Why become a vet?

[SugarNaCl]

I have been accepted to dental school, but have a question for people looking to go to vet school. Though most think that MD programs are the most competitive, anyone who has looked into it knows that vet schools (because there are so few and such a necessary broad range of knowledge) are the most difficult. SO my question is, why do you guys choose to be vets, even though it is the most competitive of all? Why not MD? Dent? etc. Just curious. Love of animals? or what? I mean this with sincere respect.

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[Capella]

A good thread on the topic: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=391125

 

[Max Power]

I wanted to be a doctor for the love of bio/chem/anatomy/physiology and so on. I find the human-animal bond fascinating. Mostly I just love animals. I get turned off by all the people who want to be MD's or dentists for money (not that they are all like that!!). Insurance/malpractice seems like it could eventually take the joy out of being an MD. People are big babies. I think diagnosing an animal is more challenging, and there's more variety in vet med. If you have a passion for something, you aren't phased by the difficulty in obtaining your goal, or the lack of compensation for doing so.

 

[QTkitty]

I wanted to be a doctor for the love of bio/chem/anatomy/physiology and so on. I find the human-animal bond fascinating. Mostly I just love animals. I get turned off by all the people who want to be MD's or dentists for money (not that they are all like that!!). Insurance/malpractice seems like it could eventually take the joy out of being an MD. People are big babies. I think diagnosing an animal is more challenging, and there's more variety in vet med. If you have a passion for something, you aren't phased by the difficulty in obtaining your goal, or the lack of compensation for doing so.

Well said. I have wanted to become a vet largely for my love animals and the sciences. I think there's great joy in caring for an animal that can't care for itself. With humans it seems so often that they are the ones who make themselves injured or ill. These people then expect their doctors to diagnose and treat them as soon as they walk through the door. I just don't like dealing with people like that. I realize that I will be dealing with owners, and that some are difficult, but I don't believe that it's to the extent of what human doctors have to deal with. I've found with many owners that when they aren't properly caring for their pet it is out of ignorance rather than negligence, as is often the case with themselves (have another burger?). Congrats on dental school BTW (I'm one of those sissies who's afraid of the dentist haha).

 

[jeeney]

i want to be a vet because i want to directly help animals, but at the same time, indirectly help humanity through laboratory animal medicine (the field i want to specialize in) also, because i think the illnesses/pain/etc..that humans experience aren't always physical, it is sometimes a mental issue for them and i don't think i can deal with that....

 

[Emio]

there's no reward in human medicine for me. simply not interested.

 

[twh11]

My family has always been into medicine and so that is why I am going into it. My family does human medicine. I chose to do veterinary medicine for two reasons. I love animals and want to help them. Also they are so much more helpless than people since they can't talk and tell us what is wrong.

 

[sofficat]

i just feel like i have a responsibility to stand up for animals and to help them. i also love to educate clients on how to properly care for their pets. also, i really wouldn't be able to deal with going to work everyday and not having animals there! i guess for most of us it's a passion and even if i have a 14/620 chance of getting into my school (i got in! ) it is not going to stop me from doing what i love.

 

[JumptheMoon]

Slightly off topic, but does anyone watch Entourage? Last episode Drama bet on a horse who didn't win, and they tell him that the horse is sterile and "is headed for either the dude ranch or the glue factory," so Drama buys the horse, sets him loose in the yard until he escapes and is found down the street at a gas station, and then dumps him on someone else (young daughter: "Daddy, is that horse for my birthday? He's BEAUTIFUL!"). Of course, through all of this, the newly OTTB is calm as can be with his head practically on the ground, obviously aced up the wazzou as these city guys with no clue lead him around.

Anyway, after my SO scolded me for freaking out and not being able to suspend my disbelief, he just shook his head and said "clearly you're entering the right profession."