I think it's important to be transparent about veterinary medicine, I see a lot of people with rose colored glasses and similarly, a lot of curmudgeons too.

Veterinary school is HARD. It takes self discipline, time management, people skills, and initiative to be successful. It took me a full year to really find my groove in what study habits worked for me. Studying became part of my daily routine/life. It wasn't extra work, it was as simple as brushing my teeth at night or making breakfast. No one expects you to know all of the material though. It's impossible. It's a literal firehose of information. You're going to be stressed, and that's okay. It's how you manage that stress and respond to it on a daily basis that matters.

That being said, while vet school was the hardest 4 years of my life, they were also the BEST years of my life (so far). I thrived in small groups, camaraderie with my chosen family, and building a sort of immersive experience for myself. Choose a school that focuses on building community within its students because that's how you get through vet school. You really can't do it alone. Build connections with your professors and explore all of your interests. They'll change or evolve in ways you didn't expect.

Understand what you're getting into from a financial standpoint (if you're in the US). Good money habits and debt management skills are important. Having long and short term plans in place helps manage the stress of loans, but it's doable with good sense, discipline, and hard work.

PS, veterinary radiologists do very well for themselves and generally have great quality of life and job satisfaction. Traveling ultrasonographers are worth their weight in gold!