Thinking about Deferral

[equineconstant]

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So for about 3 weeks I've been considering deferring vet school for a year and using my psych degree instead. I probably won't do it, especially after my dad tried to dissuade me yesterday, but I wanted to get some opinions from other vettie people.

I'm not sure I want to go to vet school in the fall. After reading all the threads and posts about how miserable vet school is, I'm thinking it might not be worth it, for the following reasons (not including relationship emotional mess):
1) the dismal job outlook
2) debt:income ratio
3) the lifestyle...I'm not sure that I really do want to work the long, unpredictable hours
4) when I was doing SA shadowing, I assumed this wasn't what I would be doing since I was interested in equine. After last summer I decided I don't want to do equine, but I haven't done SA since I made that decision
5) I've never done anything but vet stuff, so how do I know that's really what I want to do? When I was taking Personality and reading Carl Rogers' description of what he does in therapy, I thought 'this is something I could see myself doing.' I silenced that voice of course because I had to be 100% dedicated to getting into vet school, but now I'm going back to that.

As I previously mentioned, my dad tried to dissuade me. He doesn't think I will hate vet school "because I love learning and have great school skills" (he also doesn't want me to defer because he thinks those school skills will atrophy). I tried telling him pretty much everyone in vet school loves learning this stuff, and that's why they got there, but...anyway, his responses to my 5 arguments:
1) Firm belief that "if you're good at what you do, you'll have a job" and the numbers shouldn't scare me off
2) I've basically got all the debt I'm going to get; apparently he makes enough money that my financial concerns are moot (I know, I am ridiculously privileged. Hence I'm kind of disregarding his disregard)
3) There's no such thing as a simple 9-5 job, vet is just an extreme example but I'd have to deal with that in psych anyway
4) If I'm really worried about it I can get more SA experience over breaks (but I'd rather get different experiences over breaks)/"yes you do like it and want to do it I read your essays"
5) Really not wanting me to do psychology; it scares him because I would be "locking myself in a small room with someone who's mentally unstable"

Dad's plan for me would be that I go for at least the first semester and try it out, but I know I can't do that; I know I need to be 100% invested in vet school if I go to vet school. He also thinks if I asked for a deferral, whether or not they granted it, the professors would put down my performance in a "reverse Pygmalion effect" where I would be a worse student because they don't think I'm serious about this.

During my deferral year, I would like to get a job where I can get experience with clinical/counseling psychology, take a semester of classes (prerequisites for a counseling master's program if I decide to go that route), and get some more SA vet experience. There are still a number of questions to be answered, such as whether I keep my IS status no matter what and a mess of questions about what counseling is really like.

If you read all that, I really appreciate it. If not,

tl;dr: I'm scared of vet school and a career in vet med for various reasons and thinking about deferring a year to explore psychology instead. My dad is trying to dissuade me from this thinking/thinks deferral in general is a bad idea. I want your opinions.

 

[Kpowell14]

So for about 3 weeks I've been considering deferring vet school for a year and using my psych degree instead. I probably won't do it, especially after my dad tried to dissuade me yesterday, but I wanted to get some opinions from other vettie people.

I'm not sure I want to go to vet school in the fall. After reading all the threads and posts about how miserable vet school is, I'm thinking it might not be worth it, for the following reasons (not including relationship emotional mess):
1) the dismal job outlook
2) debt:income ratio
3) the lifestyle...I'm not sure that I really do want to work the long, unpredictable hours
4) when I was doing SA shadowing, I assumed this wasn't what I would be doing since I was interested in equine. After last summer I decided I don't want to do equine, but I haven't done SA since I made that decision
5) I've never done anything but vet stuff, so how do I know that's really what I want to do? When I was taking Personality and reading Carl Rogers' description of what he does in therapy, I thought 'this is something I could see myself doing.' I silenced that voice of course because I had to be 100% dedicated to getting into vet school, but now I'm going back to that.

As I previously mentioned, my dad tried to dissuade me. He doesn't think I will hate vet school "because I love learning and have great school skills" (he also doesn't want me to defer because he thinks those school skills will atrophy). I tried telling him pretty much everyone in vet school loves learning this stuff, and that's why they got there, but...anyway, his responses to my 5 arguments:
1) Firm belief that "if you're good at what you do, you'll have a job" and the numbers shouldn't scare me off
2) I've basically got all the debt I'm going to get; apparently he makes enough money that my financial concerns are moot (I know, I am ridiculously privileged. Hence I'm kind of disregarding his disregard)
3) There's no such thing as a simple 9-5 job, vet is just an extreme example but I'd have to deal with that in psych anyway
4) If I'm really worried about it I can get more SA experience over breaks (but I'd rather get different experiences over breaks)/"yes you do like it and want to do it I read your essays"
5) Really not wanting me to do psychology; it scares him because I would be "locking myself in a small room with someone who's mentally unstable"

Dad's plan for me would be that I go for at least the first semester and try it out, but I know I can't do that; I know I need to be 100% invested in vet school if I go to vet school. He also thinks if I asked for a deferral, whether or not they granted it, the professors would put down my performance in a "reverse Pygmalion effect" where I would be a worse student because they don't think I'm serious about this.

During my deferral year, I would like to get a job where I can get experience with clinical/counseling psychology, take a semester of classes (prerequisites for a counseling master's program if I decide to go that route), and get some more SA vet experience. There are still a number of questions to be answered, such as whether I keep my IS status no matter what and a mess of questions about what counseling is really like.

If you read all that, I really appreciate it. If not,

tl;dr: I'm scared of vet school and a career in vet med for various reasons and thinking about deferring a year to explore psychology instead. My dad is trying to dissuade me from this thinking/thinks deferral in general is a bad idea. I want your opinions.

I read it all!!! Lol --- however I don't have much useful to say except that I'm a firm believer that what's meant to be- will be. No matter what wisdom the SDNers give you, this is all about what deep inside you want to do. I think you know what you want , but are too nervous/anxious/ afraid of your choice, which is normal in this situation

I wish you the best of luck EC!!

 

[EngrSC]

I read it all!!! Lol --- however I don't have much useful to say except that I'm a firm believer that what's meant to be- will be. No matter what wisdom the SDNers give you, this is all about what deep inside you want to do. I think you know what you want , but are too nervous/anxious/ afraid of your choice, which is normal in this situation

I wish you the best of luck EC!!

I completely agree. Stick with what your gut and heart tell you is right. You should make the best decision for you - which can't be found from asking others. Good luck! 🙂

 

[equineconstant]

I read it all!!! Lol --- however I don't have much useful to say except that I'm a firm believer that what's meant to be- will be. No matter what wisdom the SDNers give you, this is all about what deep inside you want to do. I think you know what you want , but are too nervous/anxious/ afraid of your choice, which is normal in this situation

I wish you the best of luck EC!!

What I want/why I don't know what I want career-wise is a whole 'nother kettle of fish that doesn't belong to this thread.

 

[cs5910]

So for about 3 weeks I've been considering deferring vet school for a year and using my psych degree instead. I probably won't do it, especially after my dad tried to dissuade me yesterday, but I wanted to get some opinions from other vettie people.

I'm not sure I want to go to vet school in the fall. After reading all the threads and posts about how miserable vet school is, I'm thinking it might not be worth it, for the following reasons (not including relationship emotional mess):
1) the dismal job outlook
2) debt:income ratio
3) the lifestyle...I'm not sure that I really do want to work the long, unpredictable hours
4) when I was doing SA shadowing, I assumed this wasn't what I would be doing since I was interested in equine. After last summer I decided I don't want to do equine, but I haven't done SA since I made that decision
5) I've never done anything but vet stuff, so how do I know that's really what I want to do? When I was taking Personality and reading Carl Rogers' description of what he does in therapy, I thought 'this is something I could see myself doing.' I silenced that voice of course because I had to be 100% dedicated to getting into vet school, but now I'm going back to that.

As I previously mentioned, my dad tried to dissuade me. He doesn't think I will hate vet school "because I love learning and have great school skills" (he also doesn't want me to defer because he thinks those school skills will atrophy). I tried telling him pretty much everyone in vet school loves learning this stuff, and that's why they got there, but...anyway, his responses to my 5 arguments:
1) Firm belief that "if you're good at what you do, you'll have a job" and the numbers shouldn't scare me off
2) I've basically got all the debt I'm going to get; apparently he makes enough money that my financial concerns are moot (I know, I am ridiculously privileged. Hence I'm kind of disregarding his disregard)
3) There's no such thing as a simple 9-5 job, vet is just an extreme example but I'd have to deal with that in psych anyway
4) If I'm really worried about it I can get more SA experience over breaks (but I'd rather get different experiences over breaks)/"yes you do like it and want to do it I read your essays"
5) Really not wanting me to do psychology; it scares him because I would be "locking myself in a small room with someone who's mentally unstable"

Dad's plan for me would be that I go for at least the first semester and try it out, but I know I can't do that; I know I need to be 100% invested in vet school if I go to vet school. He also thinks if I asked for a deferral, whether or not they granted it, the professors would put down my performance in a "reverse Pygmalion effect" where I would be a worse student because they don't think I'm serious about this.

During my deferral year, I would like to get a job where I can get experience with clinical/counseling psychology, take a semester of classes (prerequisites for a counseling master's program if I decide to go that route), and get some more SA vet experience. There are still a number of questions to be answered, such as whether I keep my IS status no matter what and a mess of questions about what counseling is really like.

If you read all that, I really appreciate it. If not,

tl;dr: I'm scared of vet school and a career in vet med for various reasons and thinking about deferring a year to explore psychology instead. My dad is trying to dissuade me from this thinking/thinks deferral in general is a bad idea. I want your opinions.

Every other day I have those same fears and hesitations. I think it is a normal reaction to starting something so new and foreign to us. I can't tell you what choice you should make (NONE of us, including your dad, can/or should do that). I think you should stick with your heart and your gut instinct - it is usually right!

Although I can't help you choose, I have been worrying about the same issues and made a list of things to help me on the bad days. Here is what I think of when I am having a bad day at the clinic or after reading too much into SDN and want to run far away from vet med:

1. Ya, the first two years probably are going to suck and we will probably hate it. Who wants to have a plethora of information shoved down their throats? Having said that, I have heard from numerous third and fourth years that once you start applying all the info you have been forced to learn, that it starts becoming an amazing experience. Once you start working with animals and making a difference, you will remember why it was originally your goal to pursue this.

2. There are no amazing, high paying, low hour CAREERS, that I can obtain with just a BS in Biology, should I decide not to pursue vet med. I would need a masters and potentially a PhD to break into another field that I am interested in. Thus, a ton of student loans. That makes me feel better about the massive debt I am about to take out for vet school. I will be taking out a ton of loans whether I go to vet school or not.

3. I really do love being in the hospital. Even the days when clients are jerks, animals die, cases aren't solved - I can't imagine being anywhere else.

4. Numerous people in my life have tried to talk me out of this. But at the end of the day, if I let THEM talk me out of it, I will regret it. I am the only one who should make the decision to back out of going to school in the fall. But I have worked far too hard, for way too long, to give up at the last second - and that's MY choice.


YOU are the only one who can choose. Your family/friends/mentors can give you their opinions about your path and your future, but you should be the only one who decides. Good luck equineconstant, I hope you have some peace of mind with whatever decision you choose!

 

[Rainheart]

While I cannot answer your question, only you can do that, you aren't the only one here having doubts about vet school in the fall. Maybe it is the looming debt, bad job market, and that article that launched a large discussion if it is even worth it. All I know, is that it has been my dream to achieve this and even though I'm a bit scared, I'm also excited to start a new chapter in my life.

 

[tvo21]

Definitely as everyone said, it's a decision you have to make for yourself. Since you are having doubts, I don't think it would be a bad idea to take your deferral time period to ensure it is something you want to definitely want to do and also dip your feet into something else you might be interested in.

If it's any consolation, I've been having doubtful thoughts in my mind, too. Perhaps it's like getting cold feet...just being wondering if we're even cut out for the profession we end up psyching ourselves out. I see so many people who say that they have always wanted to be vets, have no plan B, and this is definitely career. And it makes me question if that's the type of desire everyone should have...or if we're all different?

Good luck!

 

[bunnity]

So for about 3 weeks I've been considering deferring vet school for a year and using my psych degree instead. I probably won't do it, especially after my dad tried to dissuade me yesterday, but I wanted to get some opinions from other vettie people.

I'm not sure I want to go to vet school in the fall. After reading all the threads and posts about how miserable vet school is, I'm thinking it might not be worth it, for the following reasons (not including relationship emotional mess):
1) the dismal job outlook
2) debt:income ratio
3) the lifestyle...I'm not sure that I really do want to work the long, unpredictable hours
4) when I was doing SA shadowing, I assumed this wasn't what I would be doing since I was interested in equine. After last summer I decided I don't want to do equine, but I haven't done SA since I made that decision
5) I've never done anything but vet stuff, so how do I know that's really what I want to do? When I was taking Personality and reading Carl Rogers' description of what he does in therapy, I thought 'this is something I could see myself doing.' I silenced that voice of course because I had to be 100% dedicated to getting into vet school, but now I'm going back to that.

As I previously mentioned, my dad tried to dissuade me. He doesn't think I will hate vet school "because I love learning and have great school skills" (he also doesn't want me to defer because he thinks those school skills will atrophy). I tried telling him pretty much everyone in vet school loves learning this stuff, and that's why they got there, but...anyway, his responses to my 5 arguments:
1) Firm belief that "if you're good at what you do, you'll have a job" and the numbers shouldn't scare me off
2) I've basically got all the debt I'm going to get; apparently he makes enough money that my financial concerns are moot (I know, I am ridiculously privileged. Hence I'm kind of disregarding his disregard)
3) There's no such thing as a simple 9-5 job, vet is just an extreme example but I'd have to deal with that in psych anyway
4) If I'm really worried about it I can get more SA experience over breaks (but I'd rather get different experiences over breaks)/"yes you do like it and want to do it I read your essays"
5) Really not wanting me to do psychology; it scares him because I would be "locking myself in a small room with someone who's mentally unstable"

Dad's plan for me would be that I go for at least the first semester and try it out, but I know I can't do that; I know I need to be 100% invested in vet school if I go to vet school. He also thinks if I asked for a deferral, whether or not they granted it, the professors would put down my performance in a "reverse Pygmalion effect" where I would be a worse student because they don't think I'm serious about this.

During my deferral year, I would like to get a job where I can get experience with clinical/counseling psychology, take a semester of classes (prerequisites for a counseling master's program if I decide to go that route), and get some more SA vet experience. There are still a number of questions to be answered, such as whether I keep my IS status no matter what and a mess of questions about what counseling is really like.

If you read all that, I really appreciate it. If not,

tl;dr: I'm scared of vet school and a career in vet med for various reasons and thinking about deferring a year to explore psychology instead. My dad is trying to dissuade me from this thinking/thinks deferral in general is a bad idea. I want your opinions.

Wow, I feel like are only parts of this that I'm qualified to address but will do my best with those... I am a fourth year vet student and my partner is a therapist with her master's degree in clinical and counseling psychology so hopefully that gives me some perspective.
--I hate to bring this up but the job market / pay / debt-to-income-ratio / lifestyle are all kind of terrible for master's level psych too, so definitely look into that if it's a big part of your decision to move away from vet med. My partner makes like 40k a year which in Philadelphia is not really a living wage if you have student loans. If you are planning on a PhD or a PsyD I think it's better, but you still may make more as a vet.
--As far as the "small room with crazy person" thing - the incredibly vast majority of people with mental illnesses are nonviolent and even those that are violent are not really directing it toward their therapists. My partner has worked with addicts, sex offenders, felons, etc. etc. and none of them ever wanted to hurt her. Now the emotional toll of spending 8 hours a day absorbing other people's trauma can be incredibly difficult. But your vet patients are going to be much more likely to hurt you than your therapy patients.
--If you defer and go back to vet school, your professors will not know or care that you deferred. I took a year leave due to hating vet school / uncertainty and none of my professors ever knew unless I told them.

I know that I only addressed like 10% of your post but I think your plan to defer is a good one. Taking that year leave gave me a great deal of clarity and while I did go back (and I'm very glad I did) it helped me to have that time to really think about what I wanted.

 

[wldlfstdnt]

I read it all too!!!! Would a school grant you a deferral? I don't think they would if you stated you want to earn money/explore a different career. Can you volunteer somewhere this summer? Get back into SA? I think most wildlife it is too late because they are deep into baby season. What is the job market for counseling/clinical psychology? Have you started looking?

Adding on: I think we are all nervous/scared of starting vet this fall. We have all worked hard for this and we are finally starting. It is a huge change and worrying and some dread is to be expected, I would think. I so think that you should listen to your heart. I think you need to ask how would you feel giving it up.

 

[Hotfillyky]

I read it all too! EqC, I think it is good that you have thought this all through. No doubt it is a tough decision but in the span of time, 3 weeks is a drop in the bucket when compared to the vast amount of time you have spent in this pursuit.

I believe that the points you have are valid and well thought out.

Everything that everyone else has said it what I would too. YOU have to be happy with and live with that decision whatever it may be.

I will wish you well!

 

[moosenanny]

After reading all the threads and posts about how miserable vet school is, I'm thinking it might not be worth it

While it is true that many people complain about vet school, some people absolutely love it 😉

 

[Minnerbelle]

Not to Persuade you one way or another, but don't quit vet med because you think vet school will be miserable. Plenty of people before you have slogged through the misery of vet school, and you can too. Quit because vet med (and all the baggage it comes with) is not what you want to do for the rest of your life.

If you're really questioning that, why don't you start by exploring your options in psych and also ask the vet school if deferral is an option. If there's a good possibility that you want to do something else with your life, it would really suck to figure that out AFTER spending all that time, energy, and money on vet school. It gets much tougher to make that change after you're in a ton of debt.

 

[Lab Vet]

It had been my dream to become a veterinarian since the time I was a child. I entered undergrad in 1997 with this goal, and midway through my pursuit of a BS degree in Animal Sciences I had some wonderful experiences in research that caused me to question that calling. I was desperately frightened of the debt load one encumbers in pursuing a veterinary education, and found myself in a very similar position to yourself upon graduating from undergrad in 2001. I ended up choosing in favor of graduate studies in animal physiology instead of veterinary school. I have no regrets in making that decision. I've learned a great deal in my scientific life thus far. I've worked with a variety of animal species (everything from horses to alligators to traditional laboratory animals) in both academic and industrial research environments, and have met wonderful people who have changed my life forever. I wouldn't be who I am today without the benefit of their influence. That being said, I am applying for admission to veterinary school this (2013) cycle. I am a non-traditional applicant, and will be 34 years old at the time of my application. I did not apply previously when I was considering applying during my undergraduate years. One of the reasons I did not apply as an undergraduate was that I knew in my heart of hearts that I did not want to be a private practitioner- either in large or small animal medicine. The environment simply isn't for me. One of the benefits I gained throughout my years of research was exposure to other fields of veterinary medicine. One in particular, laboratory animal medicine, turned out to be a perfect fit for my skills, personality, realm of interest, and area of expertise. The reason I write this is that careers are often non-linear. Be honest with yourself about what you're looking for in a career. Ultimately, the decision and its consequences are yours and yours alone to bear. Although the advice of others (even those you trust and greatly respect) can be helpful, it's you who needs to make the final decision. Be clear about why you want to become a veterinarian, and whether or not there is a burning passion within you to see the career through to the end. If not, it may not be a bad idea to consider a different career. Who knows- you may come back to vet med 10-12 years later as I have with a whole different perspective on the career than you currently have. Good luck with your decision, and congrats on your admission to multiple schools!

 

[tropictuco]

It had been my dream to become a veterinarian since the time I was a child. I entered undergrad in 1997 with this goal, and midway through my pursuit of a BS degree in Animal Sciences I had some wonderful experiences in research that caused me to question that calling. I was desperately frightened of the debt load one encumbers in pursuing a veterinary education, and found myself in a very similar position to yourself upon graduating from undergrad in 2001. I ended up choosing in favor of graduate studies in animal physiology instead of veterinary school. I have no regrets in making that decision. I've learned a great deal in my scientific life thus far. I've worked with a variety of animal species (everything from horses to alligators to traditional laboratory animals) in both academic and industrial research environments, and have met wonderful people who have changed my life forever. I wouldn't be who I am today without the benefit of their influence. That being said, I am applying for admission to veterinary school this (2013) cycle. I am a non-traditional applicant, and will be 34 years old at the time of my application. I did not apply previously when I was considering applying during my undergraduate years. One of the reasons I did not apply as an undergraduate was that I knew in my heart of hearts that I did not want to be a private practitioner- either in large or small animal medicine. The environment simply isn't for me. One of the benefits I gained throughout my years of research was exposure to other fields of veterinary medicine. One in particular, laboratory animal medicine, turned out to be a perfect fit for my skills, personality, realm of interest, and area of expertise. The reason I write this is that careers are often non-linear. Be honest with yourself about what you're looking for in a career. Ultimately, the decision and its consequences are yours and yours alone to bear. Although the advice of others (even those you trust and greatly respect) can be helpful, it's you who needs to make the final decision. Be clear about why you want to become a veterinarian, and whether or not there is a burning passion within you to see the career through to the end. If not, it may not be a bad idea to consider a different career. Who knows- you may come back to vet med 10-12 years later as I have with a whole different perspective on the career than you currently have. Good luck with your decision, and congrats on your admission to multiple schools!

The bolded part is so true!

I can only touch on a few topics in your post, eqC, but maybe between all of us we can touch on all of it! I can tell you, as someone who also has "great school skills", that taking time off has not made them atrophy. I took three years off and took 15 science credits last semester with no problem. In fact, I think there was an extra layer of stress that was gone, for some reason. I'm not saying that everything will be peachy-keen when I get to vet school, but I feel that I'm at least in the same boat with everyone else.

Anyway, as far as my life goes, I always know I'm in trouble when a major life decision is easy. It never is. These kinds of decisions always lead to really tough times in my life, but it's eventually worth it. Just remember it's better to be having second thoughts now than later. Hang in there!

 

[StartingoverVet]

Read all the message but I think the deferral decision is the core of your question:

TO answer it: Your father is completely wrong and there is absolutely no stigma at all to the deferral. Who the hell would care? Most people won't know unless they are admin.

The ONLY Negative about deferral I can think of is a small financial one (one year of lost wages post school).

If you need a year to get your head together and explore another path, then do so.


(Also, I can't help but disagree with the point, "if you love learning, you will love vet school". I don't know many people who love learning more than me, and I hate vet school. It is the anti-learning environment... but it is a really small point in comparison).

 

[kernel]

In concordance with many others, I think you should take the time to explore your interest in the psych field before you take the dive into vet school. I'm a big believer in the damaging consequences of repressing one's desires... You might regret it if you don't listen to your heart.

That said, like wldlfstdnt, I wonder about potential issues with deferral. Will they hold you a spot next year if you tell them you need to take a year to figure things out?

 

[that redhead]

Thoughts:

- Will the school allow you to defer for the purpose of exploring another field of interest?

- How much research have you done into the field you're considering instead of vet med? I know that vet med is not the only field to suffer from the economy; it would really suck to jump from one career to the other and be in a very similar situation but with a lot of coursework and applications ahead of you.

- Every job will have it's challenges - long hours, low pay, emotional toll (which I imagine psychology has a lot of!), etc. You will need to learn coping mechanisms no matter what it is you end up doing.

- I know some of the more discouraging threads are out there, and I think they offer an important perspective. But I wouldn't let the experiences of others scare you away. I think everyone gets nervous the summer before vet school but so few people (comparatively) drop out because they realize it really wasn't for them. Like Labvet mentioned, there are many other opportunities outside of small animal or large animal practice. You say you decided not to do equine - why? Did you have a chance to experience it? What other fields have you spent time in? You may not like any of them, but it's hard to say that unless you've tried.

Overall it's your decision. My opinion is that you've put a lot of time and effort into getting your acceptances; if finances are not an issue (which is usually the biggest deterrent), I would strongly consider your decision to abandon vet med if only because you've gotten this far already. Is vet school always perfect? No. But neither is life, and we all learn to deal.

 

[jmo1012]

i only read the replies from current students but heres what i have to say:

not everyone hates vet school, and i'd say a vast majority don't hate it 98% of the time. yes its stressful, yes exams and the associated things are awful, but in the grand scheme of things its really not that bad most of the time. i've had days where vet school makes me cry, days where i wanted to quit, days where i hate grenada, days where i want to transfer, but overall, i love it. i love grenada, i love my program, i love learning about how it all works. a lot of people whine and moan about getting through anatomy and physio and the like, but they really are clinically relevant. you just have to see that bit. there are so many opportunities out there for veterinarians from general practice, to exotics and wildlife, to marine, shelter, public health, etc. its just endless! and the neat thing is even though you have to work hard to pursue what you're passionate about, there are so many good mentors hiding out waiting to be discovered.

i have dual BSc's in biological science and psychology and i thought a lot about doing something in neuroscience before vet school and sometimes wish i could do both, but heres the thing - i get to use psychology all the time. i use it in the classroom, in the clinic, in the community and i love getting to think both medicine and psychology.

my best advice to you atm is to get off the misery thread. its pretty much the rant thread but for specific vet school problems and there will always be things to complain about and hate vet school wise. its like spending all your time on the rant thread - you could come to the conclusion that every person hates their life 100% of the time and that every human was just miserable. but clearly thats not the case. you are getting a snapshot picture of a moment in time, and lets face it people love to complain and hate!

 

[equineconstant]

Update: I'm going to see my LSU apartment and give my first month's rent on Saturday and I'll be buying the tablet I decided to get for vet school, so I guess I'm sticking with it. More because I decided psych isn't worth it than that I think vet med is, but it's a decision.