Going to vet school..?

[got spots?]

Okay, I was talking to my teacher:main_huh: about careers, why I don't really know he just will ask me this stuff. So I said I hope to be a vet or zoologist but he told me you wont often get a job and if so It won't pay much. I don't care too much about pay but, not finding a job could hurt. Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

[gitrdone0420]

You're only 14 so if you want to be a vet, start getting serious now! I am working my way into vet school and I wish I would've tried harder when I was younger because it is very difficult. There are ONLY 28 vet schools in the US, so you can imagine how difficult they are to get into. As for finding a job as a veterinarian, in my area there is definetely a demand for them, as well as in other areas. If your teacher told you that you wont be able to find a job as a vet, then your area may not have a high demand for one, which is fine because you can always move! Which you will have to do anyways when you get accepted to a school, lol. So aim for it! You will find a job, dont worry! Just do yourself a favor and start working hard NOW! =]

 

[Bellalee]

It depends on what type of vet you are looking to be. There is not a high demand for exotics, but there is for food animal vets, and large animals (thank god thats what I want to do) Honestly getting into vet school is hard, emotionally and physically. If it's what you want you need to go for it, but know that your going to work your butt off.

And yes the pay stinks but if your in it for the money your not going to make it.

 

[BGalloway]

If you want to be a vet or zoologist then go for it! I know it sounds cliche but do good in school, volunteer in your field of interest (the AZA website has job and internship opportunities listed), and things will work out somehow. If you really want to be a vet, have a backup plan in case you don't get in and need to reapply, intern for a summer, do a project with a conservation society, etc.

My experience in finding a job is that if you do good in classes your professors will be willing to recommend you to potential employers. I know of several people who got summer jobs on alpaca farms because they did good in class, and one girl who is now a farm manager because she was in the cow club and that's where she met her current employer, ditto for some folks from goat group. Be polite to everyone, you never know who might be a future colleague or writing you a letter of recommendation.

Don't let the opinions of one teacher get you down, there's jobs out there if you're willing to look.

 

[LizMarie]

As long as people have animals there is going to be a need for vets! the area or type might limit your options but I bet you can always find a something or move to some place that where the demand is high.

While I never went to vet school nor do I aspire to be a vet I would say start getting serious NOW! Get into good study habits, explore the sciences and make sure it's something you REALLLY want to pursue. Becoming a vet isn't something that is done over night; it's a long tedious process with a lot of rejection and tends to be really expensive but if you want to do it go for it! Just know that the road to vet school begins now! Start volunteering at your local shelter, start looking at colleges, study Bio for fun, lol. Anything that can give you a leg up!

 

[Bellalee]

I also wanted to add... that you really should work somewhere.. a vet clinic because there are things that people cannot deal with. Ie, euthanasia, surgeries, the smells, ect. You never really get a taste unless you dive head first. And hun.. if you can't do it, don't worry, not many of us can. I've been working at a vet clinic for almost 2 years now, and I can deal with everything, but it's taking me a lot.

 

[ILoveGeckos14]

+1 for getting study skills in order. I have been told by my advisors its more competitive to become a vet than a doctor. Look into classes your high school might have for doctor/vet track like AP anatomy this helped prepare me for classes in college like comparative vert. Anatomy because I already had dissected/studied the animals. Get good at orgo chem so you can be good at biochem those are some of the tougher ones that most people fail or do poorly in. Alright I think that's my 2cents, great advice everyone!

 

[BGalloway]

I have to agree with Jeanene, take as many AP classes as you can handle, vet schools look for students who push themselves and strive for excellence (also most vet schools let you opt out of college physics if you aced the AP physics test ).

Also be unique, if you can get experience with something nobody else has you've got quite the advantage on everyone else, work with local falconers, look into all aspects of bio (nutrition, parasitology, virology) because if you can already use a micropipet, endoscope, ultrasound, dissect, etc, its a huge bonus. Its also really fun to try out new things.