Switching Vet Careers

[BlacKAT33]

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So I plan on going into lab animal medicine. I have read in some other threads that this is a less stable area because of the recession. I was wondering, when I choose to "track" lab animal/public corporate if I can't find a job when I graduate what are the chances I could find a job in another field like SA? I feel like most clinics would want people who tracked SA because they have more clinical experience. Is this true? Would I be stuck job searching for lab animal positions until I got one or do you think it is possible to get a job in another field in the mean time?

This can apply to all areas of vet med too, I just used mine as an example

Thanks for the info 😀

Edit: i do realize that once we graduate we can practice on any species, not just the ones we tracked in. But I just mean, once you're in 3-4th yr it seems like people start picking electives specific to the field they want to go into. So whether it has the title "track" or not, you still gain more experience in the initial field you'd like to be in

 

[sumstorm]

Here, SA requires no additional courses (neither does LA or mixed.) So I woudn't consider it a problem to move from zoo med (my track) or lab animal to any of those fields. However, a student graduating here trying to go from SA to zoo or lab would have more of an issue because the school is known to have additional requirements/training for those tracks. May be doable, but not as smooth. Lab animal, here at least, covers ALOT of ground, from mice to primates, including dogs, cats, fish, pigs.

We start electives 1st year. Clinicals summer after 3rd year. I know I have 'when you get your DVM...' offers in SA and mixed animal now, but that is because I can bring exotics & a strong business sense with me.

 

[alliecat44]

I would think a lab animal background would actually make you more attractive to a general SA practice than "just" the general SA stuff. Most people have about the same amount of SA stuff--at most schools--and the lab animal stuff would make you more knowledgeable about exotics if that was a significant part of the practice/the practice owner was willing to expand the types of patients seen.

Honestly, for that particular transition I don't think it matters. Take the training while you can get it! 🙂

FWIW, I also know of two veterinarians who "tracked" equine with their electives, did equine internships, and now are in SA jobs because they couldn't find jobs in equine. So, not only did they do the bare minimum SA stuff in vet school--but they'd had over a year where they hadn't even touched a dog or cat--and they still got hired. Granted, it was by Banfield, but it's good $$$ at least...sigh.

Point being, I really don't think it would limit you. 🙂

 

[BlacKAT33]

thanks guys!! 😀 this is good news

 

[dottoressa]

alliecat44,
i have heard that there is a dearth of equine practitioners and an even larger shortage expected in the future (with 50% of current equine practitioners over the age of 50). so, how is it that your friends could not find jobs? were they looking to work in very specific locations? were they offered jobs/hours that they did not want? do you know any other specifics of their particular circumstances?
i am interested primarily in equine, maybe general LA or even lab, but not SA. i imagine your friends were at least surprised, and probably also disappointed, to be taking jobs in another field after having completed equine internships.

 

[alliecat44]

alliecat44,
i have heard that there is a dearth of equine practitioners and an even larger shortage expected in the future (with 50% of current equine practitioners over the age of 50). so, how is it that your friends could not find jobs? were they looking to work in very specific locations? were they offered jobs/hours that they did not want? do you know any other specifics of their particular circumstances?
i am interested primarily in equine, maybe general LA or even lab, but not SA. i imagine your friends were at least surprised, and probably also disappointed, to be taking jobs in another field after having completed equine internships.

I don't know any details since they aren't personal friends of mine--sorry. 🙁 Plus I don't know much about the equine job market since I've never been involved in it/had reason to research it. I would imagine it was dependent on geography and that the current economic climate wasn't helping. Plenty of practitioners in all areas of veterinary medicine have had to close/sell their practices during this recession--pretty sad! Depending on demographics, I would imagine equine vets in certain parts of the country/industry were/are hit harder than others.

 

[dottoressa]

hi allie,

sorry, i just re-read your post and realized that you never called them 'friends' - oops!, my bad.

i honestly haven't heard much about practices not doing well currently. i know that various industries have felt the recession worse than others - real estate, law, auto - but i was not aware that vet med had been significantly impacted. there are a couple of newly hired associates in my area for equine. so, i guess i just assumed that things were holding steady...

thanks for the response! 🙂