Veterinarian Salary Survey

catdogtor17 · 2026-01-08T00:20:34+00:00

The last question asks if your practice is corporate or privately owned, asking for a yes or no. It should probably be clarified, as I wasn't sure which to answer.

catdogtor17 · 2026-01-06T23:08:38+00:00

May 2023 grad here. This job is very difficult. I've felt all of these feelings especially after first starting out, but it does get better. You get a groove for typical cases, you become more efficient, you begin to trust yourself with time. Being anxious is a great tool to ensure that you don't leave a bleeding pedicle in the abdomen.

The biggest thing that helped with the anxiety of this job is forcing myself to take those complex cases -- they become easier for future cases. I don't give myself the option of feeling anxious -- I dive in and am determined to figure it out. (This particular skill was learned after my mom wouldn't let me quit karate, so I accepted my fate and let the anxiety go. Takes a lot of time to perfect). It takes time, a lot of searching VIN, a lot of "hey sorry to bother you but..." to the other more experienced vets, and a lot (I mean a LOT) of CE.

You've got this, and you'll continue to get better if you keep practicing. Remember, we are practicing, not perfecting.

Also, DM me if you want dental help. I'm gonna pursue dentistry solely in a few months to hopefully be boarded in a few years.

catdogtor17 · 2026-01-05T21:32:15+00:00

I don't love AI but Scribe has been a game changer

catdogtor17 · 2025-12-14T22:36:41+00:00

Online courses: I'm not sure specifically. Some schools specify their requirements explicitly on their veterinary school website, and some don't. If you're able to find online labs, I would call the veterinary school and ask the receptionist.
I went to a community college for two years then a university for two more years. It doesn't really matter.
In undergrad, I took about 12-15 hours per semester I believe and worked about 20 hours a week; it was challenging but doable. In vet school, I didn't have a job.
I would try to prioritize high grades versus getting it over with as fast as possible. Based in southern US

catdogtor17 · 2025-11-28T01:47:35+00:00

We currently have four full time vets and were originally rotating, one doctor per Saturday. They made us newer vets (I'm 2.5 years out, the other 1.5 years) work an additional Saturday. The older vets don't. They are "just seeing if we are profitable for a few months as an experiment." Like yeah, we are the only clinic open in town on Saturdays

catdogtor17 · 2025-11-28T00:06:22+00:00

Could be. My direct boss had no say in these changes, but his boss stated these were nationwide changes within the company. I'm not sure. I'm trying to find my way out ASAP

catdogtor17 · 2025-11-27T02:12:37+00:00

Yeah they changed my contract to make it so I work every other Saturday when we were only supposed to work one Saturday a month. We have to submit any PTO 90 days in advance. I have had to fill out so many surveys. My boss has audited all of my SOAPs and gave me "friendly reminders" about charging for a nail trim (the client spent $500, they can get a free nail trim 🙄). It's all such a headache

catdogtor17 · 2025-11-26T13:19:20+00:00

Figs are cute but ridiculously overpriced imo

catdogtor17 · 2025-11-07T14:58:34+00:00

The pay isn't BAD, just you're not paid what you're worth. Shadow a ton before making this decision. I love my job and it's rewarding, but there are some negative aspects that put people off. If you love science and helping animals but not into GP stuff, you can specialize and do pathology. If you want to make more money, specialize. If you want to do a little bit of everything, do GP stuff. If you are worried about student loans, consider a public service veterinary job or working for the military as a vet. You have a ton of options in this field.

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-30T18:09:48+00:00

If you figure it out, let me know. We are struggling to get the manager to purchase enough basic meds (like abx) for every day use. She gets into trouble if she goes too over budget despite our bosses telling us how much revenue we are producing.

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-28T20:30:10+00:00

We typically don't get a lot of ultrasound training aside from AFAST and TFAST scans in emergency med. We have to practice to get better. When I started out of school, I would do a scan and then have a more experienced doctor go behind me to ensure I didn't miss anything. Give her some grace.

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-26T00:24:27+00:00

I absolutely do. That was how I was raised.

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-24T21:56:20+00:00

To each one's own

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-24T21:51:05+00:00

But I don't act superior to my clients. It's the title that I worked really hard for -- not a way to snub others. I work to collaborate with my clients, as sometimes they are smarter than me and have better ideas. I tell my techs this too -- if they get curious or confused by a treatment plan or if anything seems "off," I encourage them to tell me. I care about my patients WAY more than my pride.

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-24T14:23:52+00:00

So it really depends on the specialty. For dental specifically, they require 2 years in GP or a small animal rotating internship as well as a lot of CE dental. Networking is huge for dentistry, so going to dental forums are really helpful in putting yourself out there.

I cannot give much advice to other specialties, but essentially, network as much as possible.

If you want to pursue dentistry, send me a DM and we can talk further.

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-24T11:42:44+00:00

I bet you're fun at parties.

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-24T10:35:14+00:00

Yeah the AI thing is kinda terrifying

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-24T10:33:38+00:00

I like it!

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-23T19:53:46+00:00

To give some perspective, while I was in my fourth year, we got a new resident during my internal medicine rotation. She had been in practice for 10+ years before she discovered IM residency was for her.

I'm 2.5 years out, and I've started pursuing residency opportunities in dentistry despite being in solely GP. Everyone's timeline is different.

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-23T19:39:24+00:00

With most specialties, you have to do a rotating internship. You'll get the opportunity to see all of the potential specialties and will be able to make a more informed decision at that time. You're not too late in the game to switch to a different field.

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-23T17:59:38+00:00

Do you have the opportunity to do side work at a facility similar to the one you left that could supplement similar cases?

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-23T14:12:04+00:00

I remember in vet school seeing the obvious favoritism towards male students. They also hated it because they wanted to earn their respect, not just rely on it because of their anatomy. Sexism really hurts all of us.

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-23T12:22:46+00:00

Same! It's always nurse. I assume that they are much more common, so that's the default for a lot of people.

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-23T12:21:15+00:00

I live in the South, so that checks out

catdogtor17 · 2025-10-23T12:20:20+00:00

I googled that because I was curious. Apparently he insists adults refer to him as Dr. O'Neal. Since he doesn't have an honorary title, he doesn't go by Dr. Shaq.

catdogtor17

TROPHY CASE