Should I give up while I still can?

[RabbitLove]

I have wanted to be a veterinarian for six years. My entire life has basically revolved around caring for animals. I have even gone as far as to foster over 70 animals in the past three years, work for an animal shelter, and even obtain the position of, "small animal coordinator". I am no stranger to giving subcutaneous fluids, injections, emergency care, disease and death. Yet right now, I feel like a failure.

I've started attending school to obtain my bachelors in veterinary technology. The reason for this choice was simply so I could have something to fall back on should I not get into vet school. I am no longer confident in this choice now that I realize the average earnings of veterinary technologists. This makes me afraid to continue despite animal medical being my passion.

Another issue I am having is that this semester, I also became very ill and missed a ton of class. I am now in danger of failing both my Vet101 and my Bio101 classes. And when I say, "in danger", I mean my only hope is to get high enough grades on my finals. But what if I do fail these courses? Will vet school's not want to know my name? If I retake them will I be wasting my time?

What should I do?

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[singhb09]

In terms of having something to fall back on, I would personally recommend majoring in biology, chemistry...or really anything you could see yourself doing down the line! Most vet schools do not currently require a bachelor's, and I know plenty of people who majored in something outside of the sciences and just did their vet school pre-reqs separately. It sounds like you're in the beginning stages of working towards eventually applying to vet school. If it is what you truly want to do, don't give up. You have PLENTY of time (and plenty of classes to take) to develop a competitive GPA. You're going to need general bio, General Chem, organic, biochem, some upper div bio electives, and maybe genetics depending on the school. In the midst of all that, having to retake a beginning biology course will not sink you. I didn't pass remedial chemistry the first time I took it (remedial as in the pre-requisite for general chemistry I), I retook a speech class I received a C- in, and I've got a few C's on my transcripts. Point in short...if this is what you really want, you still have every opportunity and more, so I hope you get back on your feet and keep pushing forward

 

[iamapm]

I have wanted to be a veterinarian for six years. My entire life has basically revolved around caring for animals. I have even gone as far as to foster over 70 animals in the past three years, work for an animal shelter, and even obtain the position of, "small animal coordinator". I am no stranger to giving subcutaneous fluids, injections, emergency care, disease and death. Yet right now, I feel like a failure.

I've started attending school to obtain my bachelors in veterinary technology. The reason for this choice was simply so I could have something to fall back on should I not get into vet school. I am no longer confident in this choice now that I realize the average earnings of veterinary technologists. This makes me afraid to continue despite animal medical being my passion.

Another issue I am having is that this semester, I also became very ill and missed a ton of class. I am now in danger of failing both my Vet101 and my Bio101 classes. And when I say, "in danger", I mean my only hope is to get high enough grades on my finals. But what if I do fail these courses? Will vet school's not want to know my name? If I retake them will I be wasting my time?

What should I do?

Suggestion: Look at getting into things you are good at doing or at least think you would be good at going. Also, being good at something and being passionate about something are not the same thing. If you are good at something AND work at it, then you should do well in that field. However, your earnings will be governed by what that field pays and what those businesses can earn (due to what their customers are willing to pay) - even if you were to end up a business owner in that field. Finally, you can always CHOOSE to do something else - you are only stuck if you with to be so.

 

[LetItSnow]

I have wanted to be a veterinarian for six years. My entire life has basically revolved around caring for animals. I have even gone as far as to foster over 70 animals in the past three years, work for an animal shelter, and even obtain the position of, "small animal coordinator". I am no stranger to giving subcutaneous fluids, injections, emergency care, disease and death. Yet right now, I feel like a failure.

I've started attending school to obtain my bachelors in veterinary technology. The reason for this choice was simply so I could have something to fall back on should I not get into vet school. I am no longer confident in this choice now that I realize the average earnings of veterinary technologists. This makes me afraid to continue despite animal medical being my passion.

Another issue I am having is that this semester, I also became very ill and missed a ton of class. I am now in danger of failing both my Vet101 and my Bio101 classes. And when I say, "in danger", I mean my only hope is to get high enough grades on my finals. But what if I do fail these courses? Will vet school's not want to know my name? If I retake them will I be wasting my time?

What should I do?

These posts are always tough to answer.

What do you want to do?

If you want to be a veterinarian, yes, it is possible even if you fail those classes. You have to do better, and being sick isn't really an excuse, because it's a life event you have to manage just like any other. And no, I'm not being unsympathetic - being sick SUCKS, and I have at least a few friends with some incredibly major illness issues, so I understand how distressing it can be. But you have to play the cards you're dealt, and managing adversity is part of the process. If you miss class - study the material while you're sick and in bed. If the sickness is such that you are genuinely debilitated and can't study then you should be withdrawing from classes. If you're just saying "well, I'm sick, so I can't go to class and I don't want to study"..... that's not going to cut it.

If you fail those classes, you will have to retake at least Bio101, because it is a pre-req for other vet school pre-reqs. And if you fail them, your immediate problem is going to be what your school does about it (academic dismissal vs probation vs ....).

Vet schools do GPA calculations in different ways. Some look at overall gpa, some look at last-45-credits gpa, some look at pre-req gpas, and some look at a combination of those. So for people who struggled early on, one option is to explore vet schools that calculate gpas in a way that is most-beneficial to you. I had a history of failing out of undergrad - at some vet schools I would have been utterly non-competitive. At the vet school I went to, I was essentially a 4.0 candidate - all because they just looked at pre-reqs and last-45. So it can make a huge difference where you apply.

Personally, I wouldn't do vet tech training if you know going to vet school is what you want. I'd focus on a more traditional science degree (or even a non-science degree, ensuring though that you get the vet school pre-reqs done).

If you want to be a veterinarian, you can. It's all about effort.

If you're ho-hum on it, and don't really want to work hard at classes, then stop now and find something else, because it will be a really painful process otherwise.

 

[Baer]

Not trying to be rude but if you're concerned about a vet techs pay have you actually looked into the pay of a veterinarian? The amount of debt after vet school is pretty substantial while the pay is no where close to what a human doctor makes (even with the same school debt).

If this is the field you want to go into it, just buckle down and do it. Don't let a few little hiccups determine how your future is going to play out.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Not trying to be rude but if you're concerned about a vet techs pay have you actually looked into the pay of a veterinarian? The amount of debt after vet school is pretty substantial while the pay is no where close to what a human doctor makes (even with the same school debt).

If this is the field you want to go into it, just buckle down and do it. Don't let a few little hiccups determine how your future is going to play out.

This is anecdotal and kind of derailing the thread (and not directed at the OP), but I'm shocked to see how many techs leave the field because they 'find out' how little pay techs get. Did you not look into this beforehand? What did you expect if the DVM gets paid crap?

 

[battie]

This is anecdotal and kind of derailing the thread (and not directed at the OP), but I'm shocked to see how many techs leave the field because they 'find out' how little pay techs get. Did you not look into this beforehand? What did you expect if the DVM gets paid crap?

Also since their education isn't necessarily cheap either. The big name tech school in Colorado was 30k for their two year program (not sure if they have the bachelor's program). But that's nearly double what the other two programs charge just for the name brand factor.

 

[RabbitLove]

As an overall reply to everyone:

I did study when I was sick. I studied when I was on oxygen and I studied when my mother was hospitalized. But I did miss a lot of class and apparently, my school didn't really have a lot of supports for someone in a situation like mine. Students tutors wouldn't see me outside of normal group sessions that they held because they wouldn't be paid by the school and the group sessions only consisted of current topics, not what I missed. When I approached the two teachers about this issue, one told me he wasn't sure what I should do because it was his first semester at the school and the other told me, "tough luck". I went to my counselor next who also wouldn't help me. I even asked about withdrawing from those classes and she told me it was still possible for me to pass. I didn't find out until after the withdrawal period that I would need over a 93 in one class on the final to pass and close to the same score from the other (which I actually managed to do for this class). But seeing as how I knew my vet teacher was a harsh grader (I had four points taken off an essay where everything was perfect except that when I printed it, the last period didn't show up) I wasn't sure that was possible. There are a bunch of other issues involving how working with the school was difficult at best but I won't get into it. But the best way I can explain how little this school cares is how in the very beginning, there was a heat wave and my room was over 100 degrees fahrenheit. I had doctor's notes explaining that I would need air conditioning because the temperature was causing breathing difficulties. We were also originally told (my roommates and I) that there would be airconditioning but that was not the case. I was told it would be a few weeks before they could get one and that I couldn't just bring my own. This resulted in me collapsing. After that I was told I could use mine and the new airconditioner came a couple of days later. Not that all of this is really an excuse, but that should provide a better explanation. I will be transferring as soon as possible.

Also, when I say "fail" I mean lower than a C. The program requires that as the minimum passing grade for science and vet classes. I most likely will receive a D in the vet class.

And yes, it would be easier if I did a major that I was stronger in, except I don't know what I could do with an English or history major. I chose vet because animals are a major part of my life and I do have hands-on experience dealing with animal medical issues. I imagine that's why I wasn't asked to leave the program like many of my peers. Out of the 50 people in my class, about 30 were kicked out of the program. Animal medicine is something I enjoy, and I'm relatively good at, maybe not the memorization of the scientific names for every body part, illness, parasite, etc., but I am capable of putting my knowledge into practice. I am also usualky good at sciences. I honestly just fell apart this semester. I thought something was terribly wrong with my and if something were to happen, I wanted to at least say I had college credits to my name.

And I knew how much vet-techs made. I decided on that major so I could get the license and work a little bit before and in between semesters as I went to vet school. It just never occurred to me that once I graduated and if I didn't get in, being a vet tech would be all I had to support myself. My vet teacher also keeps saying that the pay is higher than it truly is which allowed me to believe in the fantasy that everything would be fine if that was how my life would progress. I also know how much veterinarian's make. Based on my location, the pay for vet services is adequate.

I think I will switch to a science major. At least I can still take classes required for vet school this way. It will also expand my options if things don't work out.

 

[supershorty]

Animal medicine is something I enjoy, and I'm relatively good at, maybe not the memorization of the scientific names for every body part, illness, parasite, etc., but I am capable of putting my knowledge into practice. I am also usualky good at sciences.

At least I can still take classes required for vet school this way.

LetItSnow covered everything really well, but this part of your reply caught my attention. Having one bad semester isn't the end of the world, but you need to figure out a way to memorize (and retain) material like that if you want to go into medicine.

If you really want to be a vet, you can make it happen. Experiment with different study methods and see what works best for you to learn material quickly and be able to put it all together to see the bigger picture. Study with your classmates. Do research on the schools you're likely to be most competitive at once you get closer to applying, based on your grades, GRE scores, and experience hours.

If you want to be a vet, you'll figure out a way. But if you're just going to make excuses for not succeeding, you'll have a rough road ahead. Find your strengths and use them to build up your weaknesses. Visual learner? Get yourself a white board for studying and draw/write everything out. There are tons of little steps you can take to be a stronger student, but it'll come down to your individual learning style. You can get there if you want to.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

I have nothing but sympathy for your situation. Life can be downright crappy to us sometime. But if you want this, you are going to work even harder to make up for the bad semesters. It's possible. You CAN do it, you just have to decide if it is what YOU want.

 

[DVMDream]

As an overall reply to everyone:

I did study when I was sick. I studied when I was on oxygen and I studied when my mother was hospitalized. But I did miss a lot of class and apparently, my school didn't really have a lot of supports for someone in a situation like mine. Students tutors wouldn't see me outside of normal group sessions that they held because they wouldn't be paid by the school and the group sessions only consisted of current topics, not what I missed. When I approached the two teachers about this issue, one told me he wasn't sure what I should do because it was his first semester at the school and the other told me, "tough luck". I went to my counselor next who also wouldn't help me. I even asked about withdrawing from those classes and she told me it was still possible for me to pass. I didn't find out until after the withdrawal period that I would need over a 93 in one class on the final to pass and close to the same score from the other (which I actually managed to do for this class). But seeing as how I knew my vet teacher was a harsh grader (I had four points taken off an essay where everything was perfect except that when I printed it, the last period didn't show up) I wasn't sure that was possible. There are a bunch of other issues involving how working with the school was difficult at best but I won't get into it. But the best way I can explain how little this school cares is how in the very beginning, there was a heat wave and my room was over 100 degrees fahrenheit. I had doctor's notes explaining that I would need air conditioning because the temperature was causing breathing difficulties. We were also originally told (my roommates and I) that there would be airconditioning but that was not the case. I was told it would be a few weeks before they could get one and that I couldn't just bring my own. This resulted in me collapsing. After that I was told I could use mine and the new airconditioner came a couple of days later. Not that all of this is really an excuse, but that should provide a better explanation. I will be transferring as soon as possible.

Also, when I say "fail" I mean lower than a C. The program requires that as the minimum passing grade for science and vet classes. I most likely will receive a D in the vet class.

And yes, it would be easier if I did a major that I was stronger in, except I don't know what I could do with an English or history major. I chose vet because animals are a major part of my life and I do have hands-on experience dealing with animal medical issues. I imagine that's why I wasn't asked to leave the program like many of my peers. Out of the 50 people in my class, about 30 were kicked out of the program. Animal medicine is something I enjoy, and I'm relatively good at, maybe not the memorization of the scientific names for every body part, illness, parasite, etc., but I am capable of putting my knowledge into practice. I am also usualky good at sciences. I honestly just fell apart this semester. I thought something was terribly wrong with my and if something were to happen, I wanted to at least say I had college credits to my name.

And I knew how much vet-techs made. I decided on that major so I could get the license and work a little bit before and in between semesters as I went to vet school. It just never occurred to me that once I graduated and if I didn't get in, being a vet tech would be all I had to support myself. My vet teacher also keeps saying that the pay is higher than it truly is which allowed me to believe in the fantasy that everything would be fine if that was how my life would progress. I also know how much veterinarian's make. Based on my location, the pay for vet services is adequate.

I think I will switch to a science major. At least I can still take classes required for vet school this way. It will also expand my options if things don't work out.

Personally, I don't think veterinarians anywhere get paid what they should for the schooling, sacrifice and debt they take on.

One bad semester won't kill your chances. I urge you to decide vet tech or vet though. A vet tech program will not get you the prereqs needed to get into vet school. If vet school is what you want, set yourself up with on a track to get a bachelor's. It can be as simple as biology or you can get one in Russian literature if you want, as long as you accomplish the vet school prerequisites, you major doesn't matter.

Also, what kind of experience do you have in veterinary clinics? Animals are great, but as a vet 90% of my time is spent with the human owners while my techs have more hands on with the animals. This is something that really should be taken into consideration.

Also, the salary. Making $80k/year might soung great (this is a high salary), but once you remove the taxes and $1000/month loan payment, you are left with just enough to pay normal life bills. That salary really doesn't go as far as it sounds it would

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

Animals are great, but as a vet 90% of my time is spent with the human owners while my techs have more hands on with the animals. This is something that really should be taken into consideration.

Wait, DVMDream is a doctor? Just last year she was in vet school. This is weird.


@RabbitLove , you dealt with some stuff, and some of your classes didn't end up well. Move on and do good from here on out. No need to "give up while you still can," and don't look at yourself as a failure. Admissions committees won't care about a bad grade in Bio 101 if you have an upward trend. If you aced upper division science classes but got a D or F in Bio 101, it's not like they're going to think "Yup, let's throw this application out." They are real human beings who understand life happens.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Wait, DVMDream is a doctor? Just last year she was in vet school. This is weird.


@RabbitLove , you dealt with some stuff, and some of your classes didn't end up well. Move on and do good from here on out. No need to "give up while you still can," and don't look at yourself as a failure. Admissions committees won't care about a bad grade in Bio 101 if you have an upward trend. If you aced upper division science classes but got a D or F in Bio 101, it's not like they're going to think "Yup, let's throw this application out." They are real human beings who understand life happens.

She's in the cool kids club now.

(and by cool I mean overworked and underpaid and overeducated )