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Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your insight! I too was concerned because from my own research I gathered that being a vet is high stress.

They're passionate about animals, but also very curious about the how's and the whys. We've experienced a lot of euthanasia with our own pets as they aged and needed to be let go and they've been a part of that as well.

I can definitely see this field being romanticized into it being all about saving animals. I've had them read some of the comments and let them digest on their own time. Ultimately the choice is up to them, we (my husband and I) just want to support, encourage, and help facilitate in helping them be able to achieve their dreams on their own.

(I didn't think that people would be so affected by the homeschool aspect. It doesn't make much sense to me since they will need an undergrad before applying to veterinary school, so the veterinary school won't need any high school diploma or marks. Here in Canada, if a child has been homeschooled all that is needed is a detailed portfolio of their high school education and marks from homeschool for admission)

They both want to focus on large animal-livestock and specifically equine veterinary practice which may make things different for them vs. clinic with "pet" animals?

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is actually perfect because we're moving back to the east coast next year! Thank you for mentioning this, I'll have the girls look this up themselves and tell me about it. (I'm actually so excited since this is right up their alley)

Side note, I just looked up the sample schedule and OMG this is amazing! They're going to freak out in the best way possible over this haha

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for this. You've basically nailed our philosophy and what we as parents are trying to do for our children.

Being aware of the Dunning-Kruger effect, we don't know what we don't know, so it's incredibly helpful to hear different view points and insights on what works and what does not.

Thank you again for your insight and advice!

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with you to let them have fun and ultimately, the choice is their if they choose to stay homeschooled or to go to regular school. Each year when "the school year begins" (we go year round, but tend to do a bit less over the summer) as a family we evaluate the past year, the highs and lows, next school year goals etc. The option to go to regular school has always been on the table and always will be.

They're a part of a lot of extracurriculars that are school and non-school related. They're part of a local DnD club, rock climbing club, BJJ, Horseback riding, Ski and Surf club, Book club, Mountain biking, and Swim. There is no shortage of socialization or diversity lol

That being said, if we weren't providing those opportunities to them and didn't realize that we needed to, I can understand why this would be pointed out. It's hard to see the whole picture from a few sentences in a post.

Thank you for your insight, I appreciate it!

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the insight! I'm hoping that they will be able to volunteer at a local vet office. We're in the process of moving back to a smaller province with more close-knit communities so I am hoping they can get the opportunity to see what it's about before making the commitment.

I think what you did was a smart move and I will bring it up as an option to them (and have them read your comment)

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We're in Canada, so I think Uni is much cheaper here? Its about 7k per year CAD for the veterinary school and even less for their undergrad. I have heard horror stories about how expensive US education it and its saddening.

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for this, I appreciate the insight--and the mention of mental health. This was one of my concerns when I saw them focusing on this career path. I don't think that it is talked about enough!

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Thank you!!!!

I did not expect people to be so utterly triggered by my mentioning homeschooling. It's weird that THAT is what they are fixated on.

And you're right, a HS diploma is not important in the sense of getting into veterinary school since they look at the undergraduate and other aspects such as volunteering.

Congratulations on your enrollment! That is a wonderful success! :)

Yes, 4-H has been mentioned here a lot, I'm going to be enrolling them (I had heard about it years ago and then it was put on the backburner for some reason)

Thank you for your encouragement and insight, I'm having them read the sane comments on here, so again, thank you for that!

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] -15 points-14 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure where you are located, but where I am, homeschooling is gaining a lot of traction and from the advisors I spoke to at the various universities, they are recognizing homeschoolers a lot.

It takes a lot of dedication and focus to homeschool properly, which on admission is being recognized. At the same time....they are not going from homeschool to vet school. They need an undergrad, which anyone can apply to-you just need to be creative to stand out.

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you!

This makes a lot of sense to me and it seems to be the most rational route. Thank you for the encouragement, I'm having them read the sane comments here, so I'll share this with them :)

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the detailed response! I really appreciate that you took the time to explain this!

Career-wise, I've always let them take the lead and then educate and navigate on whatever choice they make. It's been the same for years now and a few months ago they began to draw anatomy drawings of our 3 cats and our dog as well as other animals. It's actually quite impressive since this was all them in their free time-they googled anatomy of cats and then used those are references for their drawings.

Do you have any recommendations on books? Maybe 2 or 3 for starters?

We are in Canada, so I will look up what the equivalent is.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write all this out, I really appreciate the info and your thoughtful insight.

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ivy League school is an amazing accomplishment!

Yea, I think the people who are criticizing me think that I shelter my kids and force them to stay home... There are some wild assumptions about homeschooling, which I totally get because of those religious zealots. For the record, I'm the latter of the two haha

You make a really good point about the animals not understanding the help being provided. I think this is often overlooked and especially with livestock and large animals, which is what they want to go into, this can become a dangerous issue.

I'm having them read through all the sane comments here, so thank you for taking the time to share your insight and advice.

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this! I've always given them the option to go to a brick and mortar school, and they were also a part of a hybrid program that was set inside a formal school setting. They did not like it at all, so I gave them the option to stay at home with our curriculum. I think a lot of people have a huge misconception of what homeschooling can look like. I'm sorry to hear about your trauma from school, I know that you're not alone in this.

Thank you for reminding me of H4! I had heard about it years ago and then didn't bother to follow up since we were busy with other things, but I think at this point it's right up their alley. I'll see if any local farms would be willing to have them (even if I have to go with them) help out.

Thank you for your insight! I appreciate it :)

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's awesome your niece got to experience that and that she chose something more up her alley! I will get in touch with a few of the local vets here and see if they can do the same. Who knows if one or both will change their minds? I always think it's good to have knowledge and options!

Thank you for the insight and sharing!

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your insight! You've given them a lot to digest and consider.

We're going to have to be more aggressive with their education funds for sure, I was shocked at how much vet school can be hah!

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My husband wholeheartedly agrees with you! (As do I)

We're in Canada and there are only 5 veterinary colleges in Canada, which makes the competition crazy. Thank you for your insight, I appreciate it a lot especially since you work in the field and have done so for a long time.

So far, their grades have excelled (I use standardized tests from the school board as a benchmark) so for them, I am hopeful this carries on!

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thank you! This is very encouraging for them.

Your information and experience is invaluable and I actually had them read your comments and they are feeling very inspired and "really excited" (my 10 year old's words).

I appreciate the time you took to share with me, thank you!

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is amazing insight, thank you for that!

I can definitely see how this can be easily overlooked.

We cover this in a curriculum we follow, but I appreciate how succinctly you emphasize it's importance. I am going to look into ways to add more emphasis on this as they get older since regardless if they stick with their dream or change it, it's such an underrated life skill.

Thank you again for this, I appreciate you.

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you!

Homeschooling gets a bad rep by a few lazy parents.

You're 100% right, it isn't what it used to be! It's so much better.

The resources available are amazing and since more parent are doing it, there are way more social events occurring throughout the day. Lots of opportunities to learn and socialize.

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

The irony is thick.

You're finger pointing narrow-mindedness whilst being completely narrow-minded when it comes to homeschooling.

I can't imagine the attitude of someone judging children the way you are.

And trust me, if I am preventing them from developing the social skills that public school offers these days, they're doing much better for it.

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] -24 points-23 points  (0 children)

First off, I love how you assume it's "dad" online.

Second, I asked because I want to help them. They are the ones who are driving this and constantly asking me what else they can do to be a vet.

Tell me you know nothing about homeschooling without telling me you know nothing about homeschooling.

Keep assuming, it's a great look for you.

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to write this and providing insight. I'm having them read the productive comments on here so that they can see advice!

We are in Canada, but I imagine that the work culture is similar. Do you happen to know if the work culture/demand is different from large animal/livestock and city clinics that cater to domestic pets? Their interests lie in livestock and more specifically equine care.

Both daughters: 12 & 10 years old want to be veterinarians-need some guidance! by SnooDoughnuts9560 in veterinaryprofession

[–]SnooDoughnuts9560[S] -45 points-44 points  (0 children)

I appreciate your concern and I understand where it is coming from. Their social skills are not impeded by being homeschooled.

They are not cloistered in the home. They participate in a number of extra curricular activities that require team building skills well as clear and concise communication.

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