why vet

[killbill2]

Hi,

I would like to get some insights into the motivations for becoming a veterinarian. As I understand it, getting into a vet school is very competitive (comparable to medical school and much more competitive than dental, optometry, podiatry schools). And yet all these professions offer far greater financial rewards than the field of vet medicine.

I realize money should not be the over-riding concern when choosing a career, however, I would like to know why you all have chosen a very difficult field of medicine while knowing that you could have gone into a comparatively easier field that has more financial rewards?

Thanks.

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[WhtsThFrequency]

Well, my answer may be a bit different than most, but I'll give it a shot.

I got into veterinary medicine because I believe animal medicine is the basis of human medicine. I plan to go into the research field, working on the biochemistry of nutrition and its relation to chronic disease (and disease resistance in general). So animals will form a large component of my research base, as well as being the primary targets for my findings. That being so, veterinary medicine was the best choice for a well-rounded, versatile education that involved a lot of animal medicine and science. I don't want to be one of those animal researchers who knows jack about the very animals they are working with. Humans will also be both primary and secondary targets for my research, through nutritional therapy, food safety, zoonoses, etc.

I can't really speak to the low compensation, because of the area I am concentrating in (clinical pathology and research pay quite well) but even if it didn't....there are some things you just are born to do, and money ceases to be an issue. I would be miserable if I went into an "easier field" even if I made more money. Because your job is your life, and if you aren't doing what you want to do, you'll be miserable, regardless of financial situation. Heck, I could go to law school and make a lot of money as a lawyer. But I'd have a pretty crappy life psychologically, because that's not what I want to do.

Plus (yes I will say it) - I love animals! Why does a mechanics do the work he/she does? They love cars. Why does a cook do the work he or she does? They love food. I know the "I love animals" is supposed to be the kiss of death answer to the "Why do you want to be a vet" question...but I still remember what my Path prof said first semester: "Of course you all love animals! You wouldn't be here if you didn't love animals! There is nothing, nothing wrong with saying that."

 

[dyachei]

If you do a search, there's a previous thread about this in either this forum or the pre-vet forum (at least I think there is).

For me, human medicine is just not appealing. I can definitely distance myself better from animals than humans and I think thats why I can deal extremely well with animal blood and the like but not that well with humans. Besides, I love the fact that I get to work with animals. They can't tell me whats wrong, and I love a challenge. There's also the fact that vets are in school for less time (depending on their field). It was no contest for me, its not about how much money I end up making, its about this being the concentration where my passion lies.

 

[StealthDog]

its not about how much money I end up making, its about this being the concentration where my passion lies.

This is a great answer, and is probably what most people in vet med feel. All the allo students could have made way more money going to business school and becoming CEOs, so why on earth did they chose the grueling path that is med school? Because they don't want to be CEOs.

Personally, I love the fact that your DVM gives you so many options. I can be a general practitioner and perform surgery, be a pharmacist, handle behavioral problems, derm issues, oncology, nutrition, you name it. I can specialize with an internship or residency. I can be a consult for a corporation, join the army, work in a zoo, work with cattle, do research, do field work helping to radio-collar bears... AND, if I decide to change my mind ten years into my career to go from equine medicine to small animal medicine, I can.

The flexibility of a DVM is amazing, and not something that the MD/dentistry counterparts have to the same extent that we do.

 

[thereservoirdog]

For me, what initially drew me to become a vet was the simple fact that I wanted to work hands on with animals. Then I did my first clinic shadowing and I became hooked, because there's so much more to it than just helping animals. I saw that you spend much more time actually interacting with people than the patients, which I like because it's like having the best of both worlds. You get the satisfaction of helping both people and animals, whereas an M.D. just gets to work with people, sick people at that. That's just not worth the money to me. Plus at the clinic I shadowed at the environment was so relaxed, people would always talk and joke with the vet, bring their kids, etc. Probably not something that an M.D. gets to enjoy that often. I just think those aspects are really cool. And like StealthDog mentioned, there are tons of areas of veterinary medicine that you can go into

 

[chris03333]

Short answer...

Medicine and surgery= animals= working with people as clients=

medicine and surgery + human patients =


Conclusion... become a veterinarian

 

[Electrophile]

As snarky as I can be on occasion, I do actually enjoy working with people almost as much as I enjoy working with animals. I was pre-med for a looooong time, but I always secretly wanted to be a vet. I, being the good child, wanted to please my parents and didn't want to hear the "why do you want to be a vet? Be a doctor and get paid twice as much or more!" After my grades in organic chem were pretty bad (a C and C-), that pretty much put me off of being pre-med. So I switched to pre-law wanting to be an environmental lawyer because my work in my later undergrad and grad school work on endocrine disruptors. I got to a point of saying, I don't want to be dealing with that sort of BS from scumbag industry hack lawyers for years and years on end. I'd be good at it as I'm a good persuasive writer (not a super stellar public speaker, but being a good writer is actually more important), but I didn't want to be constantly beating my head against the wall. So as I was telling my father this, he was like "why don't you be a vet? I think you'd be happier!" I was so floored, but I went with it, got the experience, applied, and got in. Here I am, looking for the light at the end of the very long tunnel!

 

[JIKJen124]

Short answer...

Medicine and surgery= animals= working with people as clients=

medicine and surgery + human patients =


Conclusion... become a veterinarian

I couldn't have put it any better myself!

 

[piratevet]

I don't know about others but I knew since I was a kid, that I will become a veterinarian, animal scientist or anything similar. Simply, it is only thing I wanted to do all of my life. I suggest to you that if you just don't ,,feel it,, don't do it! You may become disappointed. Love to animal IS essential but...! And not just to puppies and kittens ! If you decide to become veterinarian you will remember this when you perform your first rectal exam!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

If you decide to become veterinarian you will remember this when you perform your first rectal exam!

Yes. Ohhhhh rectals. I still remember that wonderful day when I actually (finally!) felt a cow's ovary...with a corpus luteum on it! I was so thrilled I called my parents right after lab...they were a bit confused as to why I was so proud "Mom, I had my entire arm up a cow's rear and grabbed her whole uterus and pulled it up and then grabbed an ovary! It was awesome!" "Hmm...that's, er, great dear....

 

[StealthDog]

I still remember that wonderful day when I actually (finally!) felt a cow's ovary...with a corpus luteum on it!

I've still only managed to feel squish....

 

[bass4booty]

money is overrated. do what you love and you will always be happy....

if you really love science and love learning, veterinary medicine is amazing. you aren't pidgeonholed into doing one thing all day long unless you choose to. you can literally do it all if you want to learn it, practice it, and keep up on it. i'm talking ortho, soft tissue surgery, ophtho, derm, dentistry, medical management, emergency care, clin path, anatomic path, chemotherapy, etc. and you get everything but people walking through that door. and if you own a practice or work for someone who's not all wrapped up in the money mongering, you can do it at a nice pace in a nice place with other kind souls. so what if you don't chase that $. that road only leads to burnout.

 

[thereservoirdog]

money is overrated. do what you love and you will always be happy....

Exactly! That made me remember a quote I heard somewhere, it might have been on this forum, but it was: "Find a job you love, and add five days to your weekend" .

 

[shocker682]

I'll echo all the opinions previously stated -- It's what we love to do! You need to get out there and see the field. Then, and only then, will you know if it is something that truly excites you. And I mean EXCITES! I have never had a job where I could get up at 5am and actually still WANT to go to work.

Aside from that, I defy you to find a professional degree with as much range. When I say range, I'm referring to the immense breadth of career options available after practice --- clinical practice, epidemiology, research (human and animal), pathology, public health, government, drug industry, lab animal medicine wildlife and ecosystem health--- vets are everywhere! You get a vet degree and your opportunities are endless. I know vets that have completely shifted careers twice. I think our education places us in a unique role, not only as animal experts, but as highly intelligent, analytical, adaptable thinkers. Beat that dentistry!

 

[piratevet]

I have never had a job where I could get up at 5am and actually still WANT to go to work.