How do people afford this?

[pitbullmomma]

@pitbullmomma I wonder of large animal vets have a better time of it than those in a companion animal practice? Anthropomorphs often have no logic.

Brilliant point, aart, and one that I have pondered myself many times. I have even thought of switching gears completely and going into large animal medicine (even though that was totally not my passion, at all) for that very reason. (Just so I can still say I am a practicing vet, and really, who cares, aside from me? True answer: nobody.)

I am a complete anthropomorph, and so are probably 98% of people who get into the profession. But the mindset of people who get into the large animal side of veterinary medicine is COMPLETELY different. Less emotionally involved, and from what I have seen, more healthy and balanced. The production-animal mentality (vets and owners alike) is waaaaay different than the small animal mindset.

Here is a disgusting little story illustrating this very point. Not for the squeamish, so be warned...

When I was in vet school, I was required to do equine and food animal rotations, even though I was a small-animal-only person. When I was doing my food animal visit one day to the dairy barn, my instructor had us palpating cows. This involves sticking your hand and arm up a cow's butt. We went from cow to cow. When I asked my teacher where was the lube and the gloves to change into between each cow, he laughed at me, reached down into a pile of still-warm cow poop, rubbed it all over his arm glove, and used the poo as lube for the next cow. I was SO grossed out I almost puked.

His mentality about vetting, and emotional connection? Much different than this girl, who talks for her dogs in different voices, and whose chickens are more spoiled than most people's babies, probably.

 

[PirateGirl]

I am thinking of changing career paths. Many of you have voiced that what you want to do in life can change over time, and I'd agree with that.

My generation got fed a line that following your dreams means to do meaningful work and have a job you are passionate about. Previous gerations (and some people I've met lately) look at careers differently. The point of a career may not actually be any sort of emotional fulfillment, it may just be a job, a way to earn income, a way to put a roof over your head and gas in the car and pay medical bills and buy food (or pay for the means to grow food). If you can accept this way of thinking, you can be content in any job with a steady income. Your job doesn't have to have some deep romanticized meaning, most jobs out there don't, very few people are saving lives, but many jobs still need to be done. I'm still on the fence personally how I view work, but if I can accept that my job is only about a pay check I think I could be happier with any job and move my way up. A job can be a means to an end, sell myself out for a few years and save enough money to buy ranch land. i may complain about my job sometimes, but I used to hate my living situation as well and my job provided me a way to buy my house and ditch some roommates and improve my life significantly in other ways. It also gets me health insurance and pays for vacations and allowed me to save enough cash to build my coop, buy and feed my chickens. Every job has its perks if you look at things right

Also it was mentioned that dealing with people is the hardest part of just about any job. I'd agree with this. I'm thinking of taking a small pay cut and starting to work in the greenhouses down the street. No people, no politcs, no commute, and plants don't talk back no stress, no responsibility (well compared to current job).

 

[aart]

palpating cows

I witnessed this as a child at my aunts angus farm....was good dose of reality while accompanied by a strong female role model.

 

[Molpet]

@Molpet the info in that link is fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing. I found the taste test very interesting. I might mix up the flock some more and try a couple listed to see if we like the taste.

so far I have tried barred rocks , , cx and a mix of cx and br or mix roo over black Jersey giants.. the BR and cx mixes fit in the pan better, but the BJG tastes sort of like turkey to me.. but they take longer to put on weight and are in that hormaonal stage driving every one nuts.. I now have a bachlor pad that is 50' x50' and a 8x8 hoop coop, but they tend to harass the younger boys.... a work in progrees

 

[igorsMistress]

so far I have tried barred rocks , , cx and a mix of cx and br or mix roo over black Jersey giants.. the BR and cx mixes fit in the pan better, but the BJG tastes sort of like turkey to me.. but they take longer to put on weight and are in that hormaonal stage driving every one nuts.. I now have a bachlor pad that is 50' x50' and a 8x8 hoop coop, but they tend to harass the younger boys.... a work in progrees

Chickens that taste like turkey

I really want naked necks because I've read they're good for dual purpose and do fine in our hot summers. I was thinking a Dominique too just to see why it was favored in the taste test.

This year the kids got chicks though, Australorps, so my wants are on hold for now.

 

[lazy gardener]

Interesting discussion re: professions. I love my job. Love the human interaction of it. Love being able to make a difference in a life. But over the years, the health insurance industry has sucked a lot of good out of the job and taken control to the point that the practitioner's hands are often tied. This is the same throughout most of the medical field.

 

[igorsMistress]

I am thinking of changing career paths. Many of you have voiced that what you want to do in life can change over time, and I'd agree with that.

My generation got fed a line that following your dreams means to do meaningful work and have a job you are passionate about. Previous gerations (and some people I've met lately) look at careers differently. The point of a career may not actually be any sort of emotional fulfillment, it may just be a job, a way to earn income, a way to put a roof over your head and gas in the car and pay medical bills and buy food (or pay for the means to grow food). If you can accept this way of thinking, you can be content in any job with a steady income. Your job doesn't have to have some deep romanticized meaning, most jobs out there don't, very few people are saving lives, but many jobs still need to be done. I'm still on the fence personally how I view work, but if I can accept that my job is only about a pay check I think I could be happier with any job and move my way up. A job can be a means to an end, sell myself out for a few years and save enough money to buy ranch land. i may complain about my job sometimes, but I used to hate my living situation as well and my job provided me a way to buy my house and ditch some roommates and improve my life significantly in other ways. It also gets me health insurance and pays for vacations and allowed me to save enough cash to build my coop, buy and feed my chickens. Every job has its perks if you look at things right

Also it was mentioned that dealing with people is the hardest part of just about any job. I'd agree with this. I'm thinking of taking a small pay cut and starting to work in the greenhouses down the street. No people, no politcs, no commute, and plants don't talk back no stress, no responsibility (well compared to current job).

 

[Cajun_MikeR]

Regarding professions/jobs...

I work so I can enjoy my time off. Work does not define me, nor does it need to fulfill me, it's work.

I was pre-vet in large animal (we never used poo for lube and did change gloves between cows), but life happened and I had to go back to a full time job. I was upset for the longest that I didn't get to finish.

Now? I work half the year and make as much or more than I would with DVM after my name, all based upon experience outside of college. I'm good at my job, but I don't love my job. The best part is I don't have to worry about my job when I'm on my off time and can do what I like without worry of being called in.

 

[PirateGirl]

Yeah, I don't love my job, but I saved my vacation hours and saved my money and managed to take off a month to go backpacking in New Zealand. Point being, work life balance is important and by working hard and planning well you can make things happen. You can travel on a budget or work seasonally or part time to have more time to yourself if you are smart about your finances. I'm by no means bragging, but wanting to give a glimmer of hope if you feel stuck. I was working a 9-5 making approximately $30,000 a year when I did this. Not the hours that typically afford a person a month off nor the salary when you think of extravagant vacations. You can follow your dreams with good planning and hard work, even working within the system.

 

[moomoodiddy]

Why is that? They should want you to do what will make you happy......tho you do still have to be able to pay your bills
My daughter wanted to be a vet, top grades all thru school, too easily I guess as she never learned to study and organic chemistry kicked her butt sophomore year. She wanted to totally drop out, but the money had been set aside so I told her she had to finish, I don't care what kind of degree you get or what you do for work/career as long as you can pay your bills. And she has, finally proud she persevered thru the college thing, it taught her lessons that had nothing to do with the degree.

Vet love animals but having to deal with people is the hard part...course that often the hard part of any job. Haha!

Same here, I went to a very competitive high school and breezed through. My first year of college was okay, but this year... wow.

Wow, I'm glad you guys kicked in. I'll admit, I was very hesitant to post my story, for fear of being judged, being called a Debbie Downer, or getting nasty feedback. I almost deleted my post. People think, "if you love animals you should become a vet" if you are somewhat smart, and you have the passion for saving and loving small critters that most of on this forum have, and they have no idea of the reality of what it takes to become a vet, and then actually be in the field.

I have so many horror stories. And of course, the good stories. But yes, more nights than I can count I was at the clinic till 11 or 12 at night, charting. Doubting myself and my decisions. Dealing with angry people, ignorant people, and cases like hairy dogs in the summer with diarrhea with maggots packed in their vulvas and anuses, having to put them down because their owners didn't want to deal with it. Dealing with stress and depression (that many, many of us in the profession have, unfortunately, and which is exacerbated by the demands of the job), constantly being compared against the more brilliant/younger/better surgeons/ healthier colleagues with more stamina and less personal-life demands. The list goes on.

Yes. I can say I am a doctor. I used to proudly declare that I was a veterinarian. But the cost to my personal life, physical and mental health? Not worth it. My mom used to brag about her daughter the vet. But this daughter was an unhappy, mental wreck of a human with nonstop stress and anxiety issues during her short career.

I was happier as a waitress, as a bartender, as the school nurse I am now, than I ever was as a vet. You can love animals and care for them and NOT have to be a vet, lol.

I have no regrets in life. I like to think life is a big learning experience, that there are no mistakes, it is all part of your path. HOWEVER--if I could redo it? The one thing I would take back is the 2 years of pre-vet, the 4 years of vet school which is beyond horrible, and the years of practice where I was the most mentally unhealthy and desperately unhappy I ever was in my entire life. Just so I could say I finally followed my dream, and was a vet, and was and am a doctor. Not worth it.

Your mileage may vary. Like I said, everyone's path is different. But I caution people considering this profession to talk to as many (honest) different vets as they can, find out how their personal lives balance out, outside of work, and try to get the full picture.

As I tell people, it ain't all Animal Planet.

Oh wow, poo lube.
Large animal is wayyyy different than small(and the vets themselves).