Non-GP Routes

[Rat-a-tat]

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Hi all!

Forgive me if a thread like this already exists, but I looked through the first several pages of the forum and didn't find anything -

I was wondering, for those who are current veterinarians NOT working in GP, what route or type of job did you decide to take/pursue and why? (whether that be lab animal med, research, zoo, wildlife, etc.) Are you enjoying what you're doing?

Would love to hear a little from those who pursued more specialized/less traditional routes!

(Feel free to also comment if you're a current vet student pointing towards a non-GP career - would love to hear what you guys have to say, as well)

 

[pp9]

Hi all!

Forgive me if a thread like this already exists, but I looked through the first several pages of the forum and didn't find anything -

I was wondering, for those who are current veterinarians NOT working in GP, what route or type of job did you decide to take/pursue and why? (whether that be lab animal med, research, zoo, wildlife, etc.) Are you enjoying what you're doing?

Would love to hear a little from those who pursued more specialized/less traditional routes!

(Feel free to also comment if you're a current vet student pointing towards a non-GP career - would love to hear what you guys have to say, as well)

Not sure how helpful I'll be since my plans are only plans at this point and I haven't even graduated yet. I'm hoping to end up in zoo med. I plan on doing a SA internship, probaly a zoo med/exotics/wildlife one after. Not sure about the residency yet.

@kcoughli is in a lab animal residency now, @WhtsThFrequency is a boarded pathologist, I think we currently have a few people in internships and a surgical residency too (can't remember who).

 

[SocialStigma]

I took the specialty route and am a current SA surgery resident. I love what I'm doing! I had known since prior to vet school that all I want to do is surgery all day, every day.

 

[deleted387118]

I took the specialty route and am a current SA surgery resident. I love what I'm doing! I had known since prior to vet school that all I want to do is surgery all day, every day.

Change “surgery” to “therio” and that’s how I feel.


If you have specific questions feel free to hit me up!

 

[KCgophervet]

I was scared away from vet med during undergrad (literally had a vet I was shadowing tell me to change paths because he was miserable, among other things). Finished my bio degree (sans a few pre-reqs) and started working in a research lab. Discovered lab animal vets were a thing (who knew?), started taking online/night classes to make up the missing pre-reqs, and got into vet school with the plan of going lab animal. Lots of lab animal experience acquired during vet school and now in a lab animal residency.

I absolutely love what I do. I spent the first six months of this residency being excited about going into work the next day. I particularly love working with the nonhuman primates. I also just got a grant I wrote funded from the Animal Welfare Institute so I get to do a project that is solely for the benefit of the lab animals (as opposed to a more traditional "using lab animals to benefit humans" route). I'm on the rodent rotation of my residency now and while its definitely been a huge shift from working with the primates, I still overall enjoy what I'm doing. The only other specialty I really considered was surgery, but the thought of doing a rotating internship +/- a specialty internship + a residency just felt like willingly signing up to hate myself for 4-5 more years.