Do most vet students work part-time? What kinds of jobs are there? I'm concerned about not having any income
As someone who has spent my first year working part-time (~12-20hrs/wk, depending on exam schedule) let me say two things:
1. It’s possible
2. It’s not ideal
There are a number of jobs available through vet med; however, a good percentage of them are overnight on-call positions for some of our emergency services and for many (all?) of these you don’t get paid unless you get called in. ie: awesome opportunity for experience!!! but almost definitely won’t cover your rent.
There are some other jobs involving giving tours, research, etc which may be slightly more regular...I can’t really speak to those.
For me, I needed a job to make rent. I got a menial job which doesn’t really relate to vet med at all, but I can afford my apartment so yay. Tbh, the job really hasn’t impacted my grades. However, I live in a constant state of sleep deprivation. Also, I have missed out on a lot of seminars/events (wet labs, speakers, etc) which weren’t required for my grade, but which would have made me a better student/vet.
Soooo
I know some people need to work. That’s me, too. But if at all possible..my takeaway from this past year working part time is that, unless the work is vet-related, I wouldn’t recommend it. You’re here to become the best vet you can be, and part-time jobs (on top of vet med which is already the equivalent of a full time job lol) can really complicate that.
If nothing else, try it out but be vigilant of your needs. Don’t overload yourself!
