What kind of Vet do you want to be?

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

What kind of vet do you want to be?

  • Small Animal

    Votes: 17 38.6%

  • Mixed Animal

    Votes: 13 29.5%

  • Equine Only

    Votes: 11 25.0%

  • Food Animal

    Votes: 3 6.8%
  • Total voters
    44
M

m&ossyducks

I don't really care to see who wants to do exotics, avian, aquatic, or zoo vet medicine. They make up such a small percentage of practicing vets anyways.
Members don't see this ad.
 
I put down equine only, but I want to be a board certified specialist. Specialist in what? Well that remains a mystery. :p
 
mossyducks said:
I don't really care to see who wants to do exotics, avian, aquatic, or zoo vet medicine. They make up such a small percentage of practicing vets anyways.
Click to expand...

Then why did you put the poll up in the first place? That is pretty close minded of you. There are also others that you left out that make up a larger percentage, like research.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
:confused:
Well, I chose mixed because I am part of that "small percentage who wants to do exotics, avian, aquatic, or zoo vet medicine."

I want to primarily do exotics, but also hobby farm medicine too.

You would be surprised how many people on this forum are into exotics, zoo, research, etc.
 
Cheska said:
:confused:
Well, I chose mixed because I am part of that "small percentage who wants to do exotics, avian, aquatic, or zoo vet medicine."
Click to expand...
Yeah well, obviously you don't count then! hehe :laugh:
 
mossyducks said:
I don't really care to see who wants to do exotics, avian, aquatic, or zoo vet medicine. They make up such a small percentage of practicing vets anyways.
Click to expand...

So let's hide our heads in the sand and pretend you'll never be brought someone's hamster, iguana, rabbit, ball python, ferret, or cockatiel. :rolleyes::bullcrap:

To answer the question, I'm likely going to be a veterinary behaviorist, but I'd like to do mixed practice just to keep it from getting boring (some equine, some exotic, etc).
 
VelcroSky said:
Yeah well, obviously you don't count then! hehe :laugh:
Click to expand...

:hello: this is me not counting.

+pity+ poor me, I don't count.

:scared: just don't tell the vet schools that I don't count.
 
mossyducks said:
I don't really care to see who wants to do exotics, avian, aquatic, or zoo vet medicine. They make up such a small percentage of practicing vets anyways.
Click to expand...

Guess I won't answer then.
 
mossyducks said:
I don't really care to see who wants to do exotics, avian, aquatic, or zoo vet medicine. They make up such a small percentage of practicing vets anyways.
Click to expand...

I guess Im not voting also.
 
mossyducks said:
I don't really care to see who wants to do exotics, avian, aquatic, or zoo vet medicine. They make up such a small percentage of practicing vets anyways.
Click to expand...

Although a small percentage end up doing zoo, as for the rest there are a lot of exotic vets. You also didn't include careers in government agencies, public health, research and wildlife. Also, maybe you should start caring before interviews because a lot of adcomms look at a narrow view of the profession as a very negative thing.
 
I want to specialize in feline geriatrics.
But first, I'd like to be the kind of vet who gets into vet school. ;)
 
Members don't see this ad :)
No voting for me. I'm all about the public health, baby!
 
Equine mostly, but I'd like to do a few cows, goats, sheep etc to mix it up a little (and I do love cows!) I'd also like to do some research on behavior , especially repetitive behavior like equine stereotypes (cribbing, weaving, etc.) And I love equine nutrition and lameness. :)
 
Small animal, but that is mainly because my father owns his own practice, which I will likely take over... assuming I get into Vet school. Research intrigues me, but I'm all about surgery.

I want to get trigger guards on my scalpels so I can spin them around like six-shooters. :laugh:
 
Couldn't think of a stupider way to phrase a question? You might want to do some research about what vet med encompasses before your interviews. Hopefully you didn't already make a jack-a of yourself in your PS by saying stupid crap like this.
 
This pool is missing something important: squirrels.

I'm devastated.
 
I want to do zoo animal and or conservation. I really like native Australian animals so it would be great to be able to work with them.

:hardy:

I put small animal though, because it seemed the closest option :p
 
Small w/exotic for me - I want to be like Dr. Fitzgerald when I grow up - sans moustache! LOL
 
ShelterGirl said:
Small w/exotic for me - I want to be like Dr. Fitzgerald when I grow up - sans moustache! LOL
Click to expand...
But if you were a guy, you'd totally rock the mustache, right?!
 
Kymmy16w said:
But if you were a guy, you'd totally rock the mustache, right?!
Click to expand...

If a mustache would get me my own tv show I would rock one.

I want to do exotics and zoo animals. Fill the rest of my free time with small animal.
 
Kymmy16w said:
But if you were a guy, you'd totally rock the mustache, right?!
Click to expand...

I'm a girl, so a moustache would probably look a little funny :) But ... if I were a guy, I'd definitely rock the mustache!

I want to do the reverse of David - mostly small animals w/a little zoo & exotic mixed in.
 
No one else wants to do food animal? What about the cows? Who else is going to love the cows? On a more serious note, I am concerned that we are all going to have pets that are healthy but meat that is either unsafe, or steaks for 25/lb. because a disease goes through the population because of a lack of food animal vets.
 
fargeese said:
No one else wants to do food animal? What about the cows? Who else is going to love the cows? On a more serious note, I am concerned that we are all going to have pets that are healthy but meat that is either unsafe, or steaks for 25/lb. because a disease goes through the population because of a lack of food animal vets.
Click to expand...
I want to ride a cow, at least once before I die.
 
Though many are deterred from food animal because of the money, swine and poultry only people actually command much higher salaries than SA. Just a little fact I found interesting.
 
mossyducks said:
I don't really care to see who wants to do exotics, avian, aquatic, or zoo vet medicine.
Click to expand...

You're a jackass and shouldn't become a vet with that dismissively shortsighted and rude attitude.
 
equine, esp. researching laminitis. Not enough info out there on it.
 
fargeese said:
No one else wants to do food animal? What about the cows? Who else is going to love the cows? On a more serious note, I am concerned that we are all going to have pets that are healthy but meat that is either unsafe, or steaks for 25/lb. because a disease goes through the population because of a lack of food animal vets.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I'm kind of put off from doing food animal on a large scale production except on smaller family and hobby farms. I hate the factory farming system as vets have to pump the cattle full of antibiotics on feed lots just to keep them from not dying from being highly crowded and eating a diet that's completely evolutionarily inappropriate to them (they were designed to eat grass, not grain like corn). I'm all about supporting the sustainable small family farm though. And the locally produced grass fed beef and lamb I get from the farmers market is delish!
 
Could we lay off flaming the OP? I agree that the phrasing was unfortunate but I doubt getting everyone riled up was his intent. Do I have to remind everyone of the "vet school is easy to get into" fiasco? I am sure he gets it. If people want to be mean, go over to the medical boards.

And I do see the negatives of working in cattle, with the hormones and whatnot, but I think of it as trying to improve the lives of the cattle I work with, as long as they are on this earth. And in dairy farmers defense, most of the ones I work with don't use bSt anymore because it was too hard on the cows, even though using it would give them more milk.
 
A decent one.
One that graduates vet school.
One that isn't too "far gone."
One that gets some sleep.
One that isn't too heavily medicated.
One that isn't eating ramen noodles at retirement age due to student loan repayment.
 
AuburnPreVet said:
A decent one.
One that graduates vet school.
One that isn't too "far gone."
One that gets some sleep.
One that isn't too heavily medicated.
One that isn't eating ramen noodles at retirement age due to student loan repayment.
Click to expand...

Nicely put :)
 
bunnygirl said:
I love Dr. Fitzgerald also..he spoke at Minnesota recently and I heard he was just as cool as he is on tv :love:
Click to expand...

Dr Fitzgerald also came to CSU's orientation and did his comedy routine. Now I had watched him for years on TV but had no idea he was a stand up comedian as well... but its true :) He is hysterical and at the end he even put on green tights and tap danced for us!!!

Here is a little blurb about him:
"You may know Dr Kevin Fitzgerald as the star of Animal Planet�s �Emergency Vets�, but there is much more to him than what has been seen on television. In addition to his duties as a full-time veterinarian and a large number of speaking engagements on the lecture circuit, Dr Fitzgerald has also been performing stand-up comedy on an almost nightly basis since 1986. He is a regular at the famed Comedy Works in Denver, one of the top ten clubs in the country. His rapid paced, one-liner style, combined with his ability to entertain without offending, have made him a highly requested act at clubs, colleges and corporate events throughout the country."
 
soxbox said:
Dr Fitzgerald also came to CSU's orientation and did his comedy routine. Now I had watched him for years on TV but had no idea he was a stand up comedian as well... but its true :) He is hysterical and at the end he even put on green tights and tap danced for us!!!

Here is a little blurb about him:
"You may know Dr Kevin Fitzgerald as the star of Animal Planet�s �Emergency Vets�, but there is much more to him than what has been seen on television. In addition to his duties as a full-time veterinarian and a large number of speaking engagements on the lecture circuit, Dr Fitzgerald has also been performing stand-up comedy on an almost nightly basis since 1986. He is a regular at the famed Comedy Works in Denver, one of the top ten clubs in the country. His rapid paced, one-liner style, combined with his ability to entertain without offending, have made him a highly requested act at clubs, colleges and corporate events throughout the country."
Click to expand...


Thanks for that :) Hopefully I will get to see his act someday....
 
mossyducks said:
I don't really care to see who wants to do exotics, avian, aquatic, or zoo vet medicine. They make up such a small percentage of practicing vets anyways.
Click to expand...


Wahahahha~ man that's funny...
You were just askin for trouble with that one....
 
I picked mixed, because I'm all into reproduction.
Yes, I know there's a joke there. :rolleyes:
I'm especially interested in the problems that dairy cows have.
 
When I first looked at the results I was suprised...then I read through the replies and realized...Yeah, my wording kinda sucked, so alot of folks got left out. I guess I should say I am sorry but..................... :D

It's not that I don't care what you want to do, or that I was intentionally leaving veterinary fields out of the question/poll. But the simple fact is I was being a realist, and as a realist I concluded most of you guys will end up doing small animal medicine anyways. :laugh:

Saying you want to be a behavioral analyst consultant purist therapeutic correctional veterinarian is great and all, but c'mon who are u guys kindin the real money is with those small animal guys isn't it? Everyone knows that when you get to that 3rd and 4th year of vet school after being 50-150K in debt all of your electives will be in SA medicine, not behavioral, avian, zoo poo, or whatever else there is to take. :D
 
No to belabor the point, but some schools, like UTK, have large exotics programs. (And our MPH program is pretty darn big too.)
 
Honestly, I'd rather work twice as much and make 1/2 as much working with large animals. I really don't want to do small animals and if I was going into this for the money...well... I probably wouldn't be going into this at all!! I work with small animals now, it's not what I am passionate about.
 
mossyducks said:
It's not that I don't care what you want to do, or that I was intentionally leaving veterinary fields out of the question/poll. But the simple fact is I was being a realist, and as a realist I concluded most of you guys will end up doing small animal medicine anyways. :laugh:

Saying you want to be a behavioral analyst consultant purist therapeutic correctional veterinarian is great and all, but c'mon who are u guys kindin the real money is with those small animal guys isn't it? Everyone knows that when you get to that 3rd and 4th year of vet school after being 50-150K in debt all of your electives will be in SA medicine, not behavioral, avian, zoo poo, or whatever else there is to take. :D
Click to expand...

I'm not in this for the money. I won't be happy working with small animals/"food" animals. I already know how much debt I'll be in and it isn't going to change anything. Your passions don't magically change with your bank account balance.

I think you need to put the shovel down. That hole is looking pretty deep.
 
Most specialists and government workers make far greater salaries than SA vets.
 
with an attitude like that perhaps you should a) do some more research before opening your mouth again and, b) move over to the pre-allo board.... after all, that is where the money's at anyways
 
rexosaurus said:
with an attitude like that perhaps you should a) do some more research before opening your mouth again and, b) move over to the pre-allo board.... after all, that is where the money's at anyways
Click to expand...

This is pretty much exactly what I was going to say. If you are going into this for the money you're doing something terribly wrong. Go to med school instead.
 
Id venture to say that most people going into vet med arent in it for the money. Im not saying you cant live comfortably or even be wealthy as a vet because you certainly can if the right situations present themselves. That being said if all we cared about was the monetary aspect we'd have switched to human medicine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

Kiki_1717
What are you interested in doing in Vet Med?
Replies
22
Views
1K
Doctor Ham
D
T
  • Locked
What to do if you don’t think vet school is for you anymore
Replies
6
Views
2K
supershorty
supershorty
Mr.Smile12
Vet/PhD: Anyone want to help write an SDN article?
Replies
7
Views
578
supershorty
supershorty
W
Advice on what to do during the summer before vet school
Replies
6
Views
893
VeggieTrex
VeggieTrex
K
How to get vet experience
Replies
3
Views
479
Jess Monster
Jess Monster
Top