|
|
 Expert
Posts: 1432
  
Location: Never in one place long | I'm interested in learning what it's like to be a vet, I think I can probably guess the trials, rewards etc but I'd like to hear first hand and also about your schooling. where you went and how long it took? what your average salary range is? Any info is great to hear first hand.
I'm assuming you have to be pretty awesome at science, math etc but I honestly am not sure. Just looking into it as a possibility for a future career.
Feel Free to pm me! | |
| | |
  Ms. Marine
Posts: 4641
 
Location: Texas | I know you're asking for first hand experience, but all of your questions you can look up on google and get a pretty good idea, especially for your specific area. | |
| | |
Expert
Posts: 1432
Location: Never in one place long | BarrelRacing4Christ - 2017-03-27 3:05 PM
I know you're asking for first hand experience, but all of your questions you can look up on google and get a pretty good idea, especially for your specific area.
Thanks! yes, I have googled it and taken a test to see if I'd be a good candidate. I just wanted to hear first hand, I know sometimes what you read isn't really how it is.
Thanks! | |
| | |
Veteran
Posts: 120
| Try looking for a vet you can shadow for a day or two. I know many of the smaller vet clinics love to have students shadow them and get a look into what it's really like! | |
| | |
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 683
Location: Ohio | While I'm not a vet I have worked for them. The hours are grueling, just when you're truly exhausted and think you're finally done for the day and ready to go home an emergency call will come in and probably keep you out for hours. Forget about having weekends off as well unless you have other vet partners in your office and rotate who is on call. It can be extremely hard on a spouse and if you're not married already finding time to date will be even harder.
There are a lot of rewards but a lot of heartbreak too. You have to have a special ability to turn off your emotions after losing an animal that you had been fighting for days on end and turn right around to greet another patient with smiles and focus on their needs. Plus no matter how hard you try, you will have those clients with an animal that couldn't be saved regardless of what measures were taken who will turn around and bad mouth you, telling anyone willing to listen that you killed their animal.
My old boss also discussed how much his school debts were, how many years it would take to pay them off and break even (the number was staggering and literally gave me heart palpitations just thinking about it).
Again, this is only some of the cons I saw working for vets as an assistant. It really takes a rare breed of person to do what they do everyday and still love their jobs 20 years later. | |
| | |
 Veteran
Posts: 112
| That's exciting that your interested in becoming a vet! I think I can give a little first hand insight into the schooling aspect, as I am finishing up my 3rd year of veterinary school, and getting ready to go into the final year in the clinic.
First off, veterinary medicine is not a "get rich" type of career. If you like science and medicine and want to make a lot of money, go to med school! Some vets can make six figures easy, but a lot don't, so just something to consider, especially with the debt load we have.
The schooling aspect can be quite tough and grueling. I completed my prequisite classes while also obtaining a BS in Biology and minor in Art. Schools don't typically require you to have a degree, they just want you to complete the list of classes they require to get in. Now having said that, most people will earn their bachelor's because it's something you can always fall back on if you don't get into vet school. After the first 4 years and taking some classes in the summer to help get all my pre-reqs in, I actually applied to graduate school (for teaching/education) because I didn't feel I would get in. I did one year of grad school and decided that I had to at least give it one shot. So prior to vet school, I had 5yrs of schooling total. I applied to 4 schools. I had some friends that applied to 10, and some that applied to 1, its all up to you and if you have met all the requirements for that school. I was blessed and got into my first choice school on my first time applying. There are also students who will re-apply 1, 2, 3, 4 or more times, just depends on how bad you want it, life situations, etc...
After getting accepted, I worked for the remaining time in a vet clinic, as you get accepted in winter/spring and have until fall when classes start. I will say that I have enjoyed vet school 100x more then I enjoyed my undergrad classes. I will agree that science and math should be some of your stronger attributes, but by no means do you have to be a genius in those things. I am actually terrible at certain math, but you use pretty simple math repetitively, so you learn to catch on to drug dosage calculations ,etc....
I am planning on going the equine route, but wouldn't be opposed to a mixed animal job when its all said and done. When doing equine, a lot of students will complete a one year internship post graduation, which typically pays around $30,000 or less. This is a year of little sleep and a lot of learning and mentorship. Not every person going into equine does an internship, just depends on where you want to work afterwards. We have talked some about salaries of veterinarians, and I think the avg starting salary is about $70,000, but again, depends on where you are and what you're doing. Food animal veterinarians are some of the highest paid vets, while equine are some of the lowest paid vets.
The big elephant in the room is debt. A lot of students will accrue roughly $200,000 in debt now days. When pair that with an internship salary of $30,000 or even a starting salary of $50-70,000, it can be pretty intimidating. Again, most people do this knowing they aren't going to be rich. There is a lot of talk going on at the government level to try to get our debt loads decreased, but who knows what will happen with that. There are a lot of repayment options so you won't be living just to pay your loans.
I personally am very happy with the decision I made. Yes I'm sure I will work long hours, be tired, hate my job at times, but I truly feel this is where my passion is. I am also a firm believer in a good work-life balance. Veterinary medicine has a high rate of suicide for a reason. It is a very physical and emotionally challenging job. I think it's so important to remember that you must have a life and take time for yourself. There is a little more awareness of this now, and practices are trying to be more accommodating, but it will be hard, long days no matter what.
I agree with what previous people have said, ride with a vet, visit large animal clinics, small animal, food animal, etc.... See what you like, don't like, and if it's something you could see yourself doing for the rest of your life. It's an amazing career that comes with a lot of rewards. If you ever have any questions, don't ever hesitate to ask!  | |
| | |
 Too Skinny
Posts: 8009
Location: LA Lower Alabama | The reason I decided against it is because I can not walk up to that sweet little old lady and tell her I suggest her best friend needs to be put down or has passed or whatever or hand an abused animal back to its owner because the law says I have to etc etc. There are rewards but personally the hard stuff gets to me.
| |
| | |
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
| I do not mean to be the grim reaper here or bash anyone's dreams. I have several friends who are vets and suicide attempts are increasing within the profession. Here is a great article I suggest you read and it's as real as it gets.
https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/150401d.aspx | |
| | |
Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| I couldn't handle all the sadness and I DARNED sure couldn't handle all the people. Animals yes, people NO. | |
| | |
 Expert
Posts: 5293
| This is an interesting observation: I used to use a GOOD, I mean GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD equine performance/lameness vet here locally. She knew legs and lameness like no other. She was young, mid-late 20's and was up on all the latest and greatest treatments. She had one child and it began to get harder and harder to get appointments with her. No big deal, I was a regular so she saw my horses. Then one day at an appointment for hock injections she told me she was no longer going to practice equine medicine. That she was pregnant with her second child and could not afford to be an equine vet. She took a job at Banfield small animal clinic ( I guess its a chain of small animal vet hospitals) in a very well to do/rich area and said she could either stay with horses, long hours, midnight colic calls, and make 150.00 to do a set of hocks, or go to Banfield, 8-5 M-F , vet techs do most of the work, and she could get 800 bucks to spay or neuter a dog/cat and that there was a waiting list. ALl she did was surgeries on tuesdays/Thursdays, worked 2 days a week or fill in as needed and made 10x her salary than being a horse vet. I even asked if she could see my horses and she said no, that when she hung up the halter she was done. | |
| | |
 Veteran
Posts: 126
Location: Ohio | I graduated in 2008. Keep in mind there are so many opportunities and avenues available in veterinary medicine besides private practice. There are also research jobs, USDA, lab jobs, radiologists reading radiographs from home, etc. Schooling is long and hard. Typically a 4 year B.S. is obtained prior to vet school but not necessary if you are accepted and have your pre requisites. Then vet school is another 4 years. A 1-2 year internship and 3 year residency after that if you want to become boarded in a specialty. I wanted to be an equine surgeon and started out on that route, did an internship that paid $20,000 the first year, then was too burnt out to do a residency so i entered private practice doing both equine and some small animal. Along the way I ended up in a small animal emergency practice, which is something I never saw myself enjoying, but I've been doing that for 5 1/2 years now and love it. I work three 14 hour shifts a week and make over double what I did in my previous practice. I have weekends off to go to barrel races and much more time to spend on my own horses than when I was working on other people's horses. Also I am happy to see my horses when I get home where as before sometimes I didn't want to look at a horse after working on ill behaved horses all day. I make a very comfortable living, which is good because barrel racing is not a cheap hobby. However, student loans are massive. I have over $250,000 in student loans. I have no trouble paying them, but things were tighter prior to switching to my ER job. There is a higher rate of suicide in veterinary medicine. I think it is due to many of us being type A personalities, dealing with not so great jobs, high debt, and not so great clients causing a lot of stress and sadness. I have had clients scream at me and tell me it is my fault their pet is dying and call me every name in the book when they bring in an animal that has clearly been sick for weeks or longer and can not be saved even when I offer to try despite a very poor prognosis because...gasp....they will have to pay the bill. The nerve of me, for not paying the $1,500 bill out of my own pocket. Unfortunately, especially in my line of work these events are not too rare. If your not good at brushing irrationality off it can wear you down quick. I also know veterinarians that work 60+ hours a week for less than $70,000/year. You don't have to do that, but many choose to and they feel fine about it. What I love about the profession is there are just so many options. | |
| | |
 It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | I am so, so grateful for my vet. I don't know how anyone does it and I'm scared when he retires- he's old. | |
| | |
Member
Posts: 29
| 25 years practicing so i can't comment on school. Lol
I made $33,000 a year as a new grad 25 years ago. How that hasn't changed says a lot about the field. It's appauling.
Long hours, low pay, no family life. Exhausting. Frustrating. Heartbreaking. Rewarding. Warm fuzzies and horrible situations. You not only deal with clients who have their first puppy and think you walk on water (you don't), you deal with neglect and abuse and people who think you're the worst person in the world. You need a bit of a thick skin. Sometimes you have to walk away from a bad situation, and that's not what we're trained to do. That adds stress.
I raised two kids and worked full time (80+ hours a week, weeks on call without a break, plus my husband had his own business that i also worked at).
You have to like, no, LOVE, working with people. All sorts of people, not just nice ones. In a way, it helps to be a little "hard hearted" because you won't burn out so bad. After 25 years, I'm finally learning to set boundaries. I now work for someone else, thirty hours a week only, and I've learned to take time for myself. I gave advice to my kids... Leave your passion as your hobby. I haven't ridden my horse in three years...
That said, believe it or not, I would do it all over again. My undergrad degree is chemical engineering. I hated that. Stuck inside all day. Boring. I love animals, love working with people. Love teaching and helping (which is also a flaw). I love solving problems that baffle others. To have a client say thank you for saving their animal is unbelievably rewarding.
Take time for yourself, don't sweat the small stuff and learn to set boundaries. Don't be afraid to leave a bad situation. Follow your heart. | |
| | |
Expert
Posts: 5293
| shepsrus - 2017-03-28 11:49 AM
25 years practicing so i can't comment on school. Lol
I made $33,000 a year as a new grad 25 years ago. How that hasn't changed says a lot about the field. It's appauling.
Long hours, low pay, no family life. Exhausting. Frustrating. Heartbreaking. Rewarding. Warm fuzzies and horrible situations. You not only deal with clients who have their first puppy and think you walk on water (you don't), you deal with neglect and abuse and people who think you're the worst person in the world. You need a bit of a thick skin. Sometimes you have to walk away from a bad situation, and that's not what we're trained to do. That adds stress.
I raised two kids and worked full time (80+ hours a week, weeks on call without a break, plus my husband had his own business that i also worked at).
You have to like, no, LOVE, working with people. All sorts of people, not just nice ones. In a way, it helps to be a little "hard hearted" because you won't burn out so bad. After 25 years, I'm finally learning to set boundaries. I now work for someone else, thirty hours a week only, and I've learned to take time for myself. I gave advice to my kids... Leave your passion as your hobby. I haven't ridden my horse in three years...
That said, believe it or not, I would do it all over again. My undergrad degree is chemical engineering. I hated that. Stuck inside all day. Boring. I love animals, love working with people. Love teaching and helping (which is also a flaw). I love solving problems that baffle others. To have a client say thank you for saving their animal is unbelievably rewarding.
Take time for yourself, don't sweat the small stuff and learn to set boundaries. Don't be afraid to leave a bad situation. Follow your heart.
It amazes me how little vets get paid for the amount of schooling they do. I have been teaching High School ( In CA, so I know it varies by location) for close to 25 years. and my first job paid 45k a year with just a bachelors degree and a credential!! Weekends off, summers off, 3 weeks over Christmas Off, 2 weeks spring break off 15 sick days and 5 personal discretion days a year. All included. Free healthcare ( Atleast for me and spouse anyway)etc. I now make over 110k a year as a veteran teacher. Vets need to easily make 150k and up! | |
| | |
 Veteran
Posts: 224
Location: So Cal | My original plan was to go to vet school. Did all the undergrad work but got too scared to take out the big loans. If I were to do it, I think I'd have to do small animal, or work in a clinic. I spent a lot of time working for a mobile equine vet. The people are the hardest part. Refraining from strangling someone when you can't save their colicking horse because they waited 3 days to call you (then of course it's your fault). I went on calls where the owner didn't even have a halter (??), which can give you an idea how fun the horses were to handle. Hoping you have time to grab fast food and maybe pee between rushing to emergencies, not getting too emotional putting a horse down when the kid is there crying... I think it could be extremely rewarding, but also so difficult. And definitely not something to get into for the money. | |
| | |
Member
Posts: 23
| I have worked for a vet in the past and I tell you my observations. I worked for a clinic that had both large and small animal clients. I worked both in the large animal side and in the front office.
The hours are long! 7:30 am - 5:30pm + night check before bed for any boarding animals at the clinic.
Emergencies happen more then you think and you'll get drug out of bed and have to meet someone at the clinic at midnight or 2 in the morning. This is very much true for calving season and c-sections.
People do not always make appointments and just assume walk-in are fine (if you're having a slower day, yes this is fine, but when you're already swamped, this can add stress).
The people are the worst part. You'll deal with rude, stuck up, know it all people everyday.
Some clients will expect you to be at their beck and call. So, if you're out of town, or on a family vacation, when they have a question or emergency, you may rub people the wrong way.
With the vets that I have worked for, it is my observation that they didn't have much of a family life. No vacations. They were literally married to their career.
On the flip side, it is great to have someone on 24/7 emergency call when other vets do not offer this service.
In my mind, I feel like you need to shadow a vet for like a summer to fully get the feel for how your life is going to be. Yes, you can shape your career to your liking after you have worked for several years under another vet, but I would never tell someone to go and become a vet without having them realize it is a huge commitment (not just the school, but the lifestyle).
Again, these are just few of the things I noticed while working under two vets are are extremely committed to their clinic/careers/clients/patients, etc.
Best of luck!
-loveletters
| |
| | |
Expert
Posts: 1409
Location: Oklahoma | I know a vet that He is a surgeon but he worked the track for several years and made his money there. Now he is trying to slow down and have his own clinic and more family time. Tho he said he only got bout 6 days off the entire years he worked on the track. That's another option for ya. Good luck! I think that it is one of the toughest roads to go down! | |
| | |
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1074
| Go to www.iamanequineveterinarian.com I enjoy listening to their stories. | |
| | |
Veteran
Posts: 112
| barrelrider - 2017-03-29 9:27 AM
Go to www.iamanequineveterinarian.com I enjoy listening to their stories.
LOVE that website!! Great inspiration from some of the best vets in the country!!! | |
| | |
Expert
Posts: 1432
Location: Never in one place long | wow, thanks all, this really has me thinking... a lot to digest and looks like quite a tough road. Hence my post, I knew you'd give me a real perspective! | |
| | |
 I don't want to screw up!
Posts: 3881
Location: North Dakota -> Colorado | I was originally planning on being a vet. However, after some soul searching I am almost 100% positive I am not cut out for the life. I'm thinking that Academia is where I belong. Just some things to think about from my perspective are: loans (the amount of money it costs vs the amount you will likely make back a year), Time (both in schooling 4 years post undergrad plus any residencies etc; also, say goodbye to freetime and be prepared for odd hours), exhaustion/sleep (personally I don't function well in the middle of the night or at the buttcrack of dawn). I realized that practicing veterinary medicine for me wasn't likely an option (not saying that it isnt for you or a bunch of people pursuing the career), I am thinking of getting my MS and PhD and hopefully doing research/holding a professor postion, and I am hoping that might be more suited to my skills and personality traits. Good luck with whatever you decide! | |
| | |
Veteran
Posts: 224
Location: So Cal | The other thing that helped keep me away from being a vet is that MOST of the vets I know have no time for their own horses. For me, I'd rather have a regular-hours job (mine is not horse or animal-related at all) and plenty of time to enjoy my own horses. | |
| |
|
What's it really like to be a vet?