RANT HERE thread

[Shiloh47]

The optimist in me hopes that this bill, if passed (which I am not confident it will, similar to battie), would force schools to find a way to get less expensive. (If that is even possible.) The pessimist (or perhaps realist) in me thinks people are just going to have to take out private loans and people will do that despite the negative financial implications because "Follow your dreams" was highly valued in our generation growing up, for better or worse.

I am concerned about the cuts to Pell grants. I don't come from much and it is the only way I was able to go to college. I still came out with $30k in debt anyway even with living at home, going to a state school and working while in school. College would have been inaccessible to me without the program.

I will say, however, that I actually like the idea of having a new Pell grant program for short workforce preparation programs. The CNA class at a community college is $1200 because it is 8 credits. It is not eligible for financial aid because it is considered to be a certificate program less than 9 credits. Having Pell grants available for things like the CNA class could really help the severe labor shortage that is negatively affecting nursing home quality in my area and many others.

I just wonder if their aspiration of making schools cheaper (or so they say) will amount to any real effect in the next 5-10 years from this or an entire gen of young people are having the rug pulled from them while we wait around hoping colleges reduce costs. It feels sudden & short sighted while that generation has severely limited options, private loans while we wait to have costs reduced (if that ever happens in any meaningful way in my lifetime), or don’t go to school. I’m the first to say colleges are too expensive but the way they’re trying to ram this through with the stated intention of making college lending private in project 2025 gives me zero hope they have any good faith or care about that issue at heart.
Until a senate republican brings up issue with the student loan aspect I believe they are fine with these rules passing. Maybe there are other parts of the bill that can hold it up

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[Shiloh47]

This massive bill can’t even be clear or clear on intent. I’m ~3 months off from starting vet school and have no idea if I will be able to access grad plus for my education beyond 2026 and use private loans or if I will be allowed to access loans until 2029 with a grandfathering provision. But regardless it completely screws class of 2030 by an arbitrary time limit either way

 

[battie]

aspiration of making schools cheaper (or so they say) will amount to any real effect in the next 5-10 years

I think for true fiscal conservatives, this is a very real desire. Many of the names we hear on a regular basis are considered performative rather than effective (for both sides to be honest). Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins aren't necessarily the go along to get along types and can be 2/5 hold outs on this bill. And Mitch McConnell ain't got nothing to worry about at all and deeply dislikes (maybe even hates?) Trump for what he's done to the Republican party as a whole. So there's 3/5 right there.

It only took John McCain saying no to repealing the ACA back in the first Trump administration.

Until a senate republican brings up issue with the student loan aspect I believe they are fine with these rules passing. Maybe there are other parts of the bill that can hold it up

The Medicaid and shadow Medicare cuts likely can!

 

[indysadventures]

This massive bill can’t even be clear or clear on intent. I’m ~3 months off from starting vet school and have no idea if I will be able to access grad plus for my education beyond 2026 and use private loans or if I will be allowed to access loans until 2029 with a grandfathering provision. But regardless it completely screws class of 2030 by an arbitrary time limit either way

Similarly to what you’re saying, I think the goal of this bill has NOTHING to do with lowering tuition cost, and everything to do with lowering access to education for the majority of Americans, and ultimately creating a less diverse educated populace, including doctors. The less people that become educated the more easily they can be manipulated and controlled. It’s Fascism 101 - and I studied history in college, I don’t throw the word fascism around lightly.

College-educated people, specifically those with advanced professional degrees, were a bastion of resistance during the election, and continue to be. This bill targets a classic enemy of fascism - education - quite effectively. Let’s be real, these goons don’t give a flying oyster about school cost (or Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP-ed, etc.). They want less lawyers, less doctors, less food on children’s tables, less medical access in high-needs communities….

ETA: oh, and I forgot the implicit goal of lowered access partnered with privatization of a public service = big and beautiful to the Project 2025ers.

 

[battie]

So we are currently experiencing a corporate coup at my hospitals. There's a whole story here but the original sin is the fact they speaker phone fired our operations manager in the exam room for all the reception area to hear, and then told the whole staff in person at each hospital without telling the medical directors. It was a **** show and has been ever since. And now corporate is starting to place management folks on chopping blocks and there's background stuff going on. We are losing 6 doctors at a minimum from April to August, and 5 are for corporate reasons. This is out of 21 doctors.

I love this place. I was going to be a lifer. This place is one of the lowest paying places for docs in the area, but we pay support staff much better than almost anywhere else. And I make enough to support having a house husband and keeping our quality of life for now.

But now the culture is unraveling. I'm doing 5 overnights in a row because relief docs are now avoiding us on principle. My husband wants me to look elsewhere more seriously but the ER market is pretty saturated now. I have a call with a different corporate ("the cult" I'll call them 🤣) after a classmate texted me out of the blue last week that their recruitment team was trying to get a hold of me.

But I'm so torn. I don't want to leave. But I don't want to be axed in 6-12 months either if they close our lowest hospital. The financials are admittedly bad.

 

[couldhavebeenme]

I have a call with a different corporate ("the cult" I'll call them 🤣) after a classmate texted me out of the blue last week

The way this is all you had to say and we know exactly who you're talking about...

 

[pp9]

So we are currently experiencing a corporate coup at my hospitals. There's a whole story here but the original sin is the fact they speaker phone fired our operations manager in the exam room for all the reception area to hear, and then told the whole staff in person at each hospital without telling the medical directors. It was a **** show and has been ever since. And now corporate is starting to place management folks on chopping blocks and there's background stuff going on. We are losing 6 doctors at a minimum from April to August, and 5 are for corporate reasons. This is out of 21 doctors.

I love this place. I was going to be a lifer. This place is one of the lowest paying places for docs in the area, but we pay support staff much better than almost anywhere else. And I make enough to support having a house husband and keeping our quality of life for now.

But now the culture is unraveling. I'm doing 5 overnights in a row because relief docs are now avoiding us on principle. My husband wants me to look elsewhere more seriously but the ER market is pretty saturated now. I have a call with a different corporate ("the cult" I'll call them 🤣) after a classmate texted me out of the blue last week that their recruitment team was trying to get a hold of me.

But I'm so torn. I don't want to leave. But I don't want to be axed in 6-12 months either if they close our lowest hospital. The financials are admittedly bad.

Several vets and many techs in my old area left the candy shop to join the cult and have stayed with the cult for years. I haven’t worked a cult shift (not any in my current state…yet) but it seems you either love it or hate it. Last I heard, DVMs were bringing home a lotttt of money. And you have access to a fully stocked fridge and pantry at all times apparently!

An upper management shakeup to that degree is a red flag, though. Definitely see what your options are

 

[battie]

Definitely see what your options are

Pretty much where I'm at. Cautiously looking around. We're all seeing that there aren't many options because of the saturation. The cult is opening a new shop on the south end of town. The two privately owned ers in the area have a bad reputation and three of our current docs came from there. A bunch of urgent cares opened by the candy shops were closed and BP is reducing costs. So I don't know what we're going to do.

I would probs fit right in with the cult. I have no problem with the open treatment concept. I bring owners to treatment a lot actually. But my emotional attachment to my group is real.

I wonder what I would call my current corporate. It's not either of the candy shops.

 

[pp9]

The amount of vet student externs that come through saying they want nothing to do with horses, cattle, pigs, sheep/goats, etc. and just 'want to do zoo med' has me very confused. And concerned. At the end of the day, we are just mixed animal GPs and people don't realize that. It's not the glamorous career everyone thinks, which reflects in some of the conversations I've been having with students lately.

I guess it's a good thing they are doing an externship, maybe once the reality sets in (that we don't frolic with lions and tigers all day) they might realize this isn't the career they thought it was. Or when they notice that we spend 85% of our time sitting at our desks...

 

[JaynaAli]

The amount of vet student externs that come through saying they want nothing to do with horses, cattle, pigs, sheep/goats, etc. and just 'want to do zoo med' has me very confused. And concerned. At the end of the day, we are just mixed animal GPs and people don't realize that. It's not the glamorous career everyone thinks, which reflects in some of the conversations I've been having with students lately.

I guess it's a good thing they are doing an externship, maybe once the reality sets in (that we don't frolic with lions and tigers all day) they might realize this isn't the career they thought it was. Or when they notice that we spend 85% of our time sitting at our desks...

A surprisingly high percentage of my path submissions from actual zoos are just generic domestic goats and chickens and stuff, I presume because many zoos have a petting zoo in a children’s area.

 

[pp9]

A surprisingly high percentage of my path submissions from actual zoos are just generic domestic goats and chickens and stuff, I presume because many zoos have a petting zoo in a children’s area.

Add my zoo to that list...opening in summer 2026 (supposedly).

Probably 8/10 students we've had in the past 1.5 years has said something along the lines of 'When are we going to go look at the tigers?' 'Can we go to lion holding?' 'Can we please do a bear exam?'

Like, I get that you want to go see them. Yes, they are cool. When time allows, we can tour holding buildings. But why are you asking me that when we've done soooo many other things in the month you've been here? Our last student was particularly bold about it and outright said how disappointed she was that we didn't 'spend more time with' carnivores and how she didn't have a good experience as a result (we did 1 million other things, though). These externships aren't for your entertainment. We don't just go shoot the **** in code red (dangerous animal) areas, and keepers have to get work done/can't cater to those whims anyways. And, saying this as someone who was nearly killed last summer, I don't treat those areas as casual places to visit. It's absolutely taken for granted by all zoo people, but they really are inherently dangerous areas to be in. Mistakes happen (even with two lock two key protocols in place...). There is serious risk that goes along with this job and we are responsible for these students. With all of the HR-type changes that are happening in the zoo world, the amount of time and effort that goes into planning the externships is increasing. It's incredibly disappointing when we put that much effort into teaching and whatnot, only to be told that a student was unhappy that we didn't play with big cats.

And for any future zoo externs reading this, we are significantly more likely to take time and bring you to do fun stuff when you are engaged and interested in the other 99% of what we do on the daily.

/endrant

ETA: Also meanwhile, students don't want to deal with barn-type animals, but I've spend 50% of this week dealing with a zebra. Which is literally a horse, just even more dramatic and dumb (if you can believe that)

 

[couldhavebeenme]

Truly what do you mean you don't have any interest in those "barn animals" when like... 1/2 of zoo animals are exotic hoofstock?

 

[pp9]

Truly what do you mean you don't have any interest in those "barn animals" when like... 1/2 of zoo animals are exotic hoofstock?

Lol right? I mean nearly everything non-carnivore in a zoo is comparable to a horse, cow, sheep, goat, etc on some level. Really cool comparative anatomy stuff. I've always wanted to do zoo and was lucky that I got a good sense for what the career was before vet school, but I do wish I did more large animal rotations in hindsight because of this. Just last week I was doing joint injections on a camel (first time since school, it seems to be working so I'm really excited about it!), last summer we had a colicky rhino try to die and my equine classmates gave me fantastic advice (which saved said rhino), and yeah this week with the zebra making bad choices. Now we are currently hand raising 10 goat kids, soon we will be getting alpacas and chickens.

Other things we have to deal with, that people often say they don't have an interest in, or don't have any idea that we deal with it: hoof care (though we have an amazing farrier we consult here, not all zoos do), nutrition, NECROPSY, clin path, therio/repro, water quality, etc. And that's not even touching on zoo politics, animal welfare, and the thousands of meetings we attend every week.

But no, everyone just wants to see red pandas and feed a tiger 😒

 

[fauna]

And that's not even touching on zoo politics, animal welfare, and the thousands of meetings we attend every week.

I had the absolute time of my life during a zoo internship that I did, and obviously this is just a sliver of experience compared to yours. It was so rewarding and it essentially was a speedrun of personal and professional growth for me, so I will always be grateful. But, what you mention here is the reason that I decided I didn’t want to be a zoo vet. Any senior veterinarian at this zoo did far more administration work than actual practice. It felt to me like the only way up-the-ladder was just becoming swamped with the meetings and politics and admin work. I’m not cut out for that lol. Maybe that exists to some extent in the other fields but it just felt far more intense for zoo.

Also honorable mention— it was the most physically intense labor of my life. By the end of the internship I was ready to run and never look back because my body was sooo tired.

 

[pp9]

I had the absolute time of my life during a zoo internship that I did, and obviously this is just a sliver of experience compared to yours. It was so rewarding and it essentially was a speedrun of personal and professional growth for me, so I will always be grateful. But, what you mention here is the reason that I decided I didn’t want to be a zoo vet. Any senior veterinarian at this zoo did far more administration work than actual practice. It felt to me like the only way up-the-ladder was just becoming swamped with the meetings and politics and admin work. I’m not cut out for that lol. Maybe that exists to some extent in the other fields but it just felt far more intense for zoo.

Also honorable mention— it was the most physically intense labor of my life. By the end of the internship I was ready to run and never look back because my body was sooo tired.

Soooo many meetings, so much red tape. The bigger the zoo, the worse it is.

I absolutely agree with you there - it is exhausting work, especially when it comes in big waves. This past week, I did 6 routine/planned immobs over two days, totaling about 9-10 hours of work. In the moment, you don't realize how much mental energy you're expending in those procedures, let alone physical. A ton of lifting, bending/squatting in weird positions for too long, not drinking your water because you are covered in crap or wearing a ton of PPE/dealing with animals that often have zoonotic diseases, etc. These 1000lb animals don't just magically fall into the perfect position for their procedures, we literally have to position them. Oh and every animal building is 90 years old so you don't have a/c. And then you get called in at midnight that night for a zebra (or maybe that's just me). And then you still have to write those pesky records!

I'm absolutely exhausted, so good thing we are moving into the new house starting tomorrow

Edit: Also 3 of those immobs had me darting with ultrapotent opioids. Instant energy zap for me. We are responsible for every single person involved, and sometimes that's 10+ people. Harder than you'd think (or maybe than I thought) to be that alert/aware for 6 hours while also doing all of the above mentioned things during the procedure.

 

[katiemcat]

Truly what do you mean you don't have any interest in those "barn animals" when like... 1/2 of zoo animals are exotic hoofstock?

*dumb SA speciality interested person* I was just thinking isn’t a zebra basically a cool looking horse….

 

[RespectTheChemistry]

Soooo many meetings, so much red tape. The bigger the zoo, the worse it is.

I absolutely agree with you there - it is exhausting work, especially when it comes in big waves. This past week, I did 6 routine/planned immobs over two days, totaling about 9-10 hours of work. In the moment, you don't realize how much mental energy you're expending in those procedures, let alone physical. A ton of lifting, bending/squatting in weird positions for too long, not drinking your water because you are covered in crap or wearing a ton of PPE/dealing with animals that often have zoonotic diseases, etc. These 1000lb animals don't just magically fall into the perfect position for their procedures, we literally have to position them. Oh and every animal building is 90 years old so you don't have a/c. And then you get called in at midnight that night for a zebra (or maybe that's just me). And then you still have to write those pesky records!

I'm absolutely exhausted, so good thing we are moving into the new house starting tomorrow

Congratulations on the new house. 🙂

That does sound exhausting. I don't ever think I could do that!

Not gonna lie, those baby goats from upthread sound cute though.

 

[BunnyFluffy]

Probably 8/10 students we've had in the past 1.5 years has said something along the lines of 'When are we going to go look at the tigers?' 'Can we go to lion holding?' 'Can we please do a bear exam?'

It is kind of mind blowing this is a mindset when pretty much every vet med professional has to explain to the general public that we don't get to play with puppies and kittens all day. Why on earth do they think that would be the case with wildlife???
Maybe it's the way I was taught, but I always had the idea that you got a put in the work to get the "fun stuff", even after vet school. I really hope that's just an unfortunate run of people with that mindset, because I would also be concerned if that's all these students want to do. It's also extremely brazen to complain about that sort of thing on an externship 😭 I could never.

 

[pp9]

*dumb SA speciality interested person* I was just thinking isn’t a zebra basically a cool looking horse….

I think a zebra is the most obvious one, but rhinos = horses too in the zoo world. And I think it's the concept of all of those equine, swine, etc lectures actually being extremely relevant to zoo med, but you have to think about it to realize that and most people don't. I even had a rotating internmate bitching about how he 'didn't need to know any of this/do any of this' to be a zoo vet and I'm like uhhhh dog/cat med is extremely applicable my dude.

It is kind of mind blowing this is a mindset when pretty much every vet med professional has to explain to the general public that we don't get to play with puppies and kittens all day. Why on earth do they think that would be the case with wildlife???
Maybe it's the way I was taught, but I always had the idea that you got a put in the work to get the "fun stuff", even after vet school. I really hope that's just an unfortunate run of people with that mindset, because I would also be concerned if that's all these students want to do. It's also extremely brazen to complain about that sort of thing on an externship 😭 I could never.

I don't think I ever outright asked to be taken to do something fun when I was an extern lol. If I was bored, I read a textbook or prepped for planned cases. 90% of my externs now have to be told what they are supposed to be doing with their time. Don't even get me started on the phones. I've said this before, but I'm only 33 and grew up with phones, social media, etc, but put the phone down. Stop taking pictures of literally every single thing because we both know that you're not actually going to look at them ever again. And most zoos have externs sign something stating they won't share pics/videos on any format, so when I see you constantly recording, I get concerned.

Not gonna lie, those baby goats from upthread sound cute though.

They are cute, but a lot of work! They are currently headbutting everything and making their debud sites bleed -_-

 

[_rae_]

Y’know… zoo/wildlife was one of my “oh man, if only I could make money in it I’d totally do it” because I love big cats, birds (like emus and flamingos), and marine life, and you just made me realize I’d probably hate it lol. I never considered that a zebra is just a fancy horse. Like, I love elephants, I think they’re so amazing, but I’m also now realizing they’re an ungulate. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t MIND horse medicine, but I super prefer cats and dogs and exotics.

Something I’ve always been curious about: how similar to people medicine is great ape medicine? Do you guys ever have to consult MDs?

 

[pp9]

Y’know… zoo/wildlife was one of my “oh man, if only I could make money in it I’d totally do it” because I love big cats, birds (like emus and flamingos), and marine life, and you just made me realize I’d probably hate it lol. I never considered that a zebra is just a fancy horse. Like, I love elephants, I think they’re so amazing, but I’m also now realizing they’re an ungulate. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t MIND horse medicine, but I super prefer cats and dogs and exotics.

Something I’ve always been curious about: how similar to people medicine is great ape medicine? Do you guys ever have to consult MDs?

Fairly similar in the sense that we use human doses/drugs routinely. I've actually asked my sister what antibiotics MDs like to prescribe her kids for upper respiratory stuff and just gone with that, lol. There is still a lot of mg/kg dosing we do, but some vets like to just prescribe the blanket dose of a drug like MDs/DOs do.

We consult MDs alll the time for the apes. Cardiologists, OB/gyn, surgeons, sometimes anesthesiologists, etc. At my current zoo, we almost always have an MD of some type present when we are doing an ape immob, although it's not 'necessary.' But really, none of us are cardiologists/can do a great echo, for example (which is one of the biggest concerns in aging great apes). Other zoos I've been at don't consult for routine stuff and might just have them come over when a problem comes up, but my zoo contributes to a specific large global great ape project and having an MD of a certain specialty really helps with that. Plus my head vet is just really heavy on consultants, which is fine. Others like to do it all themselves.

Our consulting OB/gyn has been coming over a lot because one of our apes is pregnant, and we do weekly ultrasounds. She doesn't need to come, but they always want to. It gives them clout/street cred in their hospital, lol

 

[battie]

It's also extremely brazen to complain about that sort of thing on an externship 😭 I could never.

I manage my extern program for my hospitals and this would cause a failing grade and an email or call to the school. Maybe I'm excessive. But that's not acceptable to me.

 

[thenontraveler]

Remind me to never move in Arizona in 102° heat on a weekend that is not attached to a holiday or break, with a cat lol

 

[pp9]

I manage my extern program for my hospitals and this would cause a failing grade and an email or call to the school. Maybe I'm excessive. But that's not acceptable to me.

This student was from a unaccredited foreign school and she actually didn’t need any written review/scoring/whatever. I don’t do the final steps for the extern, my coworker does, and she is a LOT nicer than I am. I don’t think she would have done anything even if there was a review to do, which is unfortunate

 

[megadorkie]

Just wanted to say, @pp9 thank you for sharing all that very interesting zoo vet information! I'm lucky in a sense that I've never really been interested in zoo medicine, I think wildlife are wicked cool but it's not a career interest for me. But I had no idea that your job entailed all of that extra stuff that doesn't get highlighted before pre-vets try to enter the field.

I think I'll definitely still try to get lucky with zoo/wildlife experiences while in school, because I know that will probably be the only time I do ever work with wildlife. lol. I think it would be a great experience to supplement my future career.

 

[honeypot999]

The fact there is an incoming vet student asking for a religious exemption for rabies and Tdap is wild to me. What do you mean you are opposed to vaccines that literally prevent life taking and life threatening illnesses?

 

[_rae_]

The fact there is an incoming vet student asking for a religious exemption for rabies and Tdap is wild to me. What do you mean you are opposed to vaccines that literally prevent life taking and life threatening illnesses?

I have at least three people in my class who are anti-vax, and one who doesn't believe in evolution. Wanting to be a doctor apparently =/= believing in science.

 

[battie]

I went to undergrad in a very rural area. 3sq mile town of 5km people and 1k students on campus. Our evolution class was online and the majority of people in that class did not believe in evolution. 100% of them were going into human medicine in some fashion besides me

 

[spiane]

I have at least three people in my class who are anti-vax, and one who doesn't believe in evolution. Wanting to be a doctor apparently =/= believing in science.

I was pretty shocked to learn this as well, especially compared to my undergrad where all the PhD's had similar stances on these topics.

 

[katiemcat]

The fact there is an incoming vet student asking for a religious exemption for rabies and Tdap is wild to me. What do you mean you are opposed to vaccines that literally prevent life taking and life threatening illnesses?

Considering I’ve handled an animal that later ended up being rabies positive this is stupid and unacceptable. As future veterinarians we are supposed to be the upholders of evidence based practice and public health. Being antivax is the antithesis of that….

 

[battie]

Considering I’ve handled an animal that later ended up being rabies positive this is stupid and unacceptable. As future veterinarians we are supposed to be the upholders of evidence based practice and public health. Being antivax is the antithesis of that….

We quarantined a puppy exposed to rabies for 3 months in my hospital last year. The only people who could help manage him were vaccinated people. Pretty big pain in the ass that not more people were vaccinated. There were plenty of shifts where the only person vaccinated was the doctor. So the only person who could walk with, play with, clean up this puppy was the doctor. And in an ER hospital, that's a waste of company time and money.

Don't get me wrong. I loved that dog and am glad we gave him the chance. But we need more people vaccinated. The fact we were vaccinated and could manage him is the only that puppy lived through his rabies exposure quarantine.

 

[fauna]

I have at least three people in my class who are anti-vax, and one who doesn't believe in evolution. Wanting to be a doctor apparently =/= believing in science.

HOW. How do you just live with the cognitive dissonance? Second, WHY? Why are you going to school to learn science that you don’t believe in?

I know jealousy is not a good look and we have plenty of it on here but for me this is one of those “how do these people get into vet school and I don’t”

 

[Cowsrcool]

I’d love to know what religion says we shouldn’t be vaccinated against rabies 😭 like how is a religious exemption valid in ANY way here

 

[catsandsnakes]

I will never forget someone in my undergrad anatomy class saying how they hoped our professor wouldn't teach about evolution after they saw it as a topic in our notes 😐

Being anti-evolution is as silly as being anti-germ or anti-gravity (both of which are also "just theories"). I cannot take anyone seriously who thinks evolution is false

 

[BunnyFluffy]

The fact there is an incoming vet student asking for a religious exemption for rabies and Tdap is wild to me. What do you mean you are opposed to vaccines that literally prevent life taking and life threatening illnesses?

I literally jumped on getting a rabies vaccine through work as soon as I could! It's insane that you are allowed to NOT have a rabies vaccine, considering the mortality rate and the fact that you will be expected to deal with possibly rabid animals at some point.

The professor for my animal disease class showed us a video of people with rabies, and I feel like these kinds of people need to see that chilling video just to see what is on the line.

 

[spiane]

I will never forget someone in my undergrad anatomy class saying how they hoped our professor wouldn't teach about evolution after they saw it as a topic in our notes 😐

Being anti-evolution is as silly as being anti-germ or anti-gravity (both of which are also "just theories"). I cannot take anyone seriously who thinks evolution is false

Yeah and that logic is flawed anyway. A scientific theory is very different from the colloquial meaning of a theory. A scientific theory is something that cannot be "proved" per se, but is backed by tons and tons of high quality scientific evidence that suggest we can accept it to be true. The way laymen use theory in day-to-day conversation is analogous to a hypothesis. Two very different meanings!

 

[honeypot999]

I hate that my boyfriend isn’t willing to move in the future for potential internships and residencies. I don’t want to be stuck in small animal medicine because he refuses to leave his home town. My career goals are in Kentucky working the racetracks

 

[battie]

I hate that my boyfriend isn’t willing to move in the future for potential internships and residencies. I don’t want to be stuck in small animal medicine because he refuses to leave his home town. My career goals are in Kentucky working the racetracks

I'm sorry. This sucks. I broke up with my ex prior to vet school when I got an interview after 6 rejections. He told me he was hoping I wasn't going to get an interview since it was my last cycle; I'd move on with him.

There's a lot of time between now and when you'll be applying. Things can change. But this will be a fork in the road where one of you will have to compromise. To me, this is no different than the "kids or no kids" question.

 

[MixedAnimals77]

Going off the antivax sentiment...measles that I should not have to worry about for the bebe but here we are. That is all.🤬

 

[overcastkidjuno]

Doing any procedures with beavers. I have never met a meaner, more non-complaint animal lol. If evil was personified, it would be a beaver that needs medical care (I still love them though)!

 

[max_wildlife]

Doing any procedures with beavers. I have never met a meaner, more non-complaint animal lol. If evil was personified, it would be a beaver that needs medical care (I still love them though)!

ohh v much agreed; i had to work with a smoke inhalation beaver a few years ago and that entire experience is still nightmare fuel

 

[_rae_]

I hate that my boyfriend isn’t willing to move in the future for potential internships and residencies. I don’t want to be stuck in small animal medicine because he refuses to leave his home town. My career goals are in Kentucky working the racetracks

This was a big conversation for us. I've known from the get go that I want to specialize, so I gave my spouse an out as soon as possible. It was going to be a dealbreaker for me (just like having kids like @battie said). Only you get to decide this, but ultimately even if a person is otherwise the right person, incompatible life goals can be insurmountable. It's a hard thing to think about, especially if you don't know what choice you'll regret more. I'm sorry you're dealing with that.

Going off the antivax sentiment...measles that I should not have to worry about for the bebe but here we are. That is all.🤬

I just saw an article that the CDC is recommending measles vaccination for international travel, regardless of destination. We're going to Ireland in September (I hope anyway), and while I'm vaccinated, I'm also immunocompromised. It's really frustrating knowing my parents got me vaccinated and I have gotten every vaccine recommended in adulthood, and I'm still potentially at risk.

 

[Cowsrcool]

I hate that my boyfriend isn’t willing to move in the future for potential internships and residencies. I don’t want to be stuck in small animal medicine because he refuses to leave his home town. My career goals are in Kentucky working the racetracks

I’m in the same situation. Was all excited about moving together only for him to spring on me last minute he wants nothing to do with relocating. I feel for your situation ❤️

 

[katiemcat]

I hate that my boyfriend isn’t willing to move in the future for potential internships and residencies. I don’t want to be stuck in small animal medicine because he refuses to leave his home town. My career goals are in Kentucky working the racetracks

When I was moving for vet school I told my (now husband) he was looking at Gainesville for 4 years and then another location for at least 4 years for residency and I understood if he wasn’t willing to follow me. He did so without hesitation and that’s how I knew I was going to marry him. Not saying someone needs to be willing to go to the ends of the earth for you like this to be “the one” but it just showed me how much he valued our relationship. I hope the future brings clarity to you both.
On another note people who don’t want to leave their home towns confuse me. I couldn’t wait to get out and never go back 😂

 

[vampyrica]

I’m in the same situation. Was all excited about moving together only for him to spring on me last minute he wants nothing to do with relocating. I feel for your situation ❤️

I hate that my boyfriend isn’t willing to move in the future for potential internships and residencies. I don’t want to be stuck in small animal medicine because he refuses to leave his home town. My career goals are in Kentucky working the racetracks

i have advice on this topic as i have lived with this and had to end things:

i was with my ex boyfriend for over 4 years. i brought him to greece with him, had him meet the people i care about most and totally convinced myself this was my happily ever after. however, when it came time for me to move 3 hours away to finish my undergrad, he became weirdly clingy and saying things like he didn't want me going far because he would "worry about me". this raised a red flag so one day i sat him down and said that i wanted to leave pennsylvania and had my eyes set on colorado for vet school (weird how it all worked out in the end). i told him i wanted to keep my options open and possibly move back to greece after i have children so they can grow up immersed in their culture the same way i did. this caused him to freak. he said he could never picture himself living outside of the country, that his dream was to retire in florida and that he was not willing to leave his family behind in pennsylvania. florida was his limit. i knew that this is just wasnt going to work out despite how much i loved him, i did what was best for me and ended things before i moved to finish my undergrad. it sucked- for a while and eventually it all became okay because i knew this is what i wanted and i knew i needed a partner who would longed for adventure like i did and i'm just not a home-body. i'm now with my partner of over a year and while we will be apart for this upcoming year, he will join me next summer once he finishes his degree.

all this to say, sometimes you need to think about what is best for you and it might mean leaving some people behind 🩷

 

[Conflagration]

I have at least three people in my class who are anti-vax, and one who doesn't believe in evolution. Wanting to be a doctor apparently =/= believing in science.

My mother is an LPN and she's a creationist who thinks I got autism from the MMR vaccine. Nobody is exempt from weird beliefs.

I'm teaching science in high school, life pushed me around but I think I've found a way to start working towards my goals now. I'm in the process of figuring out how to take pre-reqs while I'm working, which is fun. :|

 

[mkg323]

I hate that my boyfriend isn’t willing to move in the future for potential internships and residencies. I don’t want to be stuck in small animal medicine because he refuses to leave his home town. My career goals are in Kentucky working the racetracks

Dump him for the horses (jk). Are there any tracks near you? Would you consider working for your state racing commission or do you want to be a treating vet? You could always go to KY for an internship and return to your home state. KY is like a whole different beast but if you have any questions lmk, my bestie from school is from KY and went back to practice at Turfway. She did some super cool racetrack externships that I can try and find info on