Veterinary Medicine versus Human Medicine

[GloriousNyx]

Hi, i am a student who studies in Singapore and am interested to find out what are people's opinions of Veterinary Medicine versus Human Medicine. I've always wanted to be a doctor since I knew what it was as a child, it has always been at the back of my head. It is like a subconscious thing that I want to be a doctor and save lives and help people. But as I grew older I also found happiness through helping animals. I see many posts saying that vets struggle with debts a lot as compared to medical doctors, is this really true? Also, what do you guys think will help me with my decision?

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[CoffeeQuestionMark]

Hi, i am a student who studies in Singapore and am interested to find out what are people's opinions of Veterinary Medicine versus Human Medicine. I've always wanted to be a doctor since I knew what it was as a child, it has always been at the back of my head. It is like a subconscious thing that I want to be a doctor and save lives and help people. But as I grew older I also found happiness through helping animals. I see many posts saying that vets struggle with debts a lot as compared to medical doctors, is this really true? Also, what do you guys think will help me with my decision?

It is very true for a lot of people.

Being that you are international, what I recommend doing is research within your own country. There was a recent student posting in here from Hungary who said the opposite is true within his country (vets make more money than doctors and tuition wasn't an issue).

Find out (in Singapore)
Avg salary of a veterinarian vs doctor
Cost of attendance of veterinary vs medical school

Then,
Find a veterinarian as well as a doctor to shadow - this will really give you an idea of which you like better.

 

[Melchizedek]

Hey, human med student here tossing in my $.02

I agree that the debt-income disparity is higher in vet med. Another thing I wanted to point out is the implicit bias that human med residency programs have against foreign medical graduates (FMG's). FMG's often have to have stellar CV's and test scores to even compete for mid range residency spots against AMG's. If you're interested in a non-competitive specialty or not planning on going into academic (research) medicine that may all work out in your favor. If you're really considering human med, I'd recommend trying your best to get an education at a US medical school, just to avoid the extra hurdles.

Is this bias against FMG's echoed in vet medicine?

 

[CalliopeDVM]

I see many posts saying that vets struggle with debts a lot as compared to medical doctors, is this really true?

It's true in the US, but I don't think it's as prevalent elsewhere, where school debt is not just lower, but also hasn't increased as much in the last 5-10 years.

I think of the difference, from the schooling and medical standpoint, as this: Human medical students learn a lot more about a much smaller area - their knowledge is deep, but narrow. Veterinary students learn in much less detail than their human counterparts, but they learn it about a lot larger area (multiple species, and multiple disciplines/areas) - their knowledge is shallow, but wide.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

Is this bias against FMG's echoed in vet medicine?

It depends on where those "FMG"s are from; "foreign" covers a lot of territory. There isn't a bias against students from other schools accredited by the AVMA CoE, even if outside the US (at least after those schools have been accredited for enough years to get a feel for the quality of graduates).......The quality of their education is known and accepted, and some of them number among the best in the world. On the other hand, graduates of foreign schools that haven't become accredited are expected to offer some significant evidence that their education (and/or their practice) is equivalent.

 

[GloriousNyx]

It is very true for a lot of people.

Being that you are international, what I recommend doing is research within your own country. There was a recent student posting in here from Hungary who said the opposite is true within his country (vets make more money than doctors and tuition wasn't an issue).

Find out (in Singapore)
Avg salary of a veterinarian vs doctor
Cost of attendance of veterinary vs medical school

Then,
Find a veterinarian as well as a doctor to shadow - this will really give you an idea of which you like better.

Thanks for the advice! I will be shadowing a doctor at a local hospital in a few months time as well as a vet during the start of next year. I hope that I can find out from there. Singapore only has one zoo and vets mainly treat dogs and cats, which is why I am concerned about the job prospects.

 

[GloriousNyx]

It's true in the US, but I don't think it's as prevalent elsewhere, where school debt is not just lower, but also hasn't increased as much in the last 5-10 years.

I think of the difference, from the schooling and medical standpoint, as this: Human medical students learn a lot more about a much smaller area - their knowledge is deep, but narrow. Veterinary students learn in much less detail than their human counterparts, but they learn it about a lot larger area (multiple species, and multiple disciplines/areas) - their knowledge is shallow, but wide.

In Singapore there is only one zoo, one aquarium, one river safari and one bird park. At the same time, I ever found some veterinary clinics in Singapore which has 15 vets working there, which makes me wonder about the demand here. However, I am looking at work shadowing to help make my decision!

 

[dyachei]

In Singapore there is only one zoo, one aquarium, one river safari and one bird park. At the same time, I ever found some veterinary clinics in Singapore which has 15 vets working there, which makes me wonder about the demand here. However, I am looking at work shadowing to help make my decision!

The demand was there whenI lived in Singapore and volunteered with a clinic.

Really, you need to decide what you like more.