Why vet medicine over human medicine?

[fargeese]

This was one of the questions I was asked during an interview this year and I have been thinking about it ever since. I still don't feel like I have a satisfactory answer, so I thought I would ask y'all.

I know I have zero interest in human medicine, and I certainly do not want to do a residency and whatnot at my age, but I can't say exactly why I find vet science so fascinating and have no interest in getting an MD at all. I wanted to say "Because I hate people" when asked the question, but I did not I don't hate people, that was a joke, but I know would much rather have a animal patient than a human one.

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[Habibti]

This was one of the questions I was asked during an interview this year and I have been thinking about it ever since. I still don't feel like I have a satisfactory answer, so I thought I would ask y'all.

I know I have zero interest in human medicine, and I certainly do not want to do a residency and whatnot at my age, but I can't say exactly why I find vet science so fascinating and have no interest in getting an MD at all. I wanted to say "Because I hate people" when asked the question, but I did not I don't hate people, that was a joke, but I know would much rather have a animal patient than a human one.

Vet medicine provides many challenges that human medicine cannot. You cannot speak to your patients, so your ability to read your patients and your diagnostic skills must be that much better. You get to work on more than one species, which also requires a great deal of skill. Veterinary medicine allows you to examine things such as 'herd health' (large animals, lab animals, etc) and practice medicine on a larger scale on a regular basis. I think everyone on this forum would say the reason has something to do with the fact that they like animals.

 

[VelcroSky]

That's a tough question that I've often thought about myself. I'm not sure exactly why either. I find medicine fascinating but somehow I'm a bit turned off by practicing on people. First off, animals invoke a need in me to protect them in a way that perhaps I'm not as inclined to feel with people. Second, I could imagine not having as much patience with people. At work, I am often scratched up or what not by a scared animal but I have a great deal of patience for that where I'm not sure I would have if dealing with people. Another thing that draws me more to the veterinary route, and this may draw some criticism, but it seems to me that the motivations of those in this field tend to be more pure, for lack of a better word. It just seems to me, in my limited experience, that people go to medical school for a lot of reasons that have nothing to do with a need to heal, if you know what I mean.

 

[thereservoirdog]

That's a tough question that I've often thought about myself. I'm not sure exactly why either. I find medicine fascinating but somehow I'm a bit turned off by practicing on people. First off, animals invoke a need in me to protect them in a way that perhaps I'm not as inclined to feel with people. Second, I could imagine not having as much patience with people. At work, I am often scratched up or what not by a scared animal but I have a great deal of patience for that where I'm not sure I would have if dealing with people. Another thing that draws me more to the veterinary route, and this may draw some criticism, but it seems to me that the motivations of those in this field tend to be more pure, for lack of a better word. It just seems to me, in my limited experience, that people go to medical school for a lot of reasons that have nothing to do with a need to heal, if you know what I mean.

wow that's pretty how I feel about the question but I wasn't able to put it in words. and you're right about M.D's, if you go to their boards they are constantly fighting with each other and being a-holes in general. obviously they don't like the idea of helping people.

 

[fromjersey]

I am thinking about that.

 

[Emio]

"because i can express anal glands better than my own opinion."


it's not even comparable. i was asked this once and was completely dumbfounded that my professor could even suggest such a ridiculous career path. i don't see the appeal in human med whatsoever, but then again i think horse manure smells good.

 

[sambone]

I have a lot of reasons, but one sort of random one is a kind of inexplicable interest in animal anatomy and physiology over human A&P. Remember being a child and realizing animals can do so many things with their bodies that we cannot, and wanting to know how and why? In bio classes it's like something just lights up in my brain when I'm learning about any nonhuman animal biological system. I'm still amazed at fish gills and bird lungs and cow stomachs. Sometimes I just watch my cats move around the room and I'm still captivated...it's really hard for me to articulate but anyone know what I mean?

 

[HeartSong]

I know I have zero interest in human medicine, and I certainly do not want to do a residency and whatnot at my age, but I can't say exactly why I find vet science so fascinating and have no interest in getting an MD at all.

You have your answer right there. Some times "I don't know" is the correct answer. The question was a little different for me, they asked why I didn't want to be a Graphic Designer. (I have quite a bit of eduction in that area.) I told them that it was just like a hobby for me, I didn't have any interest in doing it as a career. I didn't have to go into any detail contrasting the two fields to explain myself, just told them I wasn't interested in it.

 

[HeartSong]

I have thought for the last seven years that I wanted to be a veterinarian. I got rejected. I believe that even if I re-apply that I will continue to be rejected because my GPA ( at a large state school) was only 3.38. At my school, that is considered a decent GPA but it does not compete generally. I have begun to consider applying to med school in state. And between Davis posting all of this info on managing debt and OK State spooking me out with these statements on debt, I think that I will make applications to med school in the future.

"Dr. Michael Lorenz from the OSU Veterinary Medical Hospital at Oklahoma State University Veterinary School said the average student debt upon graduation is between $70,000 and $72,000, with 90 percent of that debt accrued during veterinary school.

In 2006 OSU graduated 75 students from its veterinary school. Lorenz also said that the average salary of large animal veterinarians is $50,200 after a few years of experience and establishing a name, meaning the college debt significantly outweighs the vet’s starting salary."

Don't give up! I mean, if you think you will be just as happy being a doctor, that's fine, but if you really want to be a vet keep after it. Your GPA is competitive, beats what I had. Your debt load will be just as much if not greater going through med school. Granted, you might get paid more but I wonder how much significant difference there really is.

We had a financial expert come in to speak to our class during orientation. He told us that our school loan is the cheapest loan we will ever have and we should take the 30 year pay off option because the value of a dollar will go down so even with interest the overall amount we end up paying is less than what we borrow even though the dollar amount is greater. (Sorry I don't think I explained that well.) Also, if you invest some of your initial income instead of putting it into paying off loans, you will earn a good amount that way and that works no matter what career you have.

How many schools did you apply to? Are there other schools that you didn't apply to that you would be interested in applying to next year? Applicant pools can vary greatly from year to year, just because you didn't get in this year doesn't mean you won't next. How's your animal experience? Are there any opportunities you could do this summer to improve your overall qualifications?

 

[silverelf]

my answer was that i like working with people, but i hate sick people. both my interviewers laughed so i thought it worked well enough. its the honest truth too.

 

[fromjersey]

my answer was that i like working with people, but i hate sick people. both my interviewers laughed so i thought it worked well enough. its the honest truth too.

Sadly, you are still going to still meet sick people.

 

[JumptheMoon]

fromjersey, I think that silverelf meant sick people as in ::cough cough, sneeze sneeze:: i.e. people who are physically ill (with whom you would have to deal as an MD). Very sad story though.

 

[DrDRBaker2B]

It is a difficult question but I chose it for all the same reasons listed. I joke about how I can't stand human blood but can handle animal blood. This used to be true for me. I used to get squeamish everytime I saw human blood. I am over that now though! Now I just tell people that I feel animals need me more than humans do.

 

[silverelf]

moo

 

[silverelf]

Sadly, you are still going to still meet sick people. A few years ago, at a place where I worked a show horse foundered. We caught on right away when we saw the horse in it's stall with that strange parked out stance and glacy eyed look. We had banamine on hand and we got the feet in buckets of ice water. By the time the vet got there it could have looked hopeful--maybe bar shoes for awhile but hopeful. But the horse foundered. The owner came. The horse was insured for $35,000. The owner made the vet put the horse down. We all stood out back and cried while we heard the sound of the saw that the vet used to cut off the hooves to be sent to the insurance company for proof.

So no, you can never get away from sick people.

that is absolutely awful....

actually i did mean physically sick people...you can throw anything animal at me, but i see a person so much as cough hard, and i'm like "whoa i'm gonna get the plague GO AWAY"

 

[fromjersey]

that is absolutely awful....

actually i did mean physically sick people...you can throw anything animal at me, but i see a person so much as cough hard, and i'm like "whoa i'm gonna get the plague GO AWAY"

So it's something to think about.

 

[fargeese]

In the interview, my answer was that I believed animals were a greater challenge to treat, since you can't ask them what hurts and where, but they countered that the same is true in human medicine as well sometimes. You all are giving some good answers, too bad you we'ren't with me at my interview

And that is a terrible story about the horse, but one of the things I do like about the profession is that vets can humanely euthanize an amimal that is in terrible pain, whereas humans are made to suffer endlessly if they have not made a living will etc.etc. Too bad people make the decisions to treat their animals on money rather than the welfare of the animal though.

 

[silverelf]

In the interview, my answer was that I believed animals were a greater challenge to treat, since you can't ask them what hurts and where, but they countered that the same is true in human medicine as well sometimes. You all are giving some good answers, too bad you we'ren't with me at my interview

When I decided to be a vet, someone told me, "Just be a pediatrician instead..they're basically the veterinarians of human medicine! Their patients don't talk either!"

 

[ratbandit]

I think its pretty simple for me, I started out liking animals not medicine, it just grew into the best fit for me to be able to work with animals (my primary goal) and having a challening and problem based career (medicine). Why not human med? B/c I like the idea of working with animals more than I like the idea of working in medicine. If I didn't get into vet school I wouldn't try to do human med. instead, I'd do something else with animals.

 

[bakaduin]

Plus! An animal wont sue you for malpractice! And most animals dont have pesky insurance companies to go through!


More seriously though, for me its that I want to work in a small/mixed animal practice. I love the thought of going to work every day and not knowing what sort of challenge I will get. The variety of cases you deal with is something I really enjoy. In the people world I feel like its so specialized. I dont want to just be a cardiologist and see heart after heart after heart. I want to be a dentist, and a radiologist, and a surgeon, and I want to do it on dogs, and cats, and birds, and etc! Sure I know as salaries rise and what not the vet world is turning more and more towards specialization but its not there yet!

 

[Cheska]

LOL... easy choice for me too- the sight of human blood makes me very dizzy and sick!! But I can handle anything animal related! My brother teases me about it all the time- he is in nursing school and likes to describe his clinical cases in graphic detail to me over the phone... ewww!

I love medicine, that it is always changing and that you will always learn something new. I also like the challenge of lack of communication with animal patients. Also I can't imagine working in a profession without having animals around.

 

[eventualeventer]

No, we don't avoid people by working with animals. I like working with people, actually. I love the client education part of it, and I'm generally laid back and phlegmatic about PITA people. Besides everything already mentioned, you don't get animals that are drug-seekers and are looking to manipulate you to support their prescription drug habit. In general, your patients may not speak, but they don't lie to you!

Put me down as another one who can't think of working with people excretions but is A-OK with bloody foal diarrhea.

 

[fromjersey]

We want to do good things.

 

[JumptheMoon]

I know you meant physically ill people BUT all of the sick (mental) people I have ever encountered have been in relation to how they treat animals. Last summer, at the clinic where I worked we put down a perfectly beautiful large dog because he bit grandma's cocker spaniel. Well people, dogs do bite other dogs. Keep them separated if there is a problem. The large dog was a sweetie. Never did anything to a person.

So it's something to think about. The clients pay the bills. The clients make the decisions. If a client won't care for an animal, then what. So we don't avoid people by wanting to provide medical care for animals.

I don't think that anyone here has suggested that they're going into veterinary medicine to avoid dealing with people - just that they would prefer to treat animals. And if you do decide to go into human medicine, I'm sure that you will see just as many cases of people treating other people badly - it's certainly not a phenomenon limited to the animal world. While abusive and uncaring people are an unfortunate fact of life, there's no real need to be SDN's personal "Debbie Downer" and bring it up in response to a thread about why we love veterinary medicine.

 

[fromjersey]

I don't think that anyone here has suggested that they're going into veterinary medicine to avoid dealing with people - just that they would prefer to treat animals. And if you do decide to go into human medicine, I'm sure that you will see just as many cases of people treating other people badly - it's certainly not a phenomenon limited to the animal world. While abusive and uncaring people are an unfortunate fact of life, there's no real need to be SDN's personal "Debbie Downer" and bring it up in response to a thread about why we love veterinary medicine.

surely

 

[ckgilabert]

Human vomit makes me want to vomit. and people are just dirty....dirty as in--they dont wash their hands and get feces all over themselves.

 

[wivet2011]

I think its pretty simple for me, I started out liking animals not medicine, it just grew into the best fit for me to be able to work with animals (my primary goal) and having a challening and problem based career (medicine). Why not human med? B/c I like the idea of working with animals more than I like the idea of working in medicine. If I didn't get into vet school I wouldn't try to do human med. instead, I'd do something else with animals.

Diddo!!

As for human excretions, yeah, grosses me out too, and hospitals def. make me queasy Didn't know there were so many other pre vet people that felt the same way!!

 

[JumptheMoon]

I am NOT Debbie Downer. Just "freakin' stand up" to those clients and say NO. If you haven't seen this already, you don't have enough hours in the field.

Whoa whoa whoa. I did not say anything about standing up to clients. I've had enough hours in the field to experience plenty of crappy situations...the cat being euthanized basically because the owner is bored with it, kittens abandoned in a dumpster, horse put down because it was cheaper than surgery to debride her wound, etc. thank you very much. You said "all of the sick (mental) people I have ever encountered have been in relation to how they treat animals," and my point was that you will encounter those "sick" people in any profession that involves working with people, including (if not especially!) in human medicine.

Just pointing out that dealing with not-so-great people is not a drawback unique to veterinary medicine; it comes with the territory of working with people in general, and hopefully it will be balanced out by the good interactions - grateful clients, learning opportunities, etc.

 

[Emio]

I think its pretty simple for me, I started out liking animals not medicine, it just grew into the best fit for me to be able to work with animals (my primary goal) and having a challening and problem based career (medicine). Why not human med? B/c I like the idea of working with animals more than I like the idea of working in medicine. If I didn't get into vet school I wouldn't try to do human med. instead, I'd do something else with animals.

yep, pretty much perfect. same here, needless to say.


hi Debbie Downer, my name is Emily

 

[kate_g]

Besides everything already mentioned, you don't get animals that are drug-seekers and are looking to manipulate you to support their prescription drug habit.

'Cept you *do* get clients who try to get their fix through their pet. Take-home analgesia, tranquilizers, fentanyl patches... There's now a regulation (in CA, dunno if it's national) that if an animal is prescribed certain classes of drugs (dispensed to the client to take home and administer, not given while the animal is in the hospital) you must collect their birth date (and social security number??) and keep it on file. Or maybe it's if you write a prescription that the client is going to take to an outside pharmacy...? I forget the details, but somehow it's supposed to help figure out if the person is shopping their pet around to multiple clinics to keep getting narc prescriptions.

Oh, and we used to get people coming into the shelter every once in a while asking if they could get some ketamine. Gotta admire the spirit, I guess... I mean, it doesn't hurt to ask, right?

 

[Cheska]

Another reason for me- it is easier for me to interact with people when animals are involved- typically around strangers I am uncomfortable and extremely shy. However when animals or vet med are involved, I am in my element and feel comfortable saying and doing almost anything. It is really funny trying to relate to people who have no interest in animals what so ever, because animals are literally my entire life- at home and at work (I guess I could talk about baseball or hiking, but beyond that I am at a loss ).

 

[JumptheMoon]

Oh, and we used to get people coming into the shelter every once in a while asking if they could get some ketamine. Gotta admire the spirit, I guess... I mean, it doesn't hurt to ask, right?

Wow, now that takes some balls...or should I say, that takes some <3's

 

[KittenKiller]

Because they cant talk back <evil laugh>

 

[kate_g]

Wow, now that takes some balls...

Yeah, thankfully our desk staff were not the kind of people who were intimidated by threats from a potentially strung out, potentially armed, degenerate druggie lowlife. Does make me wonder, though, if there was some kind of "word on the street" that the shelter was a good place to score. ...And therefore makes me wonder if some past employee used to have a little side business going...

 

[mtrl1]

My answer now is "Why limit myself to one species?"

But seriously, if you go into human med, it's so specialized that you're a "-----ologist" As a veterinarian, I'll be a radiologist, anesthetist, cardiologist, neurologist, dermatologist, pediatrician, surgeon, orthopedist, internal medicine, etc. I love the fact that I don't have to lock myself down in one area unless I decide to specialize. I also love the challenge of not being able to ask the patient what's wrong.

I love teaching owners how to take care of their pets. IMO, there's nothing better than the looks on the faces of both owner and pet when the pet is released from the hospital.

 

[Max Power]

That's a tough question that I've often thought about myself. I'm not sure exactly why either. I find medicine fascinating but somehow I'm a bit turned off by practicing on people. First off, animals invoke a need in me to protect them in a way that perhaps I'm not as inclined to feel with people. Second, I could imagine not having as much patience with people. At work, I am often scratched up or what not by a scared animal but I have a great deal of patience for that where I'm not sure I would have if dealing with people. Another thing that draws me more to the veterinary route, and this may draw some criticism, but it seems to me that the motivations of those in this field tend to be more pure, for lack of a better word. It just seems to me, in my limited experience, that people go to medical school for a lot of reasons that have nothing to do with a need to heal, if you know what I mean.

I hear that...go hang around a group of med/pharm students...if you don't wanna kill yourself afterwards congratulations...talk about doing things for the wrong reasons

 

[Cheska]

My answer now is "Why limit myself to one species?"

But seriously, if you go into human med, it's so specialized that you're a "-----ologist" As a veterinarian, I'll be a radiologist, anesthetist, cardiologist, neurologist, dermatologist, pediatrician, surgeon, orthopedist, internal medicine, etc. I love the fact that I don't have to lock myself down in one area unless I decide to specialize. I also love the challenge of not being able to ask the patient what's wrong.

I love teaching owners how to take care of their pets. IMO, there's nothing better than the looks on the faces of both owner and pet when the pet is released from the hospital.

Great point!! I agree with that appeal of vet med 100%, but you have reminded me of something else:

We did an orangutan knockdown at the zoo recently (probably one of the coolest things I have ever/will ever see!!), and had a human anesthesiologist and human cardiologist (ha ha human! that sounds funny!) along with our staff of veterinarians. So even if veterinary medicine does not end up being your main career, as a human doctor you could still cross over to some degree.

 

[kate_g]

As a veterinarian, I'll be a radiologist, anesthetist, cardiologist, neurologist, dermatologist, pediatrician, surgeon, orthopedist, internal medicine, etc.

Have you seen that t-shirt? Somebody at Wisconsin had one on, I don't know if it was something they'd gotten printed up for a club, or if she got it somewhere else. But it had this whole list like that ("I'm a cardiologist, neurologist... yadda yadda") with about 30 different specialties on it, and then it said "...but you can call me a veterinarian for short."

 

[cyrille104]

For me, human medicine lacks the comparative health perspective (buzz phrase!) that is necessary for conservation medicine and research, etc.

 

[Hollycozza]

Ceska that is a great new picture of your cat!

 

[jeeney]

because REAL doctors treat multiple species

 

[eventualeventer]

Gosh, I didn't think about that, kate g, but then it seems that being at an equine practice is a much more sheltered existence than working in small animal, based on the stories I've heard (read) here.

One the vets I work for told me a story about laying a horse down for castration on the farm where a teenage boy took a little *too* much interest in the drugs he was using. The kid asked him if he was using ketamine, to which the vet replied, "Yes, but it's horse ketamine. It's different from people ketamine. If you take horse ketamine, *pfffft* it'll kill you." Apparently, the kid bought it.

 

[OceanAngel]

Have you seen that t-shirt? Somebody at Wisconsin had one on, I don't know if it was something they'd gotten printed up for a club, or if she got it somewhere else. But it had this whole list like that ("I'm a cardiologist, neurologist... yadda yadda") with about 30 different specialties on it, and then it said "...but you can call me a veterinarian for short."

That's fantastic!

I have to agree with many of the other points made here. Any human excretion or sick person just makes my skin crawl, but getting animal anything on me or around me doesn't phase me a bit.

I, too, love the human/animal bond and teaching is a passion of mine. I hope to teach not only owners, but the public and future veterinarians. Animal anatomy fascinates me to no end. Growing up I guess it began with my love for animals, but I soon discovered my love for science and interest in medicine.

I always knew I would do something in the medical field and I briefly considered human med., but I love the idea of spending my days around animals because this is where I feel the most comfortable, confident and in my element. I also love the idea of how many different avenues a veterinarian can pursue even if it comes as a change mid-career.

 

[Habibti]

Human vomit makes me want to vomit. and people are just dirty....dirty as in--they dont wash their hands and get feces all over themselves.

And dogs rolling in crap and then licking themselves clean is different how so?

 

[frozen_canadian]

Because its not human feces...

 

[proceedings]

That's a tough question that I've often thought about myself. I'm not sure exactly why either. I find medicine fascinating but somehow I'm a bit turned off by practicing on people. First off, animals invoke a need in me to protect them in a way that perhaps I'm not as inclined to feel with people. Second, I could imagine not having as much patience with people. At work, I am often scratched up or what not by a scared animal but I have a great deal of patience for that where I'm not sure I would have if dealing with people. Another thing that draws me more to the veterinary route, and this may draw some criticism, but it seems to me that the motivations of those in this field tend to be more pure, for lack of a better word. It just seems to me, in my limited experience, that people go to medical school for a lot of reasons that have nothing to do with a need to heal, if you know what I mean.

As someone who has recently made the switch from a career in human medicine to veterinary medicine, my answer to this question is simple. Animals don't fake being sick or injured. Humans can. Certainly not the majority, but enough to make the physician's job very frustrating - and I'm not cut out for that. I'd rather be bitten, scratched or kicked by a true unwell animal patient.

 

[haitwun]

Animals don't fake being sick or injured.

I second that! In my experience, a lot of animals will try to hide their injuries or illnesses because showing it can be interpreted by other animals as a sign a weakness. Weakness is preyed on. This is especially annoying because by the time you realize an animal is sick, it is already too late. On the other hand, I think I understand where you are coming from. It must be very hard having to deal with hypochondriacs.

A local vet put it best: "Animals are blameless because they don't know any better. Humans on the other hand, can be held responsible. How can you feel sympathetic for diabetic patient who smokes 2 packs a day, drinks heavily, eats McDonalds for virtually every meal and refuses to commit to walking 20 minutes per day?"

The most annoying thing about choosing this path is getting flamed by all the pre-med students at my school. I always get asked, "What is more important, an animal's life or a human's life?"

 

[Hollycozza]

"Animals are blameless because they don't know any better. Humans on the other hand, can be held responsible. How can you feel sympathetic for diabetic patient who smokes 2 packs a day, drinks heavily, eats McDonalds for virtually every meal and refuses to commit to walking 20 minutes per day?"

I feel sympathetic if they are uneducated, addicted, and really don't know better........

I agree with the people saying animal stuff is just nicer. Human pus, faeces, etc are just 1,000,000,000 times more foul!

 

[proceedings]

[The most annoying thing about choosing this path is getting flamed by all the pre-med students at my school. I always get asked, "What is more important, an animal's life or a human's life?"[/quote]

In daily general practice of human medicine, for example, rarely is it a "life or death" matter (unless colds have recently been classified as deadly), so I feel that the above question is mostly irrelevant. Further, it is a human that brings in a sick or injured animal to a veterinarian, and the human is typically quite distraught because their animal is not well. This affects the human's quality of life, as well as the animal's. Therefore healing the animal often concomitantly results in making the human feel better too. I can't imagine any MD having a problem with that.

 

[wildfocus]

i dealt with every kind of human fluid imaginable when i worked in india. most of my stories should be shared over a beer, however, so i won't bore you all with them here (just imagine what happens when sickness, poverty, and third world medicine collide). but, for me, it wasn't the species of patient that drove me to vet med. in fact, i loved human medicine and was on that route for a number of years before i completely switched over.

when i was trying to decide b/w human med or vet med, i had several bad experiences with residents at the hospital where i work. i just couldn't bring myself to be in a profession where being a jerk was acceptable. (don't get me wrong, i work with lots of doctors, and most are very kind.) although i would most definitely have gone into doctors without borders or another humanitarian organization, all i could imagine at the time was the med students, residents, and docs stateside with whom i would have to work before i reached my goal.

one of the many things i took from my india experience, is that my life is too short to waste on the negative. i like nice people, and, for the most part, that is who i had met in vet medicine. at the clinic i was good with the animals, and the work (placing iv's, dressing wounds, trying to comfort another in pain) wasn't much different than my work in india (except, we got gloves and had better technology at the animal hospital!). so, i took the vet med fork in the road. arbitrary? cowardice? maybe. but, man am i happy! and perhaps that is the most honest answer i will ever give.