" can still get exposure as well through ~1 year long specialty programs. I believe NCSU, UC Davis, and some others have programs like this.

Good luck!

The insight is much appreciated! Although I'm not Pre-Pharmacy anymore, its nice to know that such opportunities exist. It's awesome that such opportunities are available. Thanks!

 

[mercerpharmacist]

This is really important - loving animals and loving the field itself are two different things. If someone tells me they would be just as happy doing something more lucrative that vet med (especially wildlife/zoo med which is very competitive and a very difficult specialty to thrive in due to $ and availability of positions), I tell them that they should really consider it. There are a lot of ways to help animals without going to vet school that are much less financially and emotionally taxing.

Thank you so much for the information! While I'm more than likely not going down the Vet route of course, these other opportunities do attract me a lot and I will definitely look into them. Thank you for the insight! And congratulations on finding your passion in Veterinary Medicine. I'm sure that getting to the Fellowship level was no easy task.

Also, your quote is very interesting "walk like a monkey, kick like a mule". I need to reflect on that a bit haha - there may be something very wise in those words but I'm not getting it right now


Best wishes to you! And thank you again!