RANT HERE thread

[fauna]

---

Members don't see this ad.

on my second cycle I completely agree. I feel so much embarrassment sending that email saying hey I didn’t get in this time, I’d love to get another letter later this year. this cycle isn’t going well so likely a third cycle in my future after a year of retaking courses. it’s probably my least favorite thing.

yeahhh. I have a similar plan if I don't get in (BUT I WILL!!!! I have become so superstitious at this point, like I am trying to manifest and pray and probably start to cast spells or some ****) Would you take a break from applying while you do so? (which you won't need to do, you're getting in! manifest!) I haven't really decided what I'll do yet so I am just kinda curious.

 

[justachillgirl]

I am with you, friend. It is my second application cycle, so I am living proof that it will be okay even if you don't get in! (Since you said you're still in school, I presume it's your first cycle but please forgive me if I am wrong) I honestly have really enjoyed the year I spent between cycles, the full-time experience was really good for me. A break from school was awesome, not gonna lie. Butttt, I don't want to do it again. So, I am also feeling that anxiety and at this point, obsession.
To rant a little for myself, so definitely skip the rest of this post if you need to, I don't wanna pile on haha. one point of contention for applying for a third cycle is having to ask for letters again. Like cool, being out of school for two years and trying to get that professor to write me a letter is super awkward. Plus, having to ask a doctor for a third time.. yikes. I could find new doctors to write for me, I suppose, but like where do I find a new professor? That's one anxiety I have been holding onto for a while. The other thing is.. I just want to start my life. I cannot afford to live as a veterinary assistant, at least not for right now. I am living with family now which I feel fortunate to do but it has felt like this huge step backwards in my life because I was on my own during undergrad thanks to scholarships/some student loans/part-time work. Many of my friends are making those big steps in life and I feel stuck, or even backwards. I just don't want to go through this for a third time, I need this time to work out, fortunately I have just a few more schools I am waiting on.
That said, that's why I do like SDN. It is kind of an isolating experience to go through this, I don't know anyone pre-vet IRL (honestly didn't vibe with my pre-vet club because it just felt competitive). It is nice to get advice or insight from others, orrr just commiserate every now and again. But, you gotta know when to unplug and I, myself, am struggling with that. But, we can do it! I think I will try to actually read a book this evening haha.

oh my when you mention you feel stuck or backwards seeing friends start their grad school etc I literally feel the same. It's like you don't even want to give the impression you didn't get accepted this time, and just live it up for next cycle hoping you can share positive news one day. All my friends are entering their human med school or chiropractic or pharmacy, and I'm here like...

Also yes it is my 1st cycle but I've been doing basically two baccs degrees and I feel like I am wasting my life away... like my heart is studying vet med already and life isn't budging

 

[justachillgirl]

yeahhh. I have a similar plan if I don't get in (BUT I WILL!!!! I have become so superstitious at this point, like I am trying to manifest and pray and probably start to cast spells or some ****) Would you take a break from applying while you do so? (which you won't need to do, you're getting in! manifest!) I haven't really decided what I'll do yet so I am just kinda curious.

I love your picture so much LOL

I feel the same though. I might just graduate in may and start working at a hospital while I get some volunteer hours in exotics, avian or conservation clinics, and take some more courses I need to expand my school possibilities.
I just rlly don't want to have to do VMCAS more than 2 times...

 

[JaynaAli]

oh my when you mention you feel stuck or backwards seeing friends start their grad school etc I literally feel the same.

it’s absolutely valid to feel this way. it definitely doesn’t stop. Once you’re in vet school, it’s extremely common to see your non-vet friends moving on to the stages of marriage and children while you feel left behind because you’re still in school eleventy-thousand years later. If you pursue specialty training, it happens to many again when your vet school buddies enter the real world and you’re still in training. And when you do enter the real world, those “normal” nonvet friends are also moving into different phases of life like teenaged children, being empty nesters, and retirement planning when many specialists are starting to finally make substantial income and feel ready to be starting families and stuff like that. (Though obviously this isn’t the timeline everyone follows, it’s just what I see a lot of). I don’t say all this to be “doom and gloom”, but there’s always someone to compare yourself too, and that doesn’t make you ANY less. Your path is just as valid as theirs even if it looks different. So while I understand your feelings and have felt them myself, the best thing I think you can do is to just accept that life looks different for everyone and try to enjoy the phase you’re in. I wouldn’t necessarily want to go back to undergrad and vet school, but there are aspects of my life from those times I miss.

 

[TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo]

it’s absolutely valid to feel this way. it definitely doesn’t stop. Once you’re in vet school, it’s extremely common to see your non-vet friends moving on to the stages of marriage and children while you feel left behind because you’re still in school eleventy-thousand years later. If you pursue specialty training, it happens to many again when your vet school buddies enter the real world and you’re still in training. And when you do enter the real world, those “normal” nonvet friends are also moving into different phases of life like teenaged children, being empty nesters, and retirement planning when many specialists are starting to finally make substantial income and feel ready to be starting families and stuff like that. (Though obviously this isn’t the timeline everyone follows, it’s just what I see a lot of). I don’t say all this to be “doom and gloom”, but there’s always someone to compare yourself too, and that doesn’t make you ANY less. Your path is just as valid as theirs even if it looks different. So while I understand your feelings and have felt them myself, the best thing I think you can do is to just accept that life looks different for everyone and try to enjoy the phase you’re in. I wouldn’t necessarily want to go back to undergrad and vet school, but there are aspects of my life from those times I miss.

I feel this. As a resident, I went to a vet school friend's wedding this fall. It was honestly very difficult to see/know that all of these friends I use to see daily now get to live in the same city together and have such amazing lives while I am alone in a different country with years ahead of me before potentially having a more normal life. I love them and miss them so much, since as much as I love my new friends they are not as close as the ones I left behind.

 

[katiemcat]

it’s absolutely valid to feel this way. it definitely doesn’t stop. Once you’re in vet school, it’s extremely common to see your non-vet friends moving on to the stages of marriage and children while you feel left behind because you’re still in school eleventy-thousand years later. If you pursue specialty training, it happens to many again when your vet school buddies enter the real world and you’re still in training. And when you do enter the real world, those “normal” nonvet friends are also moving into different phases of life like teenaged children, being empty nesters, and retirement planning when many specialists are starting to finally make substantial income and feel ready to be starting families and stuff like that. (Though obviously this isn’t the timeline everyone follows, it’s just what I see a lot of). I don’t say all this to be “doom and gloom”, but there’s always someone to compare yourself too, and that doesn’t make you ANY less. Your path is just as valid as theirs even if it looks different. So while I understand your feelings and have felt them myself, the best thing I think you can do is to just accept that life looks different for everyone and try to enjoy the phase you’re in. I wouldn’t necessarily want to go back to undergrad and vet school, but there are aspects of my life from those times I miss.

*me wanting a child but also wanting residency* 😔

 

[fauna]

it’s absolutely valid to feel this way. it definitely doesn’t stop. Once you’re in vet school, it’s extremely common to see your non-vet friends moving on to the stages of marriage and children while you feel left behind because you’re still in school eleventy-thousand years later. If you pursue specialty training, it happens to many again when your vet school buddies enter the real world and you’re still in training. And when you do enter the real world, those “normal” nonvet friends are also moving into different phases of life like teenaged children, being empty nesters, and retirement planning when many specialists are starting to finally make substantial income and feel ready to be starting families and stuff like that. (Though obviously this isn’t the timeline everyone follows, it’s just what I see a lot of). I don’t say all this to be “doom and gloom”, but there’s always someone to compare yourself too, and that doesn’t make you ANY less. Your path is just as valid as theirs even if it looks different. So while I understand your feelings and have felt them myself, the best thing I think you can do is to just accept that life looks different for everyone and try to enjoy the phase you’re in. I wouldn’t necessarily want to go back to undergrad and vet school, but there are aspects of my life from those times I miss.

This is such an important conversation to have, one that I have put a lot of thought into. I don't want kids. I want a partner but also don't care too much about a wedding or anything like that. I want this career. Now, I would be naive to say this makes me immune to these feelings-- I literally demonstrated earlier that it does and trust me, I want a happy, healthy life outside of this career. But, this just kind of sparks another rant in me.
Earlier this year a male doctor said to me something along the lines of "I hope you get into vet school before you run out of time against your biological clock". Not those words exactly, it was a longer conversation but if you put the pieces together, it left me feeling like I was viewed as this baby-making machine with a ticking time bomb inside my uterus. I'm not, I never voiced anything about children to this man (why would I?) You would never say that to a man. You would never tell a man to think of his family first before having career ambitions. It sent me into a rage at the time, and clearly I still get mad about it. I think it's an important alternative side to this conversation, one I feel like stressing because of the current political state of the world. Also, I don't mean this in a "don't want children" way. I mean it in a "want whatever YOU want" way.
So, anyway, fortunately I feel okay in some of the other regards mentioned. What's killing me right now is living in this in-between of application cycle purgatory. Like you said, I am trying to remind myself that I will miss this time once I am swamped in vet school, and vet school will bring upon new feelings. But, this waiting phase is where the comparison really creeps in for me. 2-for-1 rant special here but I started a new job and one of my friends said "welcome to adulthood". I wanted to lose it! I have worked as a veterinary assistant/nurse for years, longer than any of our friends have been in their careers. While this particular job is definitely a big step up for me, I have been doing this whole thing for a while. All my friends, including her, have been really supportive of me on this path so it just completely took me by surprise that I was being looked down upon like that. Idk, they're all living it up with their DINK (dual income no kids) lifestyles right now, while I just moved back into my parent's house so maybe that's it.

 

[JaynaAli]

It definitely doesn’t have to just relate to kids, That was just the main part of the first example I gave. I have no desire to have children. I am happy being a super fun aunt. My point was comparison is the thief of joy or at least contentment and there will always be people doing life differently than you.

I am chronically single and all attempts to change that have been disappointing. Maybe I focused too much on myself and vet med for too long, idk. I can be sad that my best friend managed to find someone to get married to during vet school, an internmate found her husband while we were interns with crazy schedules, etc and I was unable to find my person during those times (or ever). We probably all have days where we struggle with comparison to others and it takes time (and often therapy, lol) to accept things the way they are and even begin to enjoy them. It doesn’t have to relate to vet med either. My dream outside of vet med has been to buy some land and build a farm from scratch so it’s exactly how I want it. But who does that as a single person? What if I start that process and I do finally meet someone and they hate the house or have to live somewhere else? What if I lose my job because pathologists are replaced by AI and can’t afford said farm? The real estate agent I bought my land from was flabbergasted that I was buying land to build a home as a single person. He couldn’t fathom how I could afford it or how I would take on that burden and work alone. But I have to just let go and pursue the dream, stop worrying and just do it. I make the money, houses can be sold if life changes, etc. Doubts and fears are normal.

 

[JaynaAli]

*me wanting a child but also wanting residency* 😔

People definitely make it work to have both simultaneously, but it definitely seems easier and more common to wait until it’s over. A lot of specialties have requirements for how many weeks you have to spend doing what so it’s hard to take much if any of a leave and still meet requirements. But I know of a couple people now had babies as residents and few others who had older kids already.

 

[oweue]

[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]]" data-quote="fauna" data-source="post: 0" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

yeahhh. I have a similar plan if I don't get in (BUT I WILL!!!! I have become so superstitious at this point, like I am trying to manifest and pray and probably start to cast spells or some ****) Would you take a break from applying while you do so? (which you won't need to do, you're getting in! manifest!) I haven't really decided what I'll do yet so I am just kinda curious.

I wouldn’t apply until I finish all courses, then go back to working full time as I apply

 

[honeypot999]

I’m tired of people arguing with me about HPAI. The YouTube video you’re showing me from 2007 does not negate the fact that poultry and swine facilities are some of the strictest biosecurity protocols. BSL levels apply to laboratory research facilities, not the farms. Using the words “big farming” or “big pharma” in your argument just tells me you don’t understand the industries you’re ranting about.

I wish people who acted like they knew how to do research, actually knew how to do research

 

[BlueFeetBooby7]

It definitely doesn’t have to just relate to kids, That was just the main part of the first example I gave. I have no desire to have children. I am happy being a super fun aunt. My point was comparison is the thief of joy or at least contentment and there will always be people doing life differently than you.

I am chronically single and all attempts to change that have been disappointing. Maybe I focused too much on myself and vet med for too long, idk. I can be sad that my best friend managed to find someone to get married to during vet school, an internmate found her husband while we were interns with crazy schedules, etc and I was unable to find my person during those times (or ever). We probably all have days where we struggle with comparison to others and it takes time (and often therapy, lol) to accept things the way they are and even begin to enjoy them. It doesn’t have to relate to vet med either. My dream outside of vet med has been to buy some land and build a farm from scratch so it’s exactly how I want it. But who does that as a single person? What if I start that process and I do finally meet someone and they hate the house or have to live somewhere else? What if I lose my job because pathologists are replaced by AI and can’t afford said farm? The real estate agent I bought my land from was flabbergasted that I was buying land to build a home as a single person. He couldn’t fathom how I could afford it or how I would take on that burden and work alone. But I have to just let go and pursue the dream, stop worrying and just do it. I make the money, houses can be sold if life changes, etc. Doubts and fears are normal.

Sometimes I think my life would be a lot easier if I am not single. It's not about happier, healthier, or anything like that. I am happy and healthy on my own. It's simply about easier because I feel like humane societies are designed for reproduction and partnership. I don't know. It's like it's cheaper to rent with another person than living alone lol. Then I would blame myself for that thought because I am supposed to be independent.

 

[BlueFeetBooby7]

Learned a word today called existential crisis. I felt that in college when I was applying to vet school and thought "I just want it to be over, and then I can have some fun". I feel like I am living phase-by-phase instead of living on a continuum. Subconsciously I thought my personal life would actually start after I got into vet school/residency/a new job/whatever and I focused too much on making those goals happen rather than living in the moment. I just had this thought because I was reflecting on last year (the year of the dragon instead of 2024 lol) and thought that my happiest moment was not when I got my offers but actually when my favorite team won their big game and I was cheering for them with my friends. I love college basketball and now we are off-topic. So my happiest moment was not about my career achievement or anything but about basketball. That made me think. I look to those people who did undergrad, vet school, residency, and PhD in a row and think "how do you manage to have a life?" I am sure they do and I only wish they can show me how.

 

[RespectTheChemistry]

I am getting really anxious about money with Trump's tariffs coming down the line. I had to move to a lower paying position when I reached a point where I could no longer physically do the lifting required at my old job in October.

At the rate I am going, it's possible I may never get married. I broke up with a serious girlfriend last week. I broke off a 3-year engagement/7-year relationship last July. With how bad some spouses are and how miserable a bad LTR can make a person, maybe never getting married isn't such a terrible thing but there are so many financial advantages to having two incomes (so long as the other party is financially responsible).

 

[couldhavebeenme]

I am getting really anxious about money with Trump's tariffs coming down the line. I had to move to a lower paying position when I reached a point where I could no longer physically do the lifting required at my old job in October.

At the rate I am going, it's possible I may never get married. I broke up with a serious girlfriend last week. I broke off a 3-year engagement last July. With how bad some spouses are and how miserable a bad LTR can make a person, maybe never getting married isn't such a terrible thing but there are so many financial advantages to having two incomes (so long as the other party is financially responsible).

This is why I want to form a commune with like-minded single friends (or those with tolerable partners).

 

[RespectTheChemistry]

This is why I want to form a commune with like-minded single friends (or those with tolerable partners).

I think our generation doesn't have the village that generations past did. My mom (60) has been single for 30 years, but she gets by just fine because she has a thriving community of many friends, most of them married but some of them not. I am perfectly happy being single. On the other hand, once my mom dies, I will have no one to give me a ride home from outpatient surgery, for example.

I would love to join your commune! 🙂

 

[DVM882029]

I'm super pissed off that the year I get accepted to veterinary school aligns with the downfall of American democracy.

 

[pp9]

Came back from my Japan trip (was a blast) to my poor cats having peed all over my apartment. Our petsitter did not deal with their litterboxes, at all. Crazy thing is she slept at my place, so she either has no sense of smell or is that stupid that she didn't think twice about why it was starting to smell. I'm so pissed because we checked in with her daily, reminded her to check the litterboxes (we have robots), and she said they were fine. One was completely empty of litter and she just didn't refill it, the other had a full drawer and then the globe was full because it couldn't rotate until the drawer was emptied. I wrote out very specific instructions and a daily schedule to help make sure things didn't get overlooked and then she didn't even notice/think to refill an empty litterbox?

Husband wants her to return some of the money, but this is a coworker's daughter so we're venturing into unfortunate territory. This is why I never go anywhere. That, plus all of the absolute horror stories of horrifically neglectful petsitters that I've encountered in ER...enough reason to never trust anyone.

 

[Shiloh47]

Is anyone worried about the future of GRAD plus loans?? There was a bill introduced a few days ago (S. 308 by sen Tuberville) that seeks to eliminate grad plus and these loans are the only way I could afford vet school. I'm worried because Republicans control all three branches so conceivably they could pass this....could a filibuster stop it? Does anyone have any wisdom on this or how on earth school could be afforded if they go away these next 4 years?

 

[indysadventures]

Is anyone worried about the future of GRAD plus loans?? There was a bill introduced a few days ago (S. 308 by sen Tuberville) that seeks to eliminate grad plus and these loans are the only way I could afford vet school. I'm worried because Republicans control all three branches so conceivably they could pass this....could a filibuster stop it? Does anyone have any wisdom on this or how on earth school could be afforded if they go away these next 4 years?

No, no wisdom, but just standing here with you, knowing we will figure it out together.

Idk, it’s scaring me and I truly have moments where I’m absolutely terrified (okay that’s always right now) that student loans will go away in some major capacity in the next few years.

I don’t have an answer. Other than, we can get together to scream into the abyss, I’ll bring the brownies.

Edited to add - this isn’t meant to be toxic positivity, just seeing you and supporting you - I’m scared and angry and terrified in 15 different ways….. all I know is, I’m going to control what I can, resist how I can, and support those in my community.

 

[vampyrica]

Is anyone worried about the future of GRAD plus loans?? There was a bill introduced a few days ago (S. 308 by sen Tuberville) that seeks to eliminate grad plus and these loans are the only way I could afford vet school. I'm worried because Republicans control all three branches so conceivably they could pass this....could a filibuster stop it? Does anyone have any wisdom on this or how on earth school could be afforded if they go away these next 4 years?

I'm in the same boat!

 

[battie]

I.e. federal student loans. I was raised with "hope for the best and prepare for the worst". So let's play this hypothetical out a tad:

1) Say Grad plus loans are eliminated entirely by Congress (though I don't think this will happen) and signed into law by Trump (can see as a possibility).

2) There will be an abrupt, almost instantaneous drop of huge proportions in student enrollment in higher education for advanced degrees. We're not just talking us; were talking all degrees beyond a bachelor's. This includes JDs, MDs, DOs, PAs, NPs, DDS, PT, etc. etc. While a lot of wealthy people pursue post-bac degrees on these levels, they aren't a huge majority, if a majority at all. I would wager the majority of students need these loans to attend these degrees.

3) Big Higher Ed would file law suits via someone with standing, aka advanced degree seeking student. Then it would go through the courts on whether or not the new law is appropriate. This could take years; in the mean time there will likely be an injunction halting the new law as it is normally the inclination of the courts to follow the status quo. So students can attend their programs as usual in the short term

4) Honestly don't know how this would go in the courts as I don't have enough knowledge base in higher education funding policy to know.

5) Say elimination is upheld: there will be a massive drop off in education for these positions and **** will get reversed real damn quick. Or we'll see a massive die-off in higher education of these programs, probably starting in private schools.

I'll post in SPF tomorrow cause I gotta be up early. Update later.

 

[Tech_Penguin]

I’m genuinely scared for the futures of research grants as a future PhD. Because who in their right mind would pull out of WHO and attack the CDC? What’s next, the NIH??

 

[DVM882029]

3) Big Higher Ed would file law suits via someone with standing, aka advanced degree seeking student. Then it would go through the courts on whether or not the new law is appropriate. This could take years; in the mean time there will likely be an injunction halting the new law as it is normally the inclination of the courts to follow the status quo. So students can attend their programs as usual in the short term

I would be happy to be a plaintiff! I'm pretty ragey, I'll be a pain in the arse to the Cantaloupe Caligula.

 

[overcastkidjuno]

It's been a very upsetting time to be an aviation enthusiast... my heart is really hurting over everything that's happened... & with media now keeping a sharp eye on the industry as a whole, I feel I'm also watching the public perception of aviation rapidly degrade...

 

[vampyrica]

I’m genuinely scared for the futures of research grants as a future PhD. Because who in their right mind would pull out of WHO and attack the CDC? What’s next, the NIH??

I cannot tell if this is sarcasm or not...but...the NIH is already under attack. I work at a university in research and during that weird 24 hr period where all federal funding was frozen, NIH projects fell victim. My university sent multiple emails telling people to keep working and if they hear something more concise they will let us know if we need to stop conducting research.

 

[vampyrica]

It's been a very upsetting time to be an aviation enthusiast... my heart is really hurting over everything that's happened... & with media now keeping a sharp eye on the industry as a whole, I feel I'm also watching the public perception of aviation rapidly degrade...

I have flown my entire life. Since I was an infant, and never once have I been scared to fly, however now? I'm hesitant. Not because of the crashes, but because of the massive layoffs being conducted. My father used to work for the FAA (he fixed their computer systems and communication channels) so I know that very smart, qualified and dedicated people work for them. I hope this will stop, I hope and hope and hope. We cannot function as a society like this for four more years...

 

[overcastkidjuno]

I have flown my entire life. Since I was an infant, and never once have I been scared to fly, however now? I'm hesitant. Not because of the crashes, but because of the massive layoffs being conducted. My father used to work for the FAA (he fixed their computer systems and communication channels) so I know that very smart, qualified and dedicated people work for them. I hope this will stop, I hope and hope and hope. We cannot function as a society like this for four more years...

Completely fair. I truly don't understand the decisions being made, the staffing shortage for ATCs already made me nervous before... Having a single person controlling landings/departures & helicopters at a major airport that early in the evening truly shocked me... I am so sorry you are dealing with this, Americans have always been our brothers & sisters in the air, & I'm sad to see the chaos that is happening down there in the past few weeks 🙁

 

[Cowsrcool]

When student loans and repayment plans are under attack but obviously every school still increases their tuition and fees every year. Where does it end? How much more UNAFFORDABLE can some of these places get? It’s off the charts in my opinion and how can anyone commit to these programs with a sound mind right now? I’m rethinking my journey all together because of these imminent threats to my ability to repay what I end up borrowing.

 

[Shiloh47]

When student loans and repayment plans are under attack but obviously every school still increases their tuition and fees every year. Where does it end? How much more UNAFFORDABLE can some of these places get? It’s off the charts in my opinion and how can anyone commit to these programs with a sound mind right now? I’m rethinking my journey all together because of these imminent threats to my ability to repay what I end up borrowing.

I agree it is hard to think about and the schools aren't without culpability in these exorbitant loan costs and where does it end.

Schools can get away with bloated tuition because gov loans can be taken to pay for them, but if that ability is rescinded I honestly don't see schools making a hard turn to make tuition affordable if federal loans go away, I just see even more predatory private loans becoming the norm or only the rich can attend. The carpet would be pulled from us at the worst time since veterinary acceptances are so difficult as it is, the timing just feels awful on top of the regular loan anxiety. I am hoping GRAD plus will remain available these next few years and if any attack is made on it, it would get stalled in courts at least for the time being.

Did you get on the Washington waitlist? They at least have a sane cost even for oos IMO. It's so fcked up I just want the knowledge to heal people's horses why is this so exhausting 😭

 

[Cowsrcool]

I agree it is hard to think about and the schools aren't without culpability in these exorbitant loan costs and where does it end.

Schools can get away with bloated tuition because gov loans can be taken to pay for them, but if that ability is rescinded I honestly don't see schools making a hard turn to make tuition affordable if federal loans go away, I just see even more predatory private loans becoming the norm or only the rich can attend. The carpet would be pulled from us at the worst time since veterinary acceptances are so difficult as it is, the timing just feels awful on top of the regular loan anxiety. I am hoping GRAD plus will remain available these next few years and if any attack is made on it, it would get stalled in courts at least for the time being.

Did you get on the Washington waitlist? They at least have a sane cost even for oos IMO. It's so fcked up I just want the knowledge to heal people's horses why is this so exhausting 😭

Yea waitlist for me but I’m not expecting anything from it. Seems it’s pretty long this year :/ I just can’t justify being buried in a loan hole if all hell breaks loose

 

[_rae_]

Listen, I'm not saying schools are exempt from blame, but having been very close with the president of my undergrad college, it's not black and white. What colleges provide today vs. what they provided twenty or thirty years ago is increasingly expensive. Do I think $50k/yr is reasonable for someone in their late teens/early 20s to pay? No, it's ridiculous. Do I think there's aspects of that that are truly non-negotiable because of continued decreases in funding from the government, higher demand from students, and higher demand from the economy/employees? Absolutely.

The cost of school is inflated and egregious in most cases, but it's not all "the school is greedy". They're businesses whether they're for profit or not and they are hit by the economy ups and downs just like an individual.

Battie is right though, the chances this is going to completely fall apart this year or even during our education is low, thanks in part to the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. And even if it does, we have to assume that business as usual will occur, someone else will be in office in the next 4 years, and something new will be put in place.

It's hard, as a current first year, to separate my anxiety from what I realistically know. I can't imagine being an incoming student with all of the anxieties of starting a rigorous program with these added complications. But do know that the terrible and wonderful thing about policy is, no matter what the media tells you, it takes a long time.

 

[JaynaAli]

I definitely feel for you all who are in the loan taking and repayment phases of life. I’m very glad mine are paid off at this point, but instead I’ve traded that for financial worries in the form of inflation and tariffs. I recently bought land and I’m theoretically supposed to begin construction on a new home this summer/fall. But if prices are gonna get raised 25% or more in trade wars, I’m not sure the bank loan will cover it and I don’t have an extra 100k or more just laying around to pay the difference in appraised value and what it actually costs to build if prices get raised more. So while I agree the student loan situation is super scary and needs an overhaul, financial worries really never stop and there’s always something else! Fingers crossed everything works out for all of us!

 

[alyssa13]

Im currently in my gap year and I wish I just went right into vet school, I feel like I'm wasting a year & a year's worth of salary. i'm working as a vet assistant but I'm seeing all people I went to school with going and their experience in vet school so far (social medias, linkedin, etc) and its making me feel so insecure and behind. Does anyone else feel the same way or have advice how to stop the comparison :/

 

[_rae_]

Im currently in my gap year and I wish I just went right into vet school, I feel like I'm wasting a year & a year's worth of salary. i'm working as a vet assistant but I'm seeing all people I went to school with going and their experience in vet school so far (social medias, linkedin, etc) and its making me feel so insecure and behind. Does anyone else feel the same way or have advice how to stop the comparison :/

It's cliche, but everyone's path is different. What was supposed to be a single gap year turned into three and I was worried when I started that being 25 was going to make me the odd one out. It definitely didn't. I can name off 20 people in my class of 105 who are my age or older, and I'm sure there's other I just don't know well enough.

If you're learning and growing, both as an individual and in your current position, you're doing fabulous and exactly what a gap year is supposed to do.

 

[Shiloh47]

Im currently in my gap year and I wish I just went right into vet school, I feel like I'm wasting a year & a year's worth of salary. i'm working as a vet assistant but I'm seeing all people I went to school with going and their experience in vet school so far (social medias, linkedin, etc) and its making me feel so insecure and behind. Does anyone else feel the same way or have advice how to stop the comparison :/

I’m just finishing up my bachelors at 26. You’re definitely not behind! I had a gap year in between semesters that turned into 3+ gap years but I wouldn’t be attending vet school next fall without those years. It’s true when they say comparison is the thief of joy. Social media is always curated anyways and so is linkedin. Keep doin’ you!

 

[DVM882029]

Im currently in my gap year and I wish I just went right into vet school, I feel like I'm wasting a year & a year's worth of salary. i'm working as a vet assistant but I'm seeing all people I went to school with going and their experience in vet school so far (social medias, linkedin, etc) and its making me feel so insecure and behind. Does anyone else feel the same way or have advice how to stop the comparison :/

I had a 10 year gap between my first attempt at pre reqs/desire to go to vet school and when I actually applied.

 

[overcastkidjuno]

Im currently in my gap year and I wish I just went right into vet school, I feel like I'm wasting a year & a year's worth of salary. i'm working as a vet assistant but I'm seeing all people I went to school with going and their experience in vet school so far (social medias, linkedin, etc) and its making me feel so insecure and behind. Does anyone else feel the same way or have advice how to stop the comparison :/

I think there are a lot of pros to having an extended journey to vet school! It might not seem like it in the moment but spending some time away from school & actually out in the field will give you tons of valuable experience that will ultimately make you a more prepared vet. I matriculated into vet school at 19, directly from undergrad, and I have many classmates who took gap years and spent time away from academia and the practical knowledge they had coming in compared to me is amazing. They have a serious leg up on the rest of us when we're trying to learn stuff like drugs, diagnostics, etc. and they have experienced it all intimately many times over!

 

[futuredogtor614]

Im currently in my gap year and I wish I just went right into vet school, I feel like I'm wasting a year & a year's worth of salary. i'm working as a vet assistant but I'm seeing all people I went to school with going and their experience in vet school so far (social medias, linkedin, etc) and its making me feel so insecure and behind. Does anyone else feel the same way or have advice how to stop the comparison :/

I had a 10 year gap between graduating high school and being admitted to vet school. During that time I changed my mind on what I wanted to do a few times, and I definitely had a gap between undergrad graduation (December 2019) and starting vet school (August 2022).

I think there are a lot of pros to having an extended journey to vet school! It might not seem like it in the moment but spending some time away from school & actually out in the field will give you tons of valuable experience that will ultimately make you a more prepared vet. I matriculated into vet school at 19, directly from undergrad, and I have many classmates who took gap years and spent time away from academia and the practical knowledge they had coming in compared to me is amazing. They have a serious leg up on the rest of us when we're trying to learn stuff like drugs, diagnostics, etc. and they have experienced it all intimately many times over!

I'd definitely agree that spending time working in the clinic (which is admittedly much longer that probably a majority of my class) has helped things stick in my head. I've definitely told my friends when studying together that part of the reason I knew why you would use certain meds/diagnostics/etc is because I have seen it before

 

[battie]

seeing all people I went to school with going and their experience in vet school so far (social medias, linkedin, etc) and its making me feel so insecure and behind. Does anyone else feel the same way or have advice how to stop the comparison :/

Didn't see anyone address this: quit social media.

I was an OG on Facebook. I have now officially hit a year off Facebook and it has literally been life changing. My social media is Snapchat and SDN. I'm more present for my family and more present for myself. I have significantly improved situational anxiety. I read 6 books in 2024 and I've already read 5 books in 2025. I have missed out on exactly 0 things that actually matter to my life going from 5+ hours per day just on Facebook to none.

I honestly resent social media for what it has done to millennials and Gen Z. My son is 2 and will not have social media while living in my home. I hope we can rectify the societal harms that social media caused with late Gen Z and later.

 

[Gina Lawson]

Didn't see anyone address this: quit social media.

I was an OG on Facebook. I have now officially hit a year off Facebook and it has literally been life changing. My social media is Snapchat and SDN. I'm more present for my family and more present for myself. I have significantly improved situational anxiety. I read 6 books in 2024 and I've already read 5 books in 2025. I have missed out on exactly 0 things that actually matter to my life going from 5+ hours per day just on Facebook to none.

I honestly resent social media for what it has done to millennials and Gen Z. My son is 2 and will not have social media while living in my home. I hope we can rectify the societal harms that social media caused with late Gen Z and later.

No social media here. In fact, wondering what I am going to do when it is time to join my class's FB.

I'm 42 and will be 43 when I matriculate. I didn't realize I wanted this until much later in life.
@alyssa13 At the risk of sounding like the old lady that I am, I can promise you that right now a year seems like a long time, but when you look back, it will literally feel like the blink of an eye. Our paths unfold in different ways and times that never make sense in the moment but are retrospectively exactly as they were meant to be. Hang in there.

 

[couldhavebeenme]

I way cut back on social media recently and on a completely unrelated note - I just finished the first book I've read (with my eyeballs) since 2018. What a thrill!

 

[pp9]

Didn't see anyone address this: quit social media.

I was an OG on Facebook. I have now officially hit a year off Facebook and it has literally been life changing. My social media is Snapchat and SDN. I'm more present for my family and more present for myself. I have significantly improved situational anxiety. I read 6 books in 2024 and I've already read 5 books in 2025. I have missed out on exactly 0 things that actually matter to my life going from 5+ hours per day just on Facebook to none.

I honestly resent social media for what it has done to millennials and Gen Z. My son is 2 and will not have social media while living in my home. I hope we can rectify the societal harms that social media caused with late Gen Z and later.

I was an OG on both Facebook and Myspace and can reflect on how badly it affected me throughout middle school/high school. The bullying on Myspace in particular was relentless. We were truly obsessed - Facebook was the first thing we all did when we got home from school. The goal was to be friends with as many people as possible, even if you didn't actually know them. I was a normal 13 year old with normal teen angst until social media took over, lol. I don't post a ton on anything, mostly pictures at that. I consume a lottt of TikTok though so have decided to delete it and not look back. I'd rather play Animal Crossing in bed than scroll on TikTok, lol.

Although I wasn't necessarily surprised, I was kinda grossed out by the number of people I saw recording themselves doing dances in front of important landmarks in Japan. I guess even though I grew up with social media, I still don't understand the drive behind the constant recording of yourself. I never want to be in front of the camera, but maybe that's what the early years of social media have done to me

 

[DVM882029]

I was an OG on both Facebook and Myspace and can reflect on how badly it affected me throughout middle school/high school. The bullying on Myspace in particular was relentless. We were truly obsessed - Facebook was the first thing we all did when we got home from school. The goal was to be friends with as many people as possible, even if you didn't actually know them. I was a normal 13 year old with normal teen angst until social media took over, lol. I don't post a ton on anything, mostly pictures at that. I consume a lottt of TikTok though so have decided to delete it and not look back. I'd rather play Animal Crossing in bed than scroll on TikTok, lol.

Although I wasn't necessarily surprised, I was kinda grossed out by the number of people I saw recording themselves doing dances in front of important landmarks in Japan. I guess even though I grew up with social media, I still don't understand the drive behind the constant recording of yourself. I never want to be in front of the camera, but maybe that's what the early years of social media have done to me

Oh my gosh I had my top 8 spaces changing like a game of musical chairs. Just saying, we never had this political mess when everyone knew where they stood... Bring back MySpace!

Another person here speaking to use less social media. I still use Facebook but now mostly for the groups (vet groups, now for my class group, and some book groups for new recs). I also use Instagram but I'm a Swiftie, so I need to keep tabs on Taylor.

 

[DVM882029]

I way cut back on social media recently and on a completely unrelated note - I just finished the first book I've read (with my eyeballs) since 2018. What a thrill!

Do we have a book thread on here? We should start one!

 

[_rae_]

Do we have a book thread on here? We should start one!

Ooh, I second this. I've read TWO books this year, which is one more than I read last year, and I'm really feeling like I want to keep at it. Especially while in school. You can only read so much about cytokines.

 

[battie]

Do we have a book thread on here? We should start one!

Ooh, I second this. I've read TWO books this year, which is one more than I read last year, and I'm really feeling like I want to keep at it. Especially while in school. You can only read so much about cytokines.

Say less, Fam

 

[alyssa13]

Didn't see anyone address this: quit social media.

I was an OG on Facebook. I have now officially hit a year off Facebook and it has literally been life changing. My social media is Snapchat and SDN. I'm more present for my family and more present for myself. I have significantly improved situational anxiety. I read 6 books in 2024 and I've already read 5 books in 2025. I have missed out on exactly 0 things that actually matter to my life going from 5+ hours per day just on Facebook to none.

I honestly resent social media for what it has done to millennials and Gen Z. My son is 2 and will not have social media while living in my home. I hope we can rectify the societal harms that social media caused with late Gen Z and later.

Thank you for your input! I told myself once I start vet school, I'd delete social medias so I wouldnt be as distracted but perhaps I'll go through and start the purging sooner rather than later. It's all mindless doom scrolling or comparisons anyway nothing of benefit to me. Thank you for giving me that motivation to take the push!

 

[alyssa13]

Say less, Fam

Please!! I used to be SUCH a reader growing up, in 2023 i re-entered my reading era but since then i keep getting distracted and would lovee to be on track with others

 

[pp9]

I also use Instagram but I'm a Swiftie, so I need to keep tabs on Taylor.

SAME. I gotta know when rep is coming out, and if/when she releases a cardigan for it. I haven't gotten one yet in hopes that a rep one would be amazing. I almost went for the TTPD one because it was very wearable.