Normally I love SDN, but I'm getting annoyed by all the negativity in regards to vet school, being a practicing veterinarian, etc etc. Not exactly a rant...and maybe I just read the worst threads...but I guess it means I need to take a step back 🤔
You know, I used to think this too. I just didn't understand why everyone had to be negative all the time, especially in a career that should be amazing, at least in my mind. If the career is amazing, then vet school should be amazing too, right?
The thing is, it is really, really common to have a slightly unrealistic view of veterinary medicine or vet school even if you have 10,000+ shadowing or working hours under your belt (though certainly more hours do help). We have this perception of what vet med is going to be, and unfortunately, this is frequently a little starry eyed, at least it was for me (YMMV).
Vet school itself is hard. In fact, it can be down right
awful. Why? Because the constant exams, social pressure cooker, and juggling act can be exhausting and sometimes seemingly impossible. And you know what? It is more than okay to hate vet school. Vet school is not being a veterinarian. I did hate it, and I at first felt guilty for it, until I realized it was okay to hate the crappy transportation on the way to destination veterinarian.
As far as being a vet goes, it does not come without its disadvantages. Depression, compassion fatigue, bad clients, being overworked and underpaid, all come together to make quite a few vets unhappy at times. And that's
okay. It's okay to want positive change, and to be frustrated with your situation.
I personally think that it's important to understand the downsides of vet school and being a veterinarian and to be ready to combat the negativity. People generally don't tell you all these negative things to over exaggerate or scare you off, but to allow those entering the profession a chance to see the reality of the situation and prepare themselves that vet med may not all be filled with happiness all the time- and that that is
okay.
🙂