Vet P.O.V. Why Vets Become Vets

July 2nd, 2006  

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As a kid I loved my Dr. Dolittle book, and I read it over and over again. As an adult, I picked up the book to read it and my first thought was, "whoa, that's pretty racist!" I'm told the current versions of the book have been "edited for content" to fix those problems, but I don't remember ever noticing them as a child.

I was about 10 years old when I told my parents I wanted to be a vet. My mother gently advised against it, quoting the euthanasia issue, as she knew I was a sensitive child (I cried if something died on "Wild Kingdom"). I thought she'd made a pretty astute observation, and I believed it until I actually witnessed my first euthanasia when I was around 30 years old. In retrospect, I would have done fine as a veterinarian, and wish it was something I'd pursued. I know my mother only had my best interests at heart, but it's not as if I was expressing my desire to work as a euthanasia technician at the city pound. She hadn't grown up with animals, and we didn't have pets in our household, so she didn't really have any firsthand knowledge of the job of a vet.

Leigh-Ann August 30th, 2006 01:19:00 AM

I wanted to become a vet and would have become one, but while voulenteering my time at one of our local humane societies it became apparent that you need to be able to see and breath to be a vet... two things I could not do after a few minutes with the animals I wanted to help.
I headed off for allergy testing. Well 4+ reaction to dogs, cats, horses and sheep, and a 2+ to feathers... that lets me out. I wanted to be, but God must have other plans.

I still have 14 birds, 2 dogs (poodles), 1 degu and 2 fish... and I sneeze and wheeze my way through life. I will probably die young of an lung issue, butI don't care, I do what I can. My goal is to open a sanctuary for geriatric poodles. I already have the Weary wings hotel for homeless and unwanted birds. I put out more money on pet food and vet bills that I do on Vehicle care...But they love me back.

Wish I could be a vet, it would save me on some vet bills, so if you hear of any single vets let me know.

Patti August 30th, 2006 08:55:00 PM

Does it bother anybody that Dr. Dolittle is not a veterinarian, but a physician?

arlo muttrie October 6th, 2006 01:22:00 AM

i wanted to be a vet for years, until i discovered that i can't do advanced math to save my life. so i'm currently doing my BA, but I recently rediscovered my love of animal medicine by fostering three little kittens. I think I'll go to school to be a tech once I'm done my degree. I can't wait!

amber November 8th, 2006 06:20:00 PM

Thank you for encouraging your readers to follow their hearts. I, too, want to be a vet. I've felt called to the profession for years and have ignored it, choosing instead to pursue a boring, unfulfilling career. So now, I am doing something about it, brushing off my BA in science and figuring out how to make my mediocre undergraduate grades somehow competitive, bringing me to my question. Do you have any suggestions for how to convince the admissions board that my undergrad grades are no indication of my true dedication and capabiliites? I'm certain that I can do well in an admissions interview, am preparing for the GMAT, and am working to get as much animal experience as possible. My undergraduate GPA is the sticking point. So, any advice you (or anyone else) has, is greatly appreciated.

Posey November 17th, 2006 08:19:00 PM

I used to dream of being a vet too, when I was a kid, but it didn't take me long to realize that doing surgeries, or losing patients would just rip me up. Now I know the real reason I don't ever want to be a vet. After my nightmare experience with a local vet, I began researching issues of veterinary quality, the lack of standards pertaining to "technicians' which is a word too loosely used and to great detriment . . . I began talking to people all over the country, and heard horror story after horror story of negligence, cavalier unconcern, disdain for patients and their "owners" and even worse -- abuse -- and much of this coming from people INSIDE the industry. Worse still, I learned that suing a vet for malpractice just isn't feasible and they know it (it would cost more than you could ever recover, no lawyer will take it on retainer, and you better be rich before you even think about it.) No wonder average vet malpractice insurance is still hovering down around $200 bucks. And the "vet boards" that regulate vets? WHAT A JOKE! Animals die all the time due to vet negligence, overdoses, poor monitoring, botched surgeries, and vets all over the country get off, or get fines of oh, $250, reprimands, etc. The arrogance of members of the medical and veterinary professions alike, the defensiveness, the justification of unethical and immoral behavior such as CYA activities after a screw up including destruction, falsification, retroactive modification of records; denying conversations that took place with clients; surgeries without authorization; drug overdoses and interactions . . . mysterious deaths followed by automatic cremation without owner permission or knowledge . . . amazes me. I went to a conference with a bunch of human MDs recently, and we were actually having conversations about WHETHER OR NOT doctors should reveal medical mistakes. Whether it's OK to lie. "EXCUSE me? Are we really debating about whether or not you should tell your patient that while, performing a hip surgery, you sliced through one of her tendons? Are we really having this conversation?"

I dunno, my dad brought me up to tell the truth. My family used to hold doctors -- and vets -- as practically demigods. Now I know. It's not just that they are merely human as we all are. It's that so many of them, think they should be above the law. Think that if they are not gods, they at least are entitled to be treated as such. I guess they get used to being treated like demigods because most people are ignorant and trusting, as I used to be, and they get treated as demigods so long they begin to buy into the hype.

I would never want to be a vet because I would puke daily if I had to be a part of that culture.

stefani November 26th, 2006 03:13:00 AM

Stefani: I can only imagine what you`ve been through with your pet and I`m truly sorry for it. The reality, though, is that someone has to be a vet, right? If there were no vets where would our pets be? I promise you that we`re not all the same. I practice in an area that suffers a lot from the problems you describe--perhaps more than most areas in the country. There are vets I actively tell freinds and family to stay away from. This may sound unprofessional but I have no reason to support my colleagues just because they graduated from the same school or took the same tests. If they suck then they suck and I`m not going to support them. Having said that, I think you should reconsider vet school. The best way to fix a problem is from the inside. This really is a beautiful profession and a fabulous job. I know your passion would be well served here.

Dr. Patty Khuly November 26th, 2006 10:20:00 AM

Thank you for doing that (warning people away from your less than conscientious colleagues.) I know that you are not "all the same"; my Toonces received excellent and sensitive care from a neurologist who oversaw his care for a whole month at a high-end specialty hospital, because he had to be there for a month to save his life, and even then, he was SO brain damaged. But I DID see people in the vet community close ranks (not her, though), and I DID get the definite impression that the larger veterinary community was more interested in having his back" than in convincing him to do the right thing and take responsibility for what he had done, through negligence, to my cat, and therefore also to me.

After what I have been through though, I have come to believe that vets like our neuro are the exception, not the rule. I also believe (this may be controversial, but so be it) that female veterinarians are more likely to be conscientious and in it for the right reasons than male ones, or at least, the females seem less arrogant.

If I ever DO go into vet medicine, it will be as a tech, and I will do home visit hospice/supportive care, because the stress of those 2 years, and having no one I could trust to watch him (other than my mom), if I needed to leave the house (he required constant care) was awfully stressful, and I know many people with pets that have chronic or terminal illnesses who could use those services.

Stefani November 26th, 2006 09:19:00 PM

I've loved animals ever since I can remember, and for a long time I wanted to be a (human) doctor. But as time went on I found my real passion was for writing. I got my BA in English and, after several false starts with "great novel" ideas and years of work in unsatisfying careers, I found a way to combine my passion for writing, my love of science and interest in holistic health, and my passion for animals. Since 2003 I've been writing Paws and Effect, an advice column "by cats, for cats and their people." My goal in writing this column has been to entertain and inform, to help people understand their cats' health and behavior needs, encourage responsible pet ownership (including regular veterinary care and vaccinations), and help cats live as happy and healthy a life as possible. Paws and Effect is really the great joy of my life, and it's the next best thing to being a vet. :-)

JaneA November 27th, 2006 01:31:00 PM

I know I likely did not have the strength to be a vet as I am very sensitive. The key thing that stopped me, though, was my grades. I did ok in highschool but then due to poor self esteem and just not having the brains, I did very poorly in 1st and 2nd year science. I regret this sometimes. I really think that those that made it thru are very fortunate and should really feel accomplished. They should also honour their profession and treat animals humanely.

I know that a lot of the class work in certain vet schools involves some ethically debatable work. The one in Guelph Canada used to use a pound animal for a year/student and they would have to do all these unnecessary surgeries on them and then euthanize them at the end of the year. They changed that so now I believe 3 students do surgeries, but the animal never wakes up (no post op). This is not all rosey as they stop and then try to start the heart for cardio exercises (for each 3 students). In addition, they also buy specially bred sheep for surgeries and then put them down.

A few pushed for "alternative" studies where they use cadavers etc. (get live experience later with client animals), but only a percentage of students take this route. The faculty seems to prefer the traditional way - using live animals all the time.

So ... I think I would have loved to be a vet, but even if I had the grades, I am not sure if I could have completed some of the inhumane acts that would have been required of me. In addition, I may have fallen apart with some of the related stress that I have heard about.

Steve December 18th, 2006 02:36:00 PM

Wow. I'm so glad I'm up late tonight surfing the web! What a great site this is. Like many of you, being a vet was always my dream, one put off by my fear of euthanasia, the poor odds of being accepted into a vet school, etc. So I went the safe route.

But I made a decision to change all of that. I am 30 years old, just gave up a great career (albeit one I was never passionate about), packed up, moved across country and am taking the last few chemistry classes I need before I can apply to the vet school at the University of Illinois.

I began by visiting the admissions office at U of I and was VERY encouraged by a wonderful woman who enlightened me to all the myths of applying to vet school. Now, it's definitely not a cake walk, and the competition is fierce, but did you know the the odds of getting into U of I's vet school (if you are a IL resident) are 1 in 3??? I decided I was willing to play those odds to follow my dream. (keep in mind it's 1 in 33 if you are a out of state resident!).

Their application process goes like this: First round - anyone with a GPA higher than 3.0 moves on. (this is not exactly their criteria, as your GRE score plays into this as well, but she told me when you look at the data afterwards, you find that virtually anyone with a GPA higher than a 3.0 moves onto the next round). Second round - They look at your entrance essay and make cuts based on that. Third round - the interview.

She said that they have drastically changed their application process over the last few years as they found that while the old method (4.0 you are in, anything less you are out) resulted in a lot of very smart kids coming in, many of them had absolutely no life experience, leadership qualities or the social skills necessary to be a successful vet. (not to mention many who had never so much as observed a vet at work, or even handled an animal!) They now look more closely at these leadership and social type of qualities and favor applicants that are more well-rounded.

I am job shadowing a vet in my small town, which has exposed me to small animal and large animal care (everything from a cat who was caught in a fan belt and had to have his tail amputated, to semen testing a bunch of bulls for a local farmer!), and I am volunteering at a local animal hospital/rescue organization. My previous career gave me the leadership qualities, business sense and people skills I know they are looking for as well!

So for all of you who have the dream, the itch, or whatever you may call it...remember that while it's scary, unknown and at times daunting to follow your dreams, the only thing worse than failing is never trying and never knowing.

Wish me luck! And for Posey -- I would suggest you take a trip to a vet school and talk to the admissions office. You might be surprised! Oh, and I don't have it in front of me, but I remember reading in the U of I paperwork that there is a process to request them to disregard poor undergraduate grades that are older than (I think) ten years. Don't hold me to the exact amount of years, I don't remember, and I am not sure of all the rules regarding it, but check into that, too! Don't let something as minor as that deter you! (and good luck to you!)

Thanks for the great reading!

Laura Lee - future DVM :)

Laura April 8th, 2007 12:41:00 AM

I've just stumbled upon this website and am thoroughly pleased with it. I think that my insight might be of some use to people who are interested in becoming vets, as I had applied to and received offers from two veterinary schools...and declined them. I can hear the gasping through the internet, but let me explain. I had worked as an assistant--in our state the laws regarding scope of practice for assistants versus technicians were unclear and contested on a regular basis (or so I was told), so I was rather grandfathered in--but had the responsibilities of a tech for seven years, first in a daytime practice and then at an emergency clinic. During that time I was taking my prerequisites and preparing my applications with the intent of using my clinic experience as a boost for the apps. What happened is this: by the time everything shook down, I realized that I was absolutely fascinated by medicine, but simply emotionally incapable of practicing it on animals. Day in and day out, working with patients that could not comprehend the value of temporary pain, patients whose health and welfare would always depend on the milk of human kindness--a milk more generous in some clients than in others, and a knowledge that I would absolutely go empty-pockets broke in the face of the desire to help animals live better, longer lives. Two of my current three cats are hospital rescues...

So where did that leave me? Well, I LOVED the medicine--so I went human. I'm now a second-year osteopathic medical student and thrilled to be such. I look back on my vet years with great fondness and a sober acknowledgement that veterinarians do some of the most selfless work on earth. I'm thankful for many of the personal philosophies that arose as a result of my experiences, not to mention I'm a badass at blood draws and IV starts (and I think I'll have intubation down pat too). The take home message is this: be in the field. Nothing about owning pets, or even volunteering at shelters, can prepare you for what it's like. Do it for a couple of years (don't worry, we'll need you down the road) to make sure that you can handle all of it. I sometimes wonder if I made the right choice, and then think about all the nights I cried myself to sleep because those animals just didn't understand...and breathe a huge sigh of relief. You might be able totake it, and if you can we need you BADLY. I couldn't.

Cheers,

Amy

PS--grades, schmades. What you love will pull you through the toughest classes.

MedCat1974 June 4th, 2007 09:37:00 PM

I'm a 1st year vet student and having now been through my first year, I must disagree with the grades, schmades idea.
I've wanted to be a vet for as long as I can remember. I've worked in the industry in various roles to be sure of that choice, however now that I've been accepted and am in the program I'm struggling.
I was an A/B student throughout both high school and college, but always struggled with Chemistry and Biochemistry.
You need to know your stuff for vet school. The amount of information given to you in a one year period is mind-blowing.
Grades are very important. I have am amazing amount of passion for working in the clinic and dealing with the animals and clients alike, but the love of what I will (hopefully) end up doing for the rest of my life, is not going to help me pass physiology, and medical biochemistry classes. Studying everyday does that.

J Kuran June 5th, 2007 06:05:00 AM

Student Veterinarian Kuran:

Perhaps I was unclear in my admittedly flippant comment about grades, but it sounds like you have proven my point. What is it that keeps you studying? Your love for the profession. Therein lies the strength of being motivated: we discover the tools we need to succeed and move forward with them, rather than hover at the edge of something we think we want to do but can't see a path. Love finds the path.

Cheers,

Amy

MedCat1974 June 28th, 2007 11:40:00 PM

Having worked all my life in horse management & kitten foster care, so many people ask me why I "didn't become a vet".

I tell them it's because I can't stand the human owners.

They are the ones who have neglected their "beloved pet or horse" until it's covered in sores & emaciated & then blame the vet. They are the ones who ignored a cat's weepy eye "oh, for about a year" until it was so ulcerated that fluorostripping caused the entire eye to glow green &, when they were told that the eye was now so damaged that removal was the only option, stated firmly that they weren't going to spend the money necessary for the surgery & to "just put the damn thing down". They are the people who think a blacksmith doesn't know what he's doing & so trim their horse's feet so short themselves that the animal can't move or even stand for the pain. They are the people who complain about the cost of treating a foundered horse & how it's too much trouble to commit to a treatment plan & so leave the horse in agony, figuring he'll "get over it". They are the ones who live in a house 500 feet from a main highway & keep getting a new cat as the last one gets run over, declaring "it's not natural for cats to stay indoors, the poor things!" Yes, well, Mack trucks aren't supposed to be a part of the natural selection process. They are the people who refuse to spay their beautiful, gentle female cat, again using the "against Nature argument", so that eventually she dies in agony trying to deliver a stuck kitten at 4 years of age.

All of these are true stories that I have experienced first hand during my life. My decision to avoid the veterinary calling was never about the grades. It was about the stupid humans.

Beth July 23rd, 2007 08:12:00 AM

I must say grades are the only factor, At only Vet school in Texas, if you do not have a 4.0 you do not get in. Period. My (now) SIL graduated with a aminial science degree. He wanted to be a Vet. He would have been a very good one. His dad is a Vet. A very good one who owns his own clinc. The SIL is not good with Math, also not a great test taker. My daughter cracked the whip and he came out ok. It is a shame that grades and the fact that you can become a "real" people doctor in the same amount of time will keep so many people from becoming a Vet.

Richard August 22nd, 2007 05:28:00 PM

I have a daughter that is 13, and she has a strong desire to become a vet. My wife and I both encourage her in her choice. She has an interesting connection with animals along with a strong compassoin for them. We have told her that there will be many tough situations that she will have to endour, and some may bring her to tears. However; she is strong willed and driven when she sets her mind to do something. When the time comes for her to decide on a carreer, and if she still wants to be a vet, I know she will work hard to make her dream a reality. Do you have any suggestions for her in her persuit of her dream?

Dave Burian August 24th, 2007 08:28:00 AM

I am an international medical graduate, and I am interested in studying veterinary medicine in the United States. I have an MBBS degree, which is equivalent to an American medical degree. I have worked in hospitals (mostly surgery) and I have also taught medical students basic science subjects like human anatomy and community medicine at universities in Asia. I would like to know whether it would be possible for me to get a DVM degree in less than the stipulated four years at an American university since I would guess that many of the classes in the DVM course would overlap with the classes I took during my MBBS days. I know that international students cannot avail of most of the scholarships that are granted to Americans, but would anyone know if my experience in medicine, teaching, etc., would help me get an assistantship in a DVM program?

patt September 8th, 2007 01:35:00 PM

Sorry it takes so long to get to these comments (I don't always see when they get posted).

Patt: Your best bet is to call a vet school'd admission's department directly and inquire. I know that some med students or MDs can shave as much as two years off their vet training if they have the right course-work under their belts. Each vet school has a different take on this, though. Good luck!

Dave: Encourage your daughter to get a volunteer job at an animal hospital once she's old enough to get one (different hospitals have different policies). It's thin kind of direct experience that helps most when determining whether you'd like to make a life of this biz.

Dr. Patty Khuly September 10th, 2007 11:15:00 AM

I was so happy to see your website. I am the mother of a wonderful, intelligent woman who has wanted to be a vet since she was a child. She worked hard in undergrad at a very difficult university with a concentration on science. She graduated with a near 4.0 GPA. She completed all of her necessary job shadowing experience, but was never able to have an actual job with a vet since we live in a very rural area with limited opportunities. Now she is in her first year of vet school and is so discouraged by the extreme difficulty of the classes, and feeling as though her 250 hours of shadowing experience was not nearly sufficient enough to compare with many around her who has so much more hands on experience. She is questioning whether she has what it takes to realize her dream. I really believe she does, but I don't know how to encourage her. I am a nurse who realizes that it is much harder to become a vet than an MD! Any words of wisdom from you would help so much!

marsha September 16th, 2007 01:45:00 PM

ok ms. stafani.
what you are saying makes no sense to me.
i have alwyas wanted to be a vet i dont care the risk or what i have to go through.
i am only 14 but i dont care i have alwyas been taught to tell the trueth and vets tell the trueth. i will alwyas want to be a vet i my mind is set and people like you will not change it i have my whole life planned and i wont listen to peopel liek you bringing vets down.
bye

kayla September 18th, 2007 02:07:00 PM

Kayla: I decided I wanted to be vet when I was about seven. Once I'd decided, everyone started telling me that it was so tough, so impossible. I hated it everytime someone said it. It made me work harder. Use that ange (if you have to)r to make you accomplish what you need to. It's worth it!

Dr. Patty Khuly September 18th, 2007 08:06:00 PM

Marsha: Tell your daughter that mid-way through anatomy everyone wonders whether they were cut out for vet school. Most students don't talk about it with other students but we all talk about it after we graduate. Tell her to hang in there. The hardest part is over (getting in to school). The rest is just good old-fashioned work. She won't be sorry once she's done.

Dr. Patty Khuly September 18th, 2007 08:09:00 PM

To be a vet was my life's dream even before I was 10 years old. I grew up on a "ranch" (it only qualified as such because it was in the middle of nowhere and my dad couldn't turn away anything).

We had donkeys he got cheap at a government auction; we had some rabbits that he thought to raise for food until we kids discovered this fact; chickens for eggs; a horse that had sand in her gut (bummer). We raised one mean turkey hen every year that my brother and I had no qualms about eating at Thanksgiving. A gazillion mallard ducks that were more-than-successfully raised for food and fertilizer for the garden (from the poop in the ponds, not the meat of the ducks). We had goats the neighbors couldn't keep, and a pig someone gave us at one time. A garden snake lived under our couch to hunt mice, and a tortoise lived by the fireplace. My mom was annually dropper-feeding baby ground squirrels that I'd bring home.

We had dogs that lived under the house and cats that lived up in the roof. Only the female dogs ever got spayed. Hey, it was the 60's! I guess it wasn't worth doing the cats because of the coyotes. But I had one cat for seven years who always had her litters in the vinyl plaid suitcase under my bed.

I loved animals, but I was always fascinated by the cats. I studied everything on cats, from juvenile literature ("Thomasina" made me cry, loved "The Incredible Journey") to college-level husbandry and human anatomy books featuring cats as specimens. I wanted to know cats inside and out. My favorite book was "The Life, History, and Magic of the Cat" from the library. I don't think anyone else ever got a chance to check it out.

(OK, I didn't read everything, because I somehow missed the "Dr. Doolittle" books--could've been my parents' liberalism--and vaguely remember a dumb song from a movie where I think it was Dick Van Dyke "talked to the animals, walked with the animals.")

I must have been pretty young because one of my mother's night-school college friends was impressed that I could even spell "veterinarian."

It was the grades and education that were my downfall. Or you say I lost focus. Public school bored me. I was a troubled teenager. I dropped out of high school after 10th grade. I had already decided college was a waste of time and money better spent on mind-altering substances. Hey, it was the 70's!

When I got a couple of cats in my mid-20's, I found out I couldn't even watch when my vet took my cat's temperature. Those cats, plus a lot of vets, taught me so much empirically over the past 25 years. My curiosity and research is constant and ongoing; I can spend hours at merckvetmanual.com. After six years in cat rescue I can give routine subq vaccinations, pill a cat, and even give a cat an enema, but I still can't take their temperatures.

My vet keeps trying to hire me. She says I explain things well to people who don't understand veterinary medicine, and vice versa. I'm honored and flattered, but I'm too old to support my menagerie on a vet tech's income.

My first dog had to be euthanized in 1981 (and I was 21). Being there for him was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do, but I'm grateful that veterinarians can give that gift of the end of suffering to our beloved pets. I don't think I would have had a problem with humanely euthanising a sick and suffering animal. I always sincerely thank my vet afterwards. There is no way I would do a healthy animal with a chance at a quality life.

One aspect of animal care that interests me now--and this is addressed specifically to Stefani--is "pawspice," hospice for pets. I've had to deal with end-of-life issues with several cats over the years, and I did an informal "pawspice" job--working with a willing vet--for a panicked gal who had a cat with dry FIP. I've had a couple of cats with lymphoma that turned into pawspice situations, before there was such a thing. It's a new, fascinating, and extremely important facet of animal care that is really gaining momentum. It's not for everyone, but if you can do it, it's a great gift to give someone a few extra quality weeks they may not have had otherwise, and really helps them cope when the end does come.

Nikki November 5th, 2007 07:35:00 PM

Dear innocent Kayla,

There are good honest vets, and bad dishonest vets, and bad honest vets, and maybe even some good but dishonest vets.

No one group of people, including vets, is made up of people who are always truthful.

When you become a vet, I hope you will be a good one. It is important to be idealistic at your age, before you see the truth with your own eyes, as eye have.

Maybe you will be the one to change things. Maybe you will be part of the solution. I hope your idealism remains intact.

If you were older, I'd refer you to some stories that would give you an alternate viewpoint. But you are so young, that I would prefer you just stay as innocent and pure as you are.

Stefani

Stefani January 2nd, 2008 04:35:00 PM

Nikki, thank you for bringing up the subject of hospice for pets. I hear about this more and more, and am happy that it is a new attitude toward end of life care. I hope you and other sensitive people stay involved in it. I have, inadvertantly, through the aging/death of three pets in my family in the last 2 years (my own cat and my moms elderly dogs, one of whom is deceased after 8 mos of cancer and kidney failure, and the other who is nearing end of life). It is a time to learn boundless compassion.

stefani January 2nd, 2008 04:40:00 PM

A friend of mine graduated from a prestigious private liberal arts university with an undergraduate GPA of 2.47. She chose the wrong major initially and therefore lacked the motivation to complete the coursework. She has always been into animals, and is currently working at an animal hospital, and she feels that the veterinary field is her calling. She did well on core courses and courses relating to her major, but she did not do well in the sciences and math. Now she wants to apply to a university to obtain either a BS in Biology (more broad) or a BS in Veterinary Technology (more specific). Should she retake the basic introductory courses in science and math as well as the advanced courses at a community college to prove to the admissions office that she CAN handle the workload, and then transfer to the university of choice? Would that boost her undergraduate GPA or would that be a waste of time? What would be the best approach so she could eventually apply to vet school in the future?

Hershey January 13th, 2008 11:57:00 AM

Hershey: I've found that attending a top liberal arts college is a recommendation in itself. Savvy admissions departments know the diffeence between the work completed here and that done elsewhere. If she doesn't get into vet school on the first try, I would have her repeat any of the relevant coursework for which she received less than a B at another school to show she's got the motivation and the follow-through. Best of luck to her!

Dr. Patty Khuly January 14th, 2008 11:37:00 AM

Hey, that's what I did. I went back to school in 2003 and retook all the science preq's for vet school. Previously, I had graduated with a BA in biology in 1980 with a GPA of 2.5. So, now my new GPA is a 3.9, I have over 3,000 hours of animal experience and I am a Registered Veterinary Technician. As Oprah would say, this is my year. The year that I apply to vet school. Did I mention that I will be 54 years-old this year?

Linnea March 21st, 2008 05:47:00 PM

Linnea, MedCat974, and the host of this website: I have been searching high and low for inspiration and stories about becoming a Vet. It never occured to me while I was in grade school or hgh school. Once in community college I flipped through major like brand new underwear. Never had the motivation for anything till my boyfiend bought me my first dog. I feel in love and began liking into careers in the animal field. But the GPA requirementand the belief in myself that I could actually do it lacked. But I read these blogs and I read Linnea and I'm inspired that I can actually make this work. I have a year and a half to boost my gpa up from a 2.4 to at least a 2.75. I work in a "human" hospital and I see how doctor can be with patient and it becomes all about the insurance ad what the insurance will pay for. And I know some Vets can be that way too. But I won't, and I'm only human and if I have to put an animal down I'll probably always cry and that I believe will always show my client's owners that I'm human and as much as it hurts you it hurts me too. Thanks all for the great blogs and the realization that I'm not alone out there with the same feelings.

vanessa March 25th, 2008 09:18:00 AM

Linnea - you rock! What an inspiration!

You have done what I hope to accomplish over the next few years. Do you have any suggestions about the best ways to get substantial animal experience? (both in terms of hours & quality) I've volunteered at a no-kill shelter, but I've had difficulty finding a vet to work with.

Thanks!

Posey June 8th, 2008 04:08:00 PM

Linnea- You are such an inspiration! It is so wonderful that you are pursuing your veterinary dream in your 50's! I am almost your age and finally made the decision this year to leave a good job to become a veterinarian. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian, but life had other ideas. For many years I wondered whether school admissions obstacles might be too great to overcome, whether the older student might tend to not be admitted because of perceptions they probably wouldn't be able to devote 20+ years to the profession or because coursework was too old, so I delayed. It finally clicked in my head that each year I waffle is another year animals suffer because I did not pursue my dream to become the caring veterinary professional I know I am inside. I will have to retake a couple of my undergraduate science courses and take a few more that were not required for my BS. It will be difficult but it's doable, and the cause is right and good! This world needs more caring veterinary professionals, so if you are interested, do what's needed to attain your goal.

My question, and I see others may have been running into this too, is that it has been a bit difficult in the current economic climate to get in at a local practice to gain more animal experience. Any suggestions on how one might gain more veterinary setting experience in general, and what experience might be good if someone is interested in the public health veterinary specialty?

mb June 27th, 2008 04:14:00 PM

Everyone always asks me why I want to be a vet, and I think that at least for me, it's not even a want. It's a NEED. I need to be a vet, emotionally, physically, mentally. I could never ever be one of those people at home behind a desk doing paperwork all day long. I feel like the reason for my being on this earth is to be a vet. Since I was old enough to know what an animal is (my first word was 'doggie'), I've wanted to be a vet, and everything I've done in my life and education has been leading up to it. I think I had one phase back in college where I decided I wanted to be a singer, but after a month I came to my senses.

What's strange though, is that I am incredibly shy, and dealing with people is so hard for me, but when I'm in the exam room with a client and patient, I have no problems at all talking to people. I'm just so passionate about it, and really excited about sharing what I know with people that I forget that I'm shy. Either way, all I know is that I am meant to be a vet.

Also, I start vet school in just 1 month at the University of Edinburgh! I'm so excited! My whole life has been leading up to this! :)

Tara July 14th, 2008 12:35:00 AM

Hi! I've been searching for information on the Internet about older vet students and came upon this site. I am 47 years old and am considering applying to Ross University Vet School in 3 years or so. Linnea, you're my hero. I'm not a vet tech, but I have a 4 year degree in medical technology and have just begun volunteering for Big Cat Rescue in Tampa.

I hope I can fulfill my lifelong dream to become a vet. It's scary, and I don't know what I will do about my 2 cats. I can't possibly leave them behind, but I was on their Web site and discovered they require first semester students to live on campus yet won't allow pets!! I hope I can come up with a solution without hurting my cats...separation would be a hardship for all of us!!

Thanks for all the great posts. I will stay tuned.

Lex







Hey, that's what I did. I went back to school in 2003 and retook all the science preq's for vet school. Previously, I had graduated with a BA in biology in 1980 with a GPA of 2.5. So, now my new GPA is a 3.9, I have over 3,000 hours of animal experience and I am a Registered Veterinary Technician. As Oprah would say, this is my year. The year that I apply to vet school. Did I mention that I will be 54 years-old this year?
# Posted By Linnea | 3/21/08 5:47 PM

Alexis L. Foxx July 31st, 2008 01:52:00 AM

So great to find this website! I'm an American student just beginning my 3rd year of vet school in Glasgow Scotland. I just turned 33 and am at least a decade older than the majority of my classmates.
Tara, you'lll love Scotland, but be prepared for rain! Edinburghs vet school is nice, we play them every year for a sports day!

I chose to return to school after pursuing other interests in my life. I knew I had always wanted to be a vet. I worked at a small animal hospital for the first few years of my undergraduate and volunteered at animal shelters as well. The more hands on animal time you can get before starting vet school the better. If you're having trouble finding vets to hire you, you can always offer to volunteer a few days a week. And don't rule out large animal vets or equine vets, you'll have to learn it all in vet school anyways. I had little to no large animal experience when starting vet school, but have found I quite enjoy some of the work even though i'm 90% sure i'm going into small animal medicine.

Best of luck to everyone! and for those still in the process, keep plugging away at it, it's really hard work but the benefits in the end with be completely worth it!

Jennifer C August 2nd, 2008 08:55:00 PM

For those of you who commented about wanting to be a Vet, but not making it, I understand completely!

For me, I loved animals, but didn't think I could be a vet. (the blood thing). I am over 40 and until recently did not understand why I don't know what career I want in life. I know that I would like to have a career that supports my love of animals and places me in a community of people who support the animal world.

Recently I figured this out. I would like to put together a non-profit organization dedicated to building confidence, self-esteem and direction in children ages 8 to 17 through exposure to career opportunities and community, available in animal care fields.

I often think that as a child/student, if I knew of the many other animal related jobs available, I would have studied to find a job supporting animals. My thought is to open a Career Camp for Animal Loving Kids, where they can be around animals, meet more kids like themselves, find out about not only veterinary opportunities, but other fields that can help animals. Art, television, law, grant writing, fashion, fund-raising, animal rights, and so much more.

I would have loved a camp like this.

Debbie Stanley August 18th, 2008 05:51:00 PM

thanks
http://www.r4r8.com/vb/archive/index

topic September 16th, 2008 12:34:00 PM

When I was a kid I wanted to be a vet.
My grandparents had a pig farm, sent me out with a vet - but my parents didn't think thats a career, so I entered the field of InformationTechnology, and made a (admittenly very well off) living.
But now turning 40 I realize how "empty" my profession is and look for more meaning in my life. Luckily in the US (I am born german) I found plenty of opportunities of living a wanna-be life by doing wildlife rehab and cat rescue. but still there is something in me asking "What if..".
What if I gave up my carrer and actually do what I always wanted to do ?

Thanks, Dr Doolittler, for your encouraging words !!!

Annette October 22nd, 2008 12:06:00 AM

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