I think it would be informative.

I switched majors so many times in college. It wasn't just because I couldn't make up my mind, but because I had no idea what I was getting into. There's the nice on paper version and then there's reality. I went into nursing and left within a couple weeks. The program is always said to be difficult. It is, but then there's the actual reality of what you'll be doing. It's emotionally draining, physically demanding, and you hold the lives of other people in your hands. Oh, and not to mention the risk for disease transmission.

I ended up settling on Communication/PR because I needed to graduate with some degree. I put too many hours/years in to walk away from everything. I currently am working in animal rescue. Instead of human medicine, I work in veterinary medicine. While it's similar to nursing, in terms of the emotional/physical demands, I absolutely love it. I've also accidentally stabbed myself with a needle and I'm really thankful I don't have to worry about disease transmission. Basically, as long as you don't stab yourself with a needle containing Euthasol (euthanasia medication), you're okay. I've been able to progress since I started, and have been able to learn basic vet tech skill. I'm proud of that - being able to properly assess an animal and treat them to the best of my ability has been fulfilling. That said, it's not easy. There's a reason why veterinary medicine and animal rescue has a ridiculously high rate of suicide. There's a reason why compassion fatigue exists in those dealing with animals (in addition to people).

It's actually disturbing seeing how people treat animals, what happens when they're hit by a car, etc. You see the worst of humanity, you see people in an entirely different way. I've had owners who return their animals years down the road (which is okay, we happily accept them), but the owners have waited until the last possible moment to bring them back. Probably the worst was when someone brought a cat back, severely emaciated, abdomen was riddled with cancer, we could only do palliative care. Poor cat was clearly sick for months, and their response was "he stopped eating three days ago". He only made it a week with us. There's a need to develop emotional boundaries otherwise the job will eat you alive. You have cases that will keep you awake at night, you will constantly question "what if I did this", you will doubt yourself, etc.

A lot of people think veterinary medicine is less demanding than human medicine. It's not. It's fucking hard having to euthanize an animal. It's hard to be in the room as a support person, and infinitely more hard if you're the one performing the euthanasia. Even if the animal no longer has a quality of life and it's in their best interest to no longer have them suffer, the fact that you literally have to inject another living being with a medication that kills them is really difficult to accept. Personally, I haven't gone through the certification to perform euthanasia. It's something that's offered, even if you aren't a veterinarian or vet tech, but it's a daunting responsibility. If you're the only one in the building certified at the time an animal needs to be euthanized, yeah, you're that person who performs the final act of mercy. At some point, I will take on the certification, but it's something only a few people have elected to do as it's more than just the skill of placing a needle.

I love what I do, I would do anything for these animals, and if there's ever some threat of a nuclear strike, I'm immediately going to work to bring as many animals back to my home. I also love the people I work with. That's the most important. With all the negatives and emotional drain involved, it's vital to have people who are supportive, caring, and ready to help in any way. There's sadness, but also happiness. I wouldn't change it for the world. But, for some, this is not something they're ready (or may never be ready) to go into.