Should I be a vet?? For some people, the answer to the question is in their blood and they’ve known since they were born what they’ve wanted to do. For other people, that question isn’t as easy to answer.
Maybe you love animals, but aren’t sure about the blood and surgery. Perhaps you’re not good at science and worry about making it through vet school. Maybe the investment of veterinary school is a little daunting. Or, if you’re like me, all of these thoughts have crossed your mind!
I have spent hours talking to all kinds of vets at every stage in their career. From current veterinary school student to vets a few months away from retirement and they all have advice about how to decide on a veterinary career! This post will give you all the questions you need to think about before making your decision to be or not to be a veterinarian.
Should I Be A Vet?
Veterinary Career
Veterinarians have one of the most rewarding, challenging and fun jobs on the planet! They work with all kinds of animals and people to make sure that they are getting the care they need to be healthy! As a veterinarian you can decide to work with dogs, cats, horses, exotics, reptiles, wildlife or anything in between or any combination!
Not only can you work with all kinds of animals, you get to decide where you’d like to work (animals are all over the planet), and you can even specialize in dentistry, wildlife, orthopedics, cardiology, behavior, chiropractic and many more!
Veterinarians also work in research, pharmacology and even work for as professors, consultants, public speakers, operate podcasts and other social media sites. Some veterinarians go into private practice where they can work in administration or business, too.
Veterinary Job Description
As a veterinarian, you will do exams on animals, order diagnostics, review and prognosis based on finding, prescribe treatments, perform surgeries, and much more depending on what kind of environment you’d want to work in! Most veterinarians work full time in private practice, but as described above there are so many options to work in other settings!
Something that is often overlooked about the veterinary career is how much client interaction you’ll be responsible for. You’ll need to have good communication skills as you’ll have to spend a lot of time talking to the owner and advising them on the care of their pet. Plus, you’ll have to be able to work as a team with the other veterinarians, vet techs, assistants, any management and receptionists.
Is veterinary a good career?
It depends on who you ask! If you ask someone who hates their job if veterinary medicine is a good field, and the answer is no. Ask someone who loves their job if they have a good career and the answer is 100% yes!
The truth is, we all pick a career for different reasons and expectations. If your reasons and expectations do not line up with reality then you will not love your career regardless of whether its veterinary, accounting, or owning a restaurant.
As of 2021, veterinary medicine is in need of help ASAP. Anything from veterinarians, to vet techs, assistants and receptionists are being hired at pretty much any clinic across the planet.
In summary, there is certainly a demand for veterinarians in the work force. Here are some facts about the veterinary field:
- Salary: $53,000-$150,000;
- Median Salary: $99,250
- Degree Needed: Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine
- Bonus: Utilize this Veterinary Salary Estimator from the AVMA to help calculate your starting salary
Should I be a vet or a doctor?
First of all, a vet is a doctor. Both have earned doctorate degrees and both careers are very honorable! There’s a few main things that separate the two careers.
Here are some factors to consider:
| Doctor | Veterinarian | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | $200k-$400k | $50-130k |
| Education | Bachelors, Med School, Residency (~11 years) | Undergrad, Vet School (7-8 years) |
| Competition | 155+ Accredited MD schools in US | 54 Vet Schools in the World |
Do not get confused: In the veterinary world, you are not immune to working with people. Yes, the animals are your patient, but the person is still your client. And the client pays the bills, makes the care decisions and executes any at home care that you recommend. At least 1/2 of the veterinarian’s job is working with people. You will spend a majority of your time advising owners on care for their pet, decision making and comforting them through tough times and celebrating happy times.
Is becoming a vet harder than a doctor?
Because no one has ever become an M.D./D.O and DVM it really is impossible to say which is harder.
Here’s what you need to know to make that decision:
A doctor for humans spend 4 years of undergraduate, 4 years of graduate doctor level study then another 4 years of residency and learn about one species.
A veterinarian spends four years in undergraduate, does four years of graduate school to earn their DVM and has to know pretty much everything about cats, dogs, large animals and some exotics depending on which path they chose. Plus, according to the availability of vet schools versus med schools, there’s a much higher standard put on applicants for vet school.
Am I smart enough to be a vet?
Competition is tough in veterinary school given how many seats are available each year. Most schools will expect at least a 3.0, if not a 3.5 GPA. The higher your GPA, the more extracurriculars and experience the more likely you are to be offered a seat. Veterinary schools will require classes in biology, chemistry, physics and organic chemistry at the undergraduate level which have consistently been rated as some of the hardest undergraduate courses.
Furthermore, if you look good on paper, you’ll likely be asked to interview.
Should I be a vet or vet assistant?
Becoming a vet assistant is a great place to start to understand veterinary medicine! Check out our article about Veterinary Assistant Requirements to see if this is an opportunity for you!
Should I Become a Veterinarian Quiz
If you love something enough, you can manage the blood, surgeries, and science. Becoming a veterinarian is a lifestyle. You marry your career. You do not get to leave because your shift is over or your lunch break starts, but you get to be the person that saves an animal’s life, heals disease and connects people with their pet. This article from
Here are the questions you need to ask yourself before making the decisions.
Benefits of being a veterinarian
1. What kind of lifestyle do I want?
The schedule for veterinarians vary greatly. So you can find anything as normal as 8-5pm, but emergency veterinary care can happen at 2am on the coldest night of the year. And that is something to consider if you are thinking of going into large animal practice. Try this exercise:
- Form a budget including your student debt, a house, a car and lifestyle you’d want (including morning coffee to annual vacations). Then reverse engineer to compare what you NEED to make to support your career and lifestyle against your approximate hourly wage as a veterinarian. How different are these numbers?
- Consider how many hours you’ll WANT to work each week 5, 10, 20, and 30 years into your career. Do these answers line up with your answers from number one?
2. How much debt can I take on?
In my opinion, this is one of the biggest factors of pursuing any career. The education to become a veterinarian is a long, expensive road. The debt you occur while in school will have a significant and direct impact on your lifestyle. It will effect the car you drive, the house you can afford and the vacation you can take.
So it’s best to do this math as soon as you can, and actually visualize what it looks like day-to-day, month to month after you have earned you degree. In addition to the exercise above, budget for your in-state or out-of-state tuition. Which schools can you actually afford to go to?
The truth about being a veterinarian
3. Where in the field do I want to work?
Have you experienced the environment of a veterinary clinic? Do you have animal experience? Do you prefer research? Would you want to get involved with marketing or consulting? Get specific about the niche you would want to fill within the veterinary community and do some research on what it takes to get there by seeking out other professionals who have this job.
4. Can my mental health handle this career?
Unfortunately, the only one who is going to know the answer to this question is you. When it comes to the vet school application, no one will ask you how you’re prepared to handle depression, anxiety and other maladaptive mental processes after a rough day at the clinic. This is your responsibility to figure out.
Veterinarians are 2.5x more likely than the average population to commit suicide, and 1 in 6 veterinarians has contemplated suicide. In fact, most veterinarians don’t recommend their career to aspiring young vets.
Thoughts about suicidal thoughts? Click here.
This industry is not for the faint of heart. There will be days where surgeries don’t go well, owners scream at you or your coworkers and people blame you for what happens to their pet, even if it was clearly the owner’s fault, or no one’s fault. Euthanasias happen in tsunami sized waves. Pets you love will die and good owners will be screwed over by medical force. You’ll have access to addictive and lethal drugs and the ability to prescribe controlled substances. You’ll need to develop some thick skin to have longevity in this profession.
This article from Cosmopolitan addresses some of the harder things about being a veterinarian.
Should I be a vet or vet tech?
Related: Vet Tech vs Vet Assistant | Which Should You Pursue?
5. What does your gut say?
Your gut is almost always right. If this is your life’s purpose and the thought of helping animals every day excites you and the math checks out or doesn’t scare you, I encourage you to whole heartedly to go after a career in veterinary medicine! If your gut is sensing red flags, then you might want to listen. There are tons of jobs with animals, with similar lifestyles and with similar and or greater pay. There are many careers that offer opportunity to feel fulfilled, whatever that means for you.
After considering these questions, you should be more prepared to answer the question, “Should I be a Vet?”
Other posts you may like:
New Puppy Vet Visit | 13 Must – Ask Questions for Your Vet
Veterinary Assistant Requirements | What You Need to be Know Before Working at a Vet Clinic
