Pets in medical school?

Started by Diocletian
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Diocletian

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I'm starting med school in August and have rented a 1-bedroom place. I get kinda lonely living by myself, so maybe a pet would be a nice addition.

I'm aware med school sucks up time, so I want a low-maintenance pet. Maybe a hamster or betta fish?

Does anyone have experience with this? Advice appreciated.
 
betta fish sounds like a good choice since hamster still needs more maintenance than fish.

I'm applying to med school this cycle and was wondering if it's plausible to bring my pet with me. In other words, as a medical student, would I be able to find a dorm/apt where they allow pets? It's a cat btw.
 
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If i could, I would personally get a dog from the shelter thats already housebroken. They usually dont cost too much. Usually just food + toys. Most are usually already immunized and have no defects/disorders.

Plus you will feel good about saving a life... even if it is an animal's.
 
I had a camel that I kept in my bedroom once. A bit more maintenance than I thought it'd be 🙁

jk
 
Diocletian said:
I'm starting med school in August and have rented a 1-bedroom place. I get kinda lonely living by myself, so maybe a pet would be a nice addition.

I'm aware med school sucks up time, so I want a low-maintenance pet. Maybe a hamster or betta fish?

Does anyone have experience with this? Advice appreciated.
Click to expand...

Cats are low maintenance, can take care of themselves, and may even cuddle with you (depending on the personality of the cat), if you're in to that sort of thing :laugh: .

I have a cat and he's a sweetie, but he does like to go outside which made me decide to rent a house instead of an apartment as most complexes don't want cats running around their area.
 
xffan624 said:
Cats are low maintenance, can take care of themselves, and may even cuddle with you (depending on the personality of the cat), if you're in to that sort of thing :laugh: .

I have a cat and he's a sweetie, but he does like to go outside which made me decide to rent a house instead of an apartment as most complexes don't want cats running around their area.
Click to expand...

Following chia pets, cats are the second best type of pets for medschool.

Pros: independent, naturally clean, affectionate, quiet (perfect for studying)
Cons: may shed (fluffy cats), claws furniture
 
I'm bringing my dog with me to med school this year. I've had him for two years though since he was a puppy and he's crate-trained, which will make it easier for both of us. I don't know that I would recommend getting a new puppy that needs to be housebroken and trained, especially if you've never had a dog before, since that can take a lot of time and work. An older dog from the shelter who is already trained would be a good choice though. And cats are pretty chill and low-maintenance.
 
cms said:
betta fish sounds like a good choice since hamster still needs more maintenance than fish.

I'm applying to med school this cycle and was wondering if it's plausible to bring my pet with me. In other words, as a medical student, would I be able to find a dorm/apt where they allow pets? It's a cat btw.
Click to expand...

Many apartments require a pet deposit. Some even have a monthly pet rent, usually about $10/month. The condo I'm renting is privately owned, and the pet deposit is $400. I get half of that back at the end of my lease if my dog hasn't caused any damage.
 
If you want fish advice, hit me up. Betta can be very low maintenance, though the best-looking fish need about 30 minutes a week of tank cleaning.
 
I posted a lot of dog-specific stuff on the "when can a premed get a dog?" thread, but also wanted to put in a plug for rabbits. They are pretty chill, are active in early morning and early evening so they fit a work schedule nicely, are pretty cheap to feed, and are both snuggly and hilarious. There are lots of young adults available for adoption that are already spayed/neutered and potty trained. Anyway if you're interested rabbit.org is great or feel free to PM me.
 
:laugh: +1 for chia pets!

My friend had a pet ferret and chinchilla for a while, if you wanted to look into that (I dunno if they're legal everywhere?). Turtles are good too, if you're interested in a pet that will outlive you 😛
 
English bulldog if you can afford one. All they do is eat, sleep, and get tired after a 10 minute walk...perfect for med school
 
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Only get a dog if you have a roommate or a significant other that you are living with. When you are on overnight call during third/fourth year it can be impossible to go home. Dogs do not do well without someone taking care of them for that long.

In addition, many people have to do away rotations during 4th year. This can involve traveling around the country and working very long hours again. This again can be a huge problem for people with dogs. Dogs are great and I love them, but long ago I decided they weren't right for me due to these very reasons. Your hours only get longer during residency, so there is that too. Think long and hard about getting a dog before start medical school.
 
I have a Russian Tortoise and it is the most low maintenance pet ever. They live for 100 years and you basically just feed and water them. I plan on passing him down to my grandkids. It's super cute, doesn't need a lot of space and eats the veggies I never get around to using. Also, they hibernate through winter so you don't have to do anything for it for months at a time. I thought mine ran away last year, but it was just buried in the garden bed for months.
 
I have dogs, cats and kids. I plan on keeping all of them through med school!

Seriously, its nice to have something or someone who loves you at home. Get what you are comfortable with and realize that anything you get is a commitment and needs a bit of care.
 
I have a 4 year old (will be 5 when I start) dog that I will bring to med school. Had him since he was 8 weeks old.

Outside of getting a puppy, I would think any pet would be fine. Full grown dogs are usually pretty chill, and taking your dog on a walk is a nice way to take a study break and get you both some exercise.
 
I have a cat and a dog (both trained) and I plan on bringing both to medical school. I agree with other people who have said to get an older dog or get a dog a few years before med school... so that it will be 2+yrs old when you actually go to school.
Cats are nice too, but dogs are a great solution to the constant study lone-lies. Just be sure to research the breed and their energy requirements before you commit (for instance maybe not a border collie if you don't run everyday). Also adopt from your shelter!!
 
Cats are a good choice....any type of dog is difficult, regardless of energy requirements. You will definitely go through periods of crazy time sinks where the last thing you want to do is go walk a dog. It can be done, but you better have support in place and a good idea of what to expect. My girlfriend's dog needed surgery (freak accident) during exam time, she was in tears the whole time and ended up bombing them. Went from honoring almost every class to near the bottom.

Just a word of caution.
 
Snakes are a great option. I usually have my boa constrictor around my neck as I study or just read. If you are new to snakes, get something no more than 6ft and relatively hardy; Ball pythons, Jungle Carpet pythons, Blood pythons, and Rosy boas are very common in the hobby. I do not recommend colubrids (Kings, Milks, and Rat snakes) because they do not tend to "sit" with you like most boas and pythons. As far as caging goes, a 40 gallon (3ft long, 18 inch wide, ~16-18 inches tall) works for the four boids I mentioned.
 
RuralPhysician8 said:
Snakes are a great option. I usually have my boa constrictor around my neck as I study or just read. If you are new to snakes, get something no more than 6ft and relatively hardy; Ball pythons, Jungle Carpet pythons, Blood pythons, and Rosy boas are very common in the hobby. I do not recommend colubrids (Kings, Milks, and Rat snakes) because they do not tend to "sit" with you like most boas and pythons. As far as caging goes, a 40 gallon (3ft long, 18 inch wide, ~16-18 inches tall) works for the four boids I mentioned.
Click to expand...

and they dont bite?
 
Snake bites do not hurt. I had a 4ft Rat Snake bite and swallow my thumb whole. A snake's teeth are designed to hold prey, not inflict damage. Trust me, I worked at an exotic pet store for seven years, hamster bites are worse than those from my 7ft Red tail boa.
 
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