Possibly Converting DVM to MD

[rzoo14]

dude your dumb. I took it twice had 2 competitive scores

You're*

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[BestDoctorEver]

Um, I think you are way way way off base.
First, my point with the Walmart employee is not that the OP should become one, but was giving an example of someone who didn't have choices in life. The OP does.
Second, the goal isn't a reliable job with good money. The goal is a job you will enjoy, because you are going to spend most of your life doing it. Life shouldnt be a prison where you bide your time. Career changers who have worked before tend to have more insight on this perhaps.
Third, matching into ones first choice is irrelevant here -- the OPs first choice is being a vet. But even so, I think you have to realize that people's first choices are largely selected based on reality --ie you pick what is still possible based on your step 1 scores, etc. If you aren't at the top of your class you aren't going to be applying for derm or plastics, even if you started med school thinking that would be the dream. No med school advisor lets you apply far out of your league, so you are basically steered to what your first choice can be. The guy at the bottom of the class might have only a couple avenues to select from as his "first choice". If you are really a "med student" you should know this.
I think you shouldn't be quick to suggest who is being "naive" here. Some of us have been around the block and are far beyond these match statistics (which you clearly don't comprehend.) good luck with that.

What make you think the goal of pursuing a career in medicine should be uniform across the board? People have different motivation in life and I think pursuing a career because of salary and job stability is 100% legitimate in my book... You really think OP should continue with his/her quest for vet medicine even if he/said that starting salary is around 40k/year and it is hard to find get a job when vet school is as expensive as med school? I think @Being said that on previous post... Do you really think med school will be that competitive if physicians salary drop to 40k/year and it is hard to get a job?

Edit... You should not also assume that OP will not enjoy medicine.

 

[URHere]

I haven't read the vast majority of this thread, but I just wanted to say that I was in a very similar position in undergrad.

When I applied to medical school, the major focus of my PS was actually why I chose to switch from veterinary to human medicine and the essay was very well received by my interviewers. Some even went to far as to say that they loved it because it was more unique and honest than what they usually saw from applicants. So, my advice would be that if you want to go into (human) medicine, don't be afraid to talk about your past interest in the veterinary field. You probably shouldn't make it sound like your only motivation is job stability, but you definitely have some room to maneuver.

 

[Law2Doc]

What make you think the goal of pursuing a career in medicine should be uniform across the board? People have different motivation in life and I think pursuing a career because of salary and job stability is 100% legitimate in my book... You really think OP should continue with his/her quest for vet medicine even if he/said that starting salary is around 40k/year and it is hard to find get a job when vet school is as expensive as med school? I think @Being said that on previous post... Do you really think med school will be that competitive if physicians salary drop to 40k/year and it is hard to get a job?

Edit... You should not also assume that OP will not enjoy medicine.

You shouldn't assume OP WiLL enjoy medicine --that's the bigger stretch. People can have different motivations, but honestly to get through four years of med school and 3-7 years of residency your life will be awful if your motivation is anything other than enjoying it. This career isn't like college where you go home at the end of the day and still have much time to do much else. So it's pretty much the majority of your life. Any motivation besides enjoying it is basically Life sentence without parole. So no, I don't think there's wiggle room for people who just want stable paycheck. As for supposed guaranteed incomes, I think a number of specialties are seeing a bad market right now (cards, path, rads) so it's anyone's bet how stable doctors jobs will actually be in a decade.

 

[pharmolu]

It is. It's called intern year.

I hope you're not being serious... he obviously meant avg. attending salary.

 

[kk123]

-

 

[Being]

I hope you're not being serious... he obviously meant avg. attending salary.

Not sure if his answer was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but actually he's right to call me out. I specifically said "starting" salary, because 45k looks more paltry than the median vet salary which was a much more livable 85k in 2012. However, physicians can expect their salary to triple or quadruple once they get out of residency and I'm not sure if that's the case for vets - I suppose it takes them years of experience to go from 45k - 85k? Considering the debt load, this is pretty brutal.

I guess my point was basically that if money and stability aren't on a person's list of reasons to pursue medicine, they may be deluding themselves. Certainly if those are your ONLY reasons for becoming a doctor and the field doesn't otherwise appeal to you, you may be in for a miserable life... But I don't think that's the case for the OP or for most people.

 

[URHere]

I wanted to focus on my experience at the veterinary clinic in my PS because it had such a significant impact on why I wanted to go into medicine. Would you recommend this?

Yes, absolutely - I wrote extensively about my veterinary experience in my PS. My major focus was on how my experience had shown me that some things I wanted out of a career were lacking in the veterinary field, and how my later clinical experience made me think that human medicine was a better fit for me.

If it's relevant to why you chose medicine, then (as far as I'm concerned) it belongs in your PS.

 

[IonClaws]

Um, I think you are way way way off base.
First, my point with the Walmart employee is not that the OP should become one, but was giving an example of someone who didn't have choices in life. The OP does.
Second, the goal isn't a reliable job with good money. The goal is a job you will enjoy, because you are going to spend most of your life doing it. Life shouldnt be a prison where you bide your time. Career changers who have worked before tend to have more insight on this perhaps.
Third, matching into ones first choice is irrelevant here -- the OPs first choice is being a vet. But even so, I think you have to realize that people's first choices are largely selected based on reality --ie you pick what is still possible based on your step 1 scores, etc. If you aren't at the top of your class you aren't going to be applying for derm or plastics, even if you started med school thinking that would be the dream. No med school advisor lets you apply far out of your league, so you are basically steered to what your first choice can be. The guy at the bottom of the class might have only a couple avenues to select from as his "first choice". If you are really a "med student" you should know this.
I think you shouldn't be quick to suggest who is being "naive" here. Some of us have been around the block and are far beyond these match statistics (which you clearly don't comprehend.) good luck with that.

Many people would enjoy being a movie star or a programmer at Google but that doesn't mean it's reasonable to pursue it at the risk of compromising your family's financial security. Not saying vet jobs are as hard to find as these, but it is certainly legitimate to pursue other, more reliable fields.

And the comparison to competitive residencies and step scores is more supportive of that argument - you should not pursue a plastics residency if it's extremely unlikely you will get a job (i.e. match) in it, especially if you have a family.

I guess the exception to this would be if OP absolutely cannot stand human medicine. It's reasonable to do something that you aren't quite as enthusiastic about in favor of being able to provide, but not necessarily if it's soul-crushing.

 

[Law2Doc]

Many people would enjoy being a movie star or a programmer at Google but that doesn't mean it's reasonable to pursue it at the risk of compromising your family's financial security. Not saying vet jobs are as hard to find as these, but it is certainly legitimate to pursue other, more reliable fields.

And the comparison to competitive residencies and step scores is more supportive of that argument - you should not pursue a plastics residency if it's extremely unlikely you will get a job (i.e. match) in it, especially if you have a family.

I guess the exception to this would be if OP absolutely cannot stand human medicine. It's reasonable to do something that you aren't quite as enthusiastic about in favor of being able to provide, but not necessarily if it's soul-crushing.

Residency is "soul crushing" even for many who actually like what they are doing. It would be mind bogglingly horrible if you didn't. It's not about being more or less enthusiastic so much as having some semblance of interest and excitement to get you through the lengthy training involved. Anyone can stomach a few months, maybe a year. That will be enough to get someone through the third year of med school, easy. But we are talking 3-7 years of training. That's a lot of 80 hour weeks and with overnights and black weekends. And with high expectations, a steep learning curve, and lives at stake. You kind of have to like it or it's too much to deal with.

If you guys don't want to take my word for it read some of the intern year posts on SDN. Lots of people looking into the abyss, lots of angst. I think a lot of people on here only have college and early med school as a frame of reference, and given that vantage point I'm sure it looks like something that's very doable and relatively painless even if you are just looking for the job security. But it's actually a really long hard path. And if you don't enjoy what you are doing that light at the end of the tunnel is a train. Most people who like what they are doing still have frequent "is it worth it" moments. But then you focus in on the things you enjoy about the job and dust yourself off and push through. If you didn't like it I can't even fathom what would be going on in your head. You can't exactly dust yourself off after an 80 hour very emotionally and physically draining week, one where you've gotten up in the dark and gone home in the dark every day, and say "at least it's a steady paycheck and health insurance". Please. Take it from someone who has done the steady paycheck thing before-- that really can't be all there is for you in this job. If it is you will quickly realize that's not enough to sustain you. You will hate life and there's not enough meat on that bone to sustain you.

There are plenty of jobs that pay the bills that don't require the same level of commitment and sacrifice. If you are good you can find job security in many fields. Only take this road if you think you'll actually like the journey.

 

[MysteryCat]

Residency is "soul crushing" even for many who actually like what they are doing. It would be mind bogglingly horrible if you didn't. It's not about being more or less enthusiastic so much as having some semblance of interest and excitement to get you through the lengthy training involved. Anyone can stomach a few months, maybe a year. That will be enough to get someone through the third year of med school, easy. But we are talking 3-7 years of training. That's a lot of 80 hour weeks and with overnights and black weekends. And with high expectations, a steep learning curve, and lives at stake. You kind of have to like it or it's too much to deal with.

If you guys don't want to take my word for it read some of the intern year posts on SDN. Lots of people looking into the abyss, lots of angst. I think a lot of people on here only have college and early med school as a frame of reference, and given that vantage point I'm sure it looks like something that's very doable and relatively painless even if you are just looking for the job security. But it's actually a really long hard path. And if you don't enjoy what you are doing that light at the end of the tunnel is a train. Most people who like what they are doing still have frequent "is it worth it" moments. But then you focus in on the things you enjoy about the job and dust yourself off and push through. If you didn't like it I can't even fathom what would be going on in your head. You can't exactly dust yourself off after an 80 hour very emotionally and physically draining week, one where you've gotten up in the dark and gone home in the dark every day, and say "at least it's a steady paycheck and health insurance". Please. Take it from someone who has done the steady paycheck thing before-- that really can't be all there is for you in this job. If it is you will quickly realize that's not enough to sustain you. You will hate life and there's not enough meat on that bone to sustain you.

There are plenty of jobs that pay the bills that don't require the same level of commitment and sacrifice. If you are good you can find job security in many fields. Only take this road if you think you'll actually like the journey.

If it was only the finances I was considering, I would absolutely not consider this field. As everyone has kindly reminded me, there are easier ways to make a good living wage.

I want to work in medicine. I enjoy the helping people and the diagnostic process is exciting to me. I have worked as a veterinary nurse for 2 years, and I do enjoy veterinary medicine. But I've also seen the stability of human medicine. And the similarities and differences. I'm sure for some people who have only seen the human side, they may think that animal medicine would be an easier field to get a leg up in, maybe easier treatment or diagnostic processes, but that's really not the case. I'm not looking for an "easier" field, obviously, as both are among the most challenging you can find, but I am looking for a MEDICAL career where compensation is somewhat reasonable considering the job descriptiontion. However I've not made any decisions yet.


Edit: I know that internships and residencies are grueling, and I am prepared to take that on for a career that I think I will enjoy. Finances aside. Veterinarians often go through internships and residencies as well, although it is not required.

 

[Law2Doc]

If it was only the finances I was considering, I would absolutely not consider this field. As everyone has kindly reminded me, there are easier ways to make a good living wage.

I want to work in medicine. I enjoy the helping people and the diagnostic process is exciting to me. I have worked as a veterinary nurse for 2 years, and I do enjoy veterinary medicine. But I've also seen the stability of human medicine. And the similarities and differences. I'm sure for some people who have only seen the human side, they may think that animal medicine would be an easier field to get a leg up in, maybe easier treatment or diagnostic processes, but that's really not the case. I'm not looking for an "easier" field, obviously, as both are among the most challenging you can find, but I am looking for a MEDICAL career where compensation is somewhat reasonable considering the job descriptiontion. However I've not made any decisions yet.


Edit: I know that internships and residencies are grueling, and I am prepared to take that on for a career that I think I will enjoy. Finances aside. Veterinarians often go through internships and residencies as well, although it is not required.

I don't think the veterinary "internships" and "residencies" are even really the same "species" -- we aren't describing analogous experiences, I'm afraid.

At any rate, to a very large extent, it's the interpersonal aspects of medicine that make it more draining. You might want to consider whether what you like about veterinary medicine actually has a direct corollate in people medicine. Surgery might, the clinical aspects won't. I have a few college buddies who are vets and honestly their job has very little in common with mine. But most importantly they went into that field specifically because they wanted to work with animals. Not primarily to do procedures or stamp out illness or provide palliative relief. If it wasn't being a vet, they would probably run a kennel or work at the zoo. They would hate hate hate this people-oriented job. There's nothing for them here beyond the paycheck. And you can't even just work for the weekend because half the time you don't get one. And again it's a really bad career choice just for stability-- the trade offs are crazy.

So yeah, make sure you want this for the "right" reasons. Stability and pay are nice secondary things, but shouldn't drive your decision making process if you hope to actually be happy.

 

[Nave]

You shouldn't assume OP WiLL enjoy medicine --that's the bigger stretch. People can have different motivations, but honestly to get through four years of med school and 3-7 years of residency your life will be awful if your motivation is anything other than enjoying it. This career isn't like college where you go home at the end of the day and still have much time to do much else. So it's pretty much the majority of your life. Any motivation besides enjoying it is basically Life sentence without parole. So no, I don't think there's wiggle room for people who just want stable paycheck. As for supposed guaranteed incomes, I think a number of specialties are seeing a bad market right now (cards, path, rads) so it's anyone's bet how stable doctors jobs will actually be in a decade.

Perhaps it's just ignorance on my end.

 

[MysteryCat]

I don't think the veterinary "internships" and "residencies" are even really the same "species" -- we aren't describing analogous experiences, I'm afraid.

At any rate, to a very large extent, it's the interpersonal aspects of medicine that make it more draining. You might want to consider whether what you like about veterinary medicine actually has a direct corollate in people medicine. Surgery might, the clinical aspects won't. I have a few college buddies who are vets and honestly their job has very little in common with mine. But most importantly they went into that field specifically because they wanted to work with animals. Not primarily to do procedures or stamp out illness or provide palliative relief. If it wasn't being a vet, they would probably run a kennel or work at the zoo. They would hate hate hate this people-oriented job. There's nothing for them here beyond the paycheck. And you can't even just work for the weekend because half the time you don't get one. And again it's a really bad career choice just for stability-- the trade offs are crazy.

I'm afraid you're being fairly ignorant. Veterinary residencies may not be the same as MD residencies but the job is NOT all about working with animals. In fact, it involves working with people who are afraid for their pets, often ignorant of the severity of their condition (in ER settings especially). To say veterinary medicine isn't people oriented is absurd. We may not be treating people, but if veterinarians did not want to work with people they wouldn't be long lasting in the field.

It's not all fluffy puppies and kittens. It is about treatment of illness and pain control. Veterinarians are trained surgeons. They aren't glorified pet sitters, as you seem to be indicating. They went to medical school too. Now, maybe I'm being overly sensitive but I'm sick of hearing the "veterinarians aren't REAL doctors" or "why don't you study actual medicine?" BS.

I'm sure you're excellent at your job. But you're acting all high and mighty and it's obnoxious. The message that you seem to be trying to send is that someone who originally has an interest in animal MEDICINE probably couldn't handle the rigors of human medicine. I hope that's not the message you're trying to get across.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm afraid you're being fairly ignorant. Veterinary residencies may not be the same as MD residencies but the job is NOT all about working with animals. In fact, it involves working with people who are afraid for their pets, often ignorant of the severity of their condition (in ER settings especially). To say veterinary medicine isn't people oriented is absurd. We may not be treating people, but if veterinarians did not want to work with people they wouldn't be long lasting in the field.

It's not all fluffy puppies and kittens. It is about treatment of illness and pain control. Veterinarians are trained surgeons. They aren't glorified pet sitters, as you seem to be indicating. They went to medical school too. Now, maybe I'm being overly sensitive but I'm sick of hearing the "veterinarians aren't REAL doctors" or "why don't you study actual medicine?" BS.

I'm sure you're excellent at your job. But you're acting all high and mighty and it's obnoxious. The message that you seem to be trying to send is that someone who originally has an interest in animal MEDICINE probably couldn't handle the rigors of human medicine. I hope that's not the message you're trying to get across.

I think you are responding to what you think I'm "implying" rather than what I actually said. I want you to think this through and have a solid reason beyond job security, nothing more. I clearly hit a nerve but I never said you were a "glorified pet sitter" or anything even close. I did suggest that the driving force of people going into veterinary medicine is wanting to work with animals, which I think is undeniable ;not "ignorant"). I also didn't ever suggest that you "couldn't" handle the rigors of human medicine, just that nobody sane would ever want to undertake that ordeal if the only payoff was job stability. Not sure how that's "high and mighty", but if it is, I'm owning that one -- I stand by my assertion. Guess I hit a nerve and hopefully got you thinking about the stereotypes you are going to need to overcome, but I really didn't say a lot of what you are really getting defensive about. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Nave]

I'm afraid you're being fairly ignorant. Veterinary residencies may not be the same as MD residencies but the job is NOT all about working with animals. In fact, it involves working with people who are afraid for their pets, often ignorant of the severity of their condition (in ER settings especially). To say veterinary medicine isn't people oriented is absurd. We may not be treating people, but if veterinarians did not want to work with people they wouldn't be long lasting in the field.

It's not all fluffy puppies and kittens. It is about treatment of illness and pain control. Veterinarians are trained surgeons. They aren't glorified pet sitters, as you seem to be indicating. They went to medical school too. Now, maybe I'm being overly sensitive but I'm sick of hearing the "veterinarians aren't REAL doctors" or "why don't you study actual medicine?" BS.

I'm sure you're excellent at your job. But you're acting all high and mighty and it's obnoxious. The message that you seem to be trying to send is that someone who originally has an interest in animal MEDICINE probably couldn't handle the rigors of human medicine. I hope that's not the message you're trying to get across.

Not overly sensitive, just misinterpreting.

 

[MysteryCat]

I have to apologize, @Law2Doc, I was too quick to jump to conclusions. As you may be able to tell, I've heard the stereotypes before, and already I am a little to sensitive to them. As much as I don't want them to affect me in my future career, they don't always just roll off. I appreciate your honesty, and advice.

Of course, veterinarians for the most part DO want to work with animals, but I think sometimes the very large portion of human/owner interaction is overlooked, that's all. And pet owners can be totally bonkers. Especially for those veterinarians going into equine medicine. But that's another story.

 

[SV88]

Keep in Mind, that veterinary school is quite a bit easier to get into regardless of what people will tell you. This is largely due to the reasons you named. My gf got in this year with 3.0 GPA, worse science GPA, and low GRE while I am on the waitlist for MD schools with a very high gpa, and competitive MCATs. Not as many prereqs for premed but excellence throughout is expected while prevet allows for a decent amount of screw ups

Ok. I haven't read all the posts because I couldn't stop laughing at this absurd idea. EASIER?!?!?! Can I please have some of what you're on???


Posted using SDN Mobile

 

[deanthedream17]

Ok. I haven't read all the posts because I couldn't stop laughing at this absurd idea. EASIER?!?!?! Can I please have some of what you're on???


Posted using SDN Mobile

Read my other posts and then you would understand when I'm coming from. I firmly believe this and you can choose to disagree with me if you wish.

 

[DVMDream]

Read my other posts and then you would understand when I'm coming from. I firmly believe this and you can choose to disagree with me if you wish.

There is a level of disagreement I have with you on the topic. But there is also a level of understanding what you are saying too. Yes, people can get into vet school with "lower" GPA's, but it is not normal and is often a difficult road involving master degrees or gaining insanely high GRE scores, or having a few thousand hours of vet or research experience. It is not by any means an easy road to be accepted to vet school, nor is it an easy road to be accepted into med school.

There are so many differences between vet school and med school applications that you can not adequately compare the two. Really, though, that isn't the point of this thread or what the OP was making the thread for. Comparing the two is not really a worthwhile debate and both human medicine and veterinary medicine benefit from one another. Research done in veterinary medicine often spills over into human medicine and vice versa. Veterinarians are doctors who go through school learning about medicine and while some of the physiology is a bit different from humans it is often quite similar. It is also the reason why animal models are used for a starting point in human medical research, so don't discount vets just because you think they have it "easier" to get into school. There are too many varying factors between the two to make an accurate comparison as to who has it "easier". I may have "only" had a 3.5 cumulative GPA after undergrad, but I had over 10,000 hours of direct clinical experience with veterinarians, there is a balance as to what makes a good application to vet school, same thing with med school. GPA is only one factor of many.

 

[kavorca]

I knew a guy who was a DVM, practiced for a year or so and then went to med school. I have no idea why he switched, but obviously people do it.

 

[DVMDream]

At any rate, to a very large extent, it's the interpersonal aspects of medicine that make it more draining. You might want to consider whether what you like about veterinary medicine actually has a direct corollate in people medicine. Surgery might, the clinical aspects won't. I have a few college buddies who are vets and honestly their job has very little in common with mine. But most importantly they went into that field specifically because they wanted to work with animals. Not primarily to do procedures or stamp out illness or provide palliative relief. If it wasn't being a vet, they would probably run a kennel or work at the zoo. They would hate hate hate this people-oriented job. There's nothing for them here beyond the paycheck. And you can't even just work for the weekend because half the time you don't get one. And again it's a really bad career choice just for stability-- the trade offs are crazy.

The interpersonal aspects of veterinary medicine also make it draining. Obviously the bond humans have with other humans is not comparable. Looking at someone and telling them their family member is dying is not anywhere near the same as telling someone that their dog of 15 years is dying, but there are significant interpersonal aspects of veterinary medicine that people forget about. Often times, veterinary medicine is more about discussing things with the owners, treatment plans, costs, etc instead of directly being with or near the animal. There is also an added complication within veterinary medicine of the owner being 100% financially responsible and it can get really draining to have to euthanize a puppy with a broken leg due to not enough funds. You would never let a human go with an untreated broken leg because they have insurance, that luxury is not given to vets and often times euthanasia becomes the option. It does get draining to do that and see that. It gets draining to have a client in your face telling you how horrible you are because you won't do something for free. There is a large amount of veterinary medicine that is interpersonal relationships. Not to mention that not every veterinarian actually works with animals (research, government, FDA, etc).

Again, I still think the interpersonal relationships doctors have with human patients is much different, but interpersonal relationships exist in veterinary medicine and can easily make a vet a bad vet or a good vet. I would also say that communication skills and the ability to have good interpersonal relationships are among the top of characteristics a veterinarian needs to have.

 

[deanthedream17]

There is a level of disagreement I have with you on the topic. But there is also a level of understanding what you are saying too. Yes, people can get into vet school with "lower" GPA's, but it is not normal and is often a difficult road involving master degrees or gaining insanely high GRE scores, or having a few thousand hours of vet or research experience. It is not by any means an easy road to be accepted to vet school, nor is it an easy road to be accepted into med school.

There are so many differences between vet school and med school applications that you can not adequately compare the two. Really, though, that isn't the point of this thread or what the OP was making the thread for. Comparing the two is not really a worthwhile debate and both human medicine and veterinary medicine benefit from one another. Research done in veterinary medicine often spills over into human medicine and vice versa. Veterinarians are doctors who go through school learning about medicine and while some of the physiology is a bit different from humans it is often quite similar. It is also the reason why animal models are used for a starting point in human medical research, so don't discount vets just because you think they have it "easier" to get into school. There are too many varying factors between the two to make an accurate comparison as to who has it "easier". I may have "only" had a 3.5 cumulative GPA after undergrad, but I had over 10,000 hours of direct clinical experience with veterinarians, there is a balance as to what makes a good application to vet school, same thing with med school. GPA is only one factor of many.

If I work with a vet for long enough I am guaranteed to have over 10,000 hrs. If I study to the cows come home I am still unlikely to get a 40 on my MCAT or a score competitive enough to get into my top choice school.

 

[DVMDream]

If I work with a vet for long enough I am guaranteed to have over 10,000 hrs. If I study to the cows come home I am still unlikely to get a 40 on my MCAT or a score competitive enough to get into my top choice school.

I think you missed the point. The admissions criteria are both similar and different for med school and vet school, you simply can not compare them. And the other point is that is not what this thread is about... it was pointless for you to even mention if one is "easier" than the other or not, because the thread was not about that. I have respect for pre-meds and their application process. I recognize it is difficult, as I sat through the same courses with the pre-meds students throughout undergrad. The point is that there should be no comparison between admissions between the two as that is not the topic of this thread.

 

[kk123]

Yes, absolutely - I wrote extensively about my veterinary experience in my PS. My major focus was on how my experience had shown me that some things I wanted out of a career were lacking in the veterinary field, and how my later clinical experience made me think that human medicine was a better fit for me.

If it's relevant to why you chose medicine, then (as far as I'm concerned) it belongs in your PS.

Cool, thanks! Good to know I'm on the right track with this PS!

 

[kk123]

The interpersonal aspects of veterinary medicine also make it draining. Obviously the bond humans have with other humans is not comparable. Looking at someone and telling them their family member is dying is not anywhere near the same as telling someone that their dog of 15 years is dying, but there are significant interpersonal aspects of veterinary medicine that people forget about. Often times, veterinary medicine is more about discussing things with the owners, treatment plans, costs, etc instead of directly being with or near the animal. There is also an added complication within veterinary medicine of the owner being 100% financially responsible and it can get really draining to have to euthanize a puppy with a broken leg due to not enough funds. You would never let a human go with an untreated broken leg because they have insurance, that luxury is not given to vets and often times euthanasia becomes the option. It does get draining to do that and see that. It gets draining to have a client in your face telling you how horrible you are because you won't do something for free. There is a large amount of veterinary medicine that is interpersonal relationships. Not to mention that not every veterinarian actually works with animals (research, government, FDA, etc).

Again, I still think the interpersonal relationships doctors have with human patients is much different, but interpersonal relationships exist in veterinary medicine and can easily make a vet a bad vet or a good vet. I would also say that communication skills and the ability to have good interpersonal relationships are among the top of characteristics a veterinarian needs to have.

This is so true!!!! One of the most common misconceptions I hear about veterinary medicine is "vets don't have to deal with humans." Of course they do! Every pet has an owner (or several which can make things even more difficult.) One vet told me that 50% of veterinary medicine is human psychology. This vet is has the most amazing people skills and everyone loves them. Vets with bad people skills tend to lose a lot of cliental because it's the humans who are paying for the veterinary services.
As you said though, the interpersonal relationships are different when the patients are humans. IMO if someone is switching from vet to people medicine, they should make sure they would be ok with having humans as patients i.e. shadowing or hospital volunteering. I did this just to make sure I was ok with human medicine before I put a lot of time and money into the med school application process.
That being said, I think most pre-meds have no idea what it is actually like to have the weight of a human patient's life in their hands. I suppose nurses and EMTs applying to medical school have a much better idea of what they are getting into than those of us who have only shadowed/volunteering in human medicine.