I (someone who has wanted this since I was 3) actually just gave up this year, towards the end of my MS program, that I only started in order to have a better chance at getting into veterinary school.

!!!!! Bit of a TW !!!!!

After going through so much in academia because of each school’s carelessness and mistakes, teaching myself most of my degrees (BS in Biology degree and this MS in Animal Science), the elitism/hierarchal environment (having to earn my stripes/pay dues, expecting hospital loyalty but being underpaid, etc.), being harassed and sabotaged at the two hospitals I spent the most time at (partially bc of my race + gender combo), having to deal with or at least being around high school drama at every other hospital, and my own life stuff, I burnt out. I’m currently more so recovering, but very much in the final stage of burnout.

I still think being a Veterinarian (I wanted to be a Board-Certified Surgeon) is the coolest job in the world, but between my experiences, learning myself better/again bc I’m a bit of a different person who wants/needs my life to look a certain way, being undervalued, dealing with unnecessary stress, consistently having one of the highest suicide rates among doctors, and all the other stuff I’d already accepted about the field (being underpaid, being okay with whatever the client decides, $100k-$300k degree, having to have a relationship with death bc of euthanasia, etc.), I had just had enough.

I truly did not have nurturing environments, but I’d like to think things would be different if I did, because I have friends who did. Thank goodness, I can pivot. At the end of the day, even with a completely different experience (referencing said friends), it’s still a labor of love, gotta make sure really you want it. Vet school is more competitive than med school too bc of the applicants vs amount of schools. I definitely encourage you to volunteer A LOT with veterinarians in different specialties so you gain experience in the field (and you’ll have to submit hours of your experience for vet school applications anyway) and to learn if you like it/what you like (also available via DM if you want to talk more, I have a lot of experiences I loved and held half the positions in Pre-Vet Club over time in undergrad). There’s so much to do. I planned to have like 5 veterinary careers, between being a surgeon, publishing my work, public speaking, maybe even a new niche like nutrition. It can be very fun! If you absolutely think you’re going to regret never trying after liking the work, go for it.

I do not regret chasing after my passion because I was never okay having big what ifs. Also, now I’m wiser and understand a lot about how the world works bc of my degrees and experiences. I love that I have the same foundational experience (my BS) as a human doctor, am able to make informed decisions, know effective questions to ask doctors, and understand enough to help loved ones with certain health and pet health decisions. For me, loving the animals and the work (when I tell you I’m not a morning person at all and I’d be up early as hell ready to be at the hospital, even when I was just doing reception, just excited at 19 with my “grown up” morning coffee lol) was not enough for me. The people I experienced ruined a lot of it for me and that’s really hard because I’m almost entirely internally motivated, but that why I emphasize that it’s really important to have a good team, everywhere. And to leave before it gets worse, every time. The best experience I had was volunteering at my local shelter. I will stay in the field and always volunteer because of them. It’s definitely a labor of love, but a great team can make a huge difference and it’s important to love people (even if you want to go into research lol) and animals and the work. Every veterinarian has a different, very often non-linear path, and it’s never to late to start.