# What to do to become a licensed Veterinarian?



## kapfarm (Nov 13, 2009)

I have been toying with the idea of going to college for veterinary medicine. If there are any vets here, I know you need 4 years for a bachelors degree in this but to get a license to practice on animals do you need another 4 years and take a test? I enjoy working with animals but some things can sick me out, is this normal for a non- vet or should I bag the whole idea? Do all veterinarians start out w/strong stomaches? This is the only thing keeping me from following up with this career. Befora any school accepts you, they probably want to find out how serious you are, what you know,etc.? How do I know if I am following the wrong bandwagon?

Or is this something I have to decide for myself?


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## freemotion (Nov 13, 2009)

First, are you still in high school, or an adult?


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## kapfarm (Nov 13, 2009)

I grauated 10 years ago! I got sucked into the masonry trade and was never able to get out. Now with construction slowing I have the chance to pursue something I might enjoy doing.


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## ksalvagno (Nov 13, 2009)

You are looking at a lot of years in college if you don't already have a bachelor's degree. Not to mention that the years in the veterinary college would HAVE to be full time. Then there is residency.

You may want to look into veterinary assistant. I realize the pay isn't as good but many schools offer classes so you can continue to work. This would also give you a cheaper means to see if you would want to become a vet. You may even get some type of college credits with already being a vet tech too.


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## kapfarm (Nov 13, 2009)

Yeah, I Thought about the vet assistant, but if I go only part way, I will probably getting stuck there like I did w/masonry,while trying to support 7 kids on a $13/hr job. I want to get as much info as I can (obviously)before jumping in. That is a lot of schooling to waste.


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## ksalvagno (Nov 13, 2009)

I would find a veterinary college close to you and then ask them to mail info on their veterinary program. That would probably be the best place to start.

Also, I believe the vet tech schooling is only something like 18 months. It might make a nice second job if going all the way to becoming a vet isn't what you thought. Then you would have a couple of skills if this economy doesn't pick up for a long time and people have to work 2 or 3 jobs to survive.


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## kapfarm (Nov 13, 2009)

Oh, yeah. I never thought about the possibility of two jobs. 18 months huh? I will have wsu mail me info. I looked into their classes and its too lete to get in this quarter but even to look into it for future use.  Thanks


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## kimmyh (Nov 13, 2009)

I wouldn't start at WSU unless you had a-g classes in high school. You community college (in most cases) can provide most of the first years classes, that can be transferable to WSU. Community college classes are a lot cheaper than jumping right into a major college. Just remember, you can be a vet if that is your hearts desire, but there is very little money in that degree until you build a client base-which usually takes 5-7 years. Once that is done, you can make a pretty good living until a more recent graduate (cheaper) comes to town and steals half of your clients.


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## kapfarm (Nov 13, 2009)

I have info coming now from my local community college. This is definently going to be a big decision. Thanks for the input.


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## ksalvagno (Nov 13, 2009)

That's great. Always good to do the research first before jumping in. Good luck with your decision.


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## busterduck (Nov 13, 2009)

kapfarm said:
			
		

> I have been toying with the idea of going to college for veterinary medicine. If there are any vets here, I know you need 4 years for a bachelors degree in this but to get a license to practice on animals do you need another 4 years and take a test? I enjoy working with animals but some things can sick me out, is this normal for a non- vet or should I bag the whole idea? Do all veterinarians start out w/strong stomaches? This is the only thing keeping me from following up with this career. Befora any school accepts you, they probably want to find out how serious you are, what you know,etc.? How do I know if I am following the wrong bandwagon?
> 
> Or is this something I have to decide for myself?


Vet college is the hardest college to get into (especially nowadays).  It is more difficult than medical college.  The reason this is true is that there are very few of them, 28 total in the Unitied States.  Most States will only accept in-state students and the vast majority of students who are accepted are straight A honors students (4.0 average) with at least 400 hours of internship at a Vets office.  Community activities and involvement help with your application as well.  I hope this helps.


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## kapfarm (Nov 13, 2009)

LOL. It helps me to dump all thoughts of vet school!  straight A's?


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## busterduck (Nov 13, 2009)

kapfarm said:
			
		

> LOL. It helps me to dump all thoughts of vet school!  straight A's?


I am sure you could do it if you put your mind to it.


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## freemotion (Nov 13, 2009)

Sometimes people who didn't get straight A's in HS can do it later, when they are more mature and motivated!  You are still young enough.  But....seven kids???  Work to support them AND go to school full-time?  Yikes.  I get exhausted just thinking about that one!

I teach adults at massage school and I have seen many people who, with a confidence boost, start getting straight A's when they were a C or D student in HS.  The dynamics of HS are gone and sometimes the stresses and dynamics of a tough home life are gone, too.  I come across many people who are obviously intelligent and don't believe it....if I can get them to realize the truth, they zoom to the top of the class.  

We need a good goat vet!!!  Anywhere!


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## kapfarm (Nov 13, 2009)

I definently agree with grades being different from hs to college. You are actually working toward an important goal, I think having a family would greatly motivate a person.


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## kimmyh (Nov 13, 2009)

If you are heading to community college, you can establish your 4.0 there. At that point, your high school grades have little meaning. The challenge as I see it is you have to be independently wealthy to support 7 children AND pay for vet school. Yes there are loans, and grants, but those only cover part of your expenses. I'm not trying to discourage you, I always wanted to be a vet too, but by the time I had the money, I was too old to find it a good financial investment.


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## kapfarm (Nov 13, 2009)

Kimmy, This is what I want to hear. If I only heard good stuff I would be in a world of hurt in a short while. Would you go to college if you weren't 100% sure the career wasn't for you? I would be nervous of finishing 4 years and not going further.

thanks


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## busterduck (Nov 14, 2009)

kapfarm said:
			
		

> Kimmy, This is what I want to hear. If I only heard good stuff I would be in a world of hurt in a short while. Would you go to college if you weren't 100% sure the career wasn't for you? I would be nervous of finishing 4 years and not going further.
> 
> thanks


You can start your 4 year degree and see what happens.  You can always change majors.  You absolutely would not be wasting your time starting this track even if you do not make it all the way through because you change your mind.  I changed my mind three times in college before I graduated.  I graduated on time too.  You don't have to think too hard right now about vet school.  Just take the first step and get your 4 year and keep your grades up.  That way, if you decide later that vet school is for you, you will be able to compete for a position.

Good luck.


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## lupinfarm (Nov 14, 2009)

Students who don't automatically qualify for the vet programs here in Ontario (at Guelph U) often start at the vet tech program first and work their way up, my brothers friends mum is doing just that. Shes in her 30s and has just finished the vet assistant program and is starting vet tech.


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## BDial (Nov 14, 2009)

I would recomend going to your community college for all your basic classes like math, english, chemistry, bio ext... Then transfer your credits to your college of choice.
Vet tech school is a 2 year program. When that is done and you have finished your internship you will sit for your VTNE. If you don't pass on your first time you will get 2 more shots. After that you will be required to go through CE and renew biannually. 
If you start out going for Vet Tech most of your credits will be transferable to the vet program. My friend is doing this right now. She decided she didn't want to stop where I did. I told here  when she gets done she better hire me!! lol
If you decide to go on there is a MAJOR need for large animal vets!!!!! 

I am also gonna second what the other person said about grades. In highschool I barely graduated. I had a C/D average with F's thrown in. In college I had a 3.8 out of a 4.0. I had a couple of B's and 1 C. Everything else was A's. It makes a difference between having to go to school and wanting/paying for it.


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## jhm47 (Nov 14, 2009)

My cousin became a vet, and one of my son's HS classmates did also.  Cousin went to IA State for vet school after graduating with very high grades from South Dakota State University.  Son's classmate also graduated from SDSU, and went to an "offshore" vet school.  It was on an island somewhere in the Pacific.  Both are seeming to do well.  They are both large animal vets, which is most in demand at this time, although it pays less than small animal practice.


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## BDial (Nov 14, 2009)

jhm47 can you get me the name of that offshore school? My friend has been trying to find out which one it is.
Sorry didn't mean to hijack the thread


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## kapfarm (Nov 14, 2009)

Wow, lot of info here! Lets say in 8 years I finish schooling and start to practice. If there is such a vast need for vets how can it take so long to get your feet back on the ground after school?

I have no idea how college works!  You go for 4 years and get your bachelor degree in veterinary medicine along w/math,science,english, etc., then you go for another 4 to get your major in what?


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## BDial (Nov 14, 2009)

Just like human doctors once your out of school you have to do a residency. Plus a lot end up working for another vet till they can get the money to go out on their own. That has its pros in two areas. While working for the other vets they earn a check and dont have to cover all the overhead and they get to learn off of the more experience person.


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## freemotion (Nov 14, 2009)

You have to set up a practice and attract clients, most of whom already are using a practice, unless they just moved into the area.  You have a bazillion loans and debts looming over you, and need another loan to buy equipment and tools and supplies and a truck.  You need an assistant and support staff.  You need to catch up on all you neglected at home to survive the past eight years.  You are exhausted....but excited.  You keep checking the phone to see if it works because it is not ringing like you hoped it would!

This is true of any new venture and business.  Nothing unique to veterinary practice.

If you knew small ruminants and were willing to treat my house pets when you came out to the farm without adding ridiculous fees, like my vets in Maine did, I would hire you in a heartbeat.  Especially if you knew natural methods of treatment as well as pharmaceutical options, meaning a good working knowledge of herbals and nutrition and adjunctive care.  Knowing when to recommend massage therapy (I am a massage therapist for horses and people and I have vets who refer clients to me and vets who resent me.)  Knowing about acupuncture and chiropractic and when to refer and who is good in your area.  

But that is just me!


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## kapfarm (Nov 14, 2009)

BDial said:
			
		

> Just like human doctors once your out of school you have to do a residency. Plus a lot end up working for another vet till they can get the money to go out on their own. That has its pros in two areas. While working for the other vets they earn a check and dont have to cover all the overhead and they get to learn off of the more experience person.


Hold on, residency must be the "bar exam" by the state you will be practicing in? can you explain what classes I will be taking(order)
starting at two years of community college?


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## BDial (Nov 14, 2009)

You need to research what General credits you need. My friend is currently having to go through another Math class, Chemistry, Biology, and her school requires Physical education. 
Other classes would be English, and English Comp, History. 
A residency is something you have to go through as part of your schooling before you get your license. Think ER and the residence.


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## kapfarm (Nov 14, 2009)

freemotion said:
			
		

> You have to set up a practice and attract clients, most of whom already are using a practice, unless they just moved into the area.  You have a bazillion loans and debts looming over you, and need another loan to buy equipment and tools and supplies and a truck.  You need an assistant and support staff.  You need to catch up on all you neglected at home to survive the past eight years.  You are exhausted....but excited.  You keep checking the phone to see if it works because it is not ringing like you hoped it would!
> 
> This is true of any new venture and business.  Nothing unique to veterinary practice.
> 
> ...


You make it sound extremely challenging,yet exciting. So far, I have to know just as much as the family doctor, maybe more since I will be performing every kind of operation huh?


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## freemotion (Nov 14, 2009)

I meant that my vets in Maine were great, and would give my cats their vaccinations and such when they came out to the farm.....just re-read, and it looks like I said they soaked me....

The biggest challenge, a daunting one, will be hanging onto your wife and kids.  That is number one in my book, at least.  Can you do all that schooling without working?  I don't see how both are possible without divorce unless one of you has a trust fund or a recent inheritance that you can live off of for the next eight years.  Just a thought....but a critical one.  Lots of divorces when docs go through med school.  No time for the family.  Kids growing up without you.  DW getting resentful and lonely.  Be careful.  

You did ask!  Of course, I don't know you other than a few lines on the computer screen, so my comments are general and from my own perspective.  I chose massage therapy because it was 2 years.  It was hard enough and I don't have kids!  I would love to become a ND next, but I have extended family responsibilities that would get severely neglected, not to mention my dh.  I can still have the satisfaction of influencing people's health (and animals), and have decided to settle for that....for now.  Hence my answers.


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## BDial (Nov 14, 2009)

I went through an accelerated tech school where I was there anywhere from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm. Average day was 8-4. I had a small child so it was take dd to daycare, go to school, pick dd up from daycare, do homework, do housework, animal chores, homework and finally bed. It was very hard. There were days I had to stay after school just to get some of my harder work done.
I got two scholarships which took $6000 off of my total schoo loan amount. The rest I am paying a total of $200 a month for the next few years.


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## kapfarm (Nov 14, 2009)

I am definently getting more inclined to go to school. You are right about full time schooling/supporting a family but I am sure it has and can be done. There must be different options available.


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## kimmyh (Nov 15, 2009)

I am a Vet Tech, and I have worked with a number of vets those that were schooled in the states, and one who went to an off shore school, then tested in in the states. I found the off shore vet easier to work with, but a little less skilled/arrogant when it came to procedures (it could have just been him, who knows). And I have seen new vets go belly up trying to start a practice. In most cases I would caution you in taking on a large animal/food based practice. No one pays you when you get hurt, and a lot of food processors don't have the equipment needed for your safety. Large animal clients are often shopping for the best deal on vets, which means, those hours you spent on the telephone/at the farm educating them is wasted unpaid time. Starting a vet practice is expensive, you need a LOT of equipment, drugs, and a small staff. Once you open the doors, don't expect to even break even for 5 years. Small animal vets make more per hour than large animal vets, and have more staff headaches. So if your going to go down this path you will need to decide which type of stress you are more apt to handle well, staff or physical pain, and decide if you are willing to miss holidays and evenings with your family. A vet building a practice is at the beck and call of their clients the first 5 years if they really want to build a strong client base. 

If I was in your shoes, I would head to my community college, take all of their intake tests and see where I stood. Then have a meeting with a school counselor and get some direction on how they can help you get ready to pursue a vet career. At that point you should be able to line out the courses you can take at the CC and the expense, and make a decision. Personally, if you are looking for a career change where you can help others, I would look into nursing. There are hundreds of avenues you can take with a nursing degree, from actual patient contact, to sales/management. If you go the sales/management direction you can have real hours, weekends and holidays off.


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## Eliza (Nov 15, 2009)

To get a flavor of this venture, I would read autobiographies written by vets on becoming a vet.  The reality is, having worked at a vet schooland saw first hand, is that the competition is stiff, the tuition will leave you in debt in excess of $100k, it takes 8 years, you have to be an ace in physics, chemistry, biochemistry, and that's just for the bachelor's degree!  the hours are grueling, the return on investment is minimal.  I also worked at a pharmaceutical company in the vet med section (we invented drugs for animals), and all the vets who worked on the protocols (outlining for the clinical trials how the medications were to be administered and the results analyzed) ALL told me that they left private practice for the pharmaceutical industry for the bigger bucks (so that they could pay off the loans), and the regular hours, and the holidays off.  The reason that the competition and curriculum is so tough, is that the advances in medicine (both human and animal) are fairly advanced (think nuclear medicine and cancer techniques for animals...).

Offshore vet schools (think Guatamala and Puerto Rico are two) I have known some vets who came from these institutions who had to do further schooling to meet board certification or licensure requirements.

This is a full-time long term investment, there are no shortcuts such as part-time schooling that I know of.  I would definately read some of the autobiographies to get a feel for the ordeal - just check out the animal section of the library (the dewey decimal system number is 636.6, if I remember correctly but ask the librarian.)


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## cmjust0 (Nov 16, 2009)

kapfarm said:
			
		

> You make it sound extremely challenging,yet exciting. So far, I have to know just as much as the family doctor, maybe more since I will be performing every kind of operation huh?


All the vets at the clinic we use graduated from Auburn University, which is arguably the best veterinary school in the nation.  And, yeah, they have to know WAAAAAAAAY more than the family doctor.

Think about it..  They do general internal medicine, every kind of surgery, they're dentists, optometrists, obstetricians, anesthesiologists, otolaryngologists, oncologists, allergists....seriously, the list goes on and on and on and on and on.  It would be tough for an MD to fill all those rolls -- but tougher still for a DVM!

Reason being, an MD only has to know the anatomy and vitals and common diseases and problems and treatments for one animal -- the human animal.  The DVM, on the other hand, has to learn all those things for dogs, then cats, then cattle...horses, sheep, goats, pigs, birds, reptiles, blah blah blah blah blah....  

According to my vets, there's a common phrase heard at Auburn when the going gets tough:  "There's always med school."

One of my vets even told me that his GPA at Auburn dropped a few 10th's off a 4.0 one semester and he kinda got a little worried..  I kinda laughed thinking he was joking, but he was dead serious and told me that if you drop very much at all off straight-A's, they're liable to kick you out.  The waiting list is apparently a mile long, so they don't have time for people who aren't going to give it 100%.


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## kapfarm (Nov 16, 2009)

Wel, we'll see what the counselor has to say. I am going to the community college today. Also, I am stopping at a vet clinic to See what he has to say if he has time! I can do it if I knuckle down, Knowing this will be supporting my family. If it doesn't work, "there's always med school"  sorry, wrong attitude. thanks everyone, wish me luck.


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## ksalvagno (Nov 16, 2009)

I think that it is great that you are really researching this and going to talk to a counselor. Whatever you decide to do, good luck.


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## ducks4you (Nov 16, 2009)

Don't give up!!  My Vet (who has been in practice for a decade now,) is a retired Chicago policewoman.  She went to the U of Illinois Vet School (one of the top Veteranian schools in the nation) and practices on small and large animals.  Large animal practice is the more difficult curriculum.  You'll probably have to have NOTHING else in your life if you pursue this, until you graduate.  C-U is a little snobby, but there are a lot of well-educated people here, in the center of Illinois.


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## kapfarm (Nov 17, 2009)

I went to our local college and applied. I go to take placement tests before the 16th of Dec. 

I am as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof! I am brushing up on my math, as it has been a while since HS. I visited with the veterinarian that I know and he was very encouraging to visit with. He gave me pro's and con's of this career path(same as you all said.) I start school in Jan. and will go for two years,I hope. If I don't place well on math, I will be adding time to my schooling. I am very excited. This vet I talked to said its not so much "smarts" but the drive to learn. He said get "A's" in all classes...study... study...study. I just recieved financial aid from the federal gov. so that relieves some stress. So far, things seem to be falling into place. *I CANT WAIT FOR CLASSES TO BEGIN!!!!!*


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## cmjust0 (Nov 17, 2009)

Good luck, and keep us posted.  Make sure you make it to class the day they teach you all about goats.

   


(seriously...one vet in this area who got really good with goats [by guinea-pigging in Kentucky before BAILING and heading back to Texas with all his freshly honed skills] said his total classroom schooling on goats equalled about *one day*..)


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## kapfarm (Nov 17, 2009)

I'll be there! They are in the proccess of making livestock medicine and companion animal medicine seperate, so livestock vets wouldn't have to go to school as long but it would give me less oppurtunities. I will stretch "goat day" out as long as I can! This is going to be very interesting. I am chompin' at the bit!!!! School is still two years away, hopefully community college goes by fast. I will be 34 when I graduate. Its hard to imagine being this guy.....


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## kimmyh (Nov 17, 2009)

Woohoo, congratulations, it sounds like you are well on your way. Most vets have one class, taught from the book Goat Medicine and that is it regarding goats. Goat Medicine is available to anyone.


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## kapfarm (Nov 17, 2009)

kimmyh said:
			
		

> Woohoo, congratulations, it sounds like you are well on your way. Most vets have one class, taught from the book Goat Medicine and that is it regarding goats. Goat Medicine is available to anyone.


Well, I am going to go learn the whole kit and kaboodle!! Maybe I will write a new goat book when I am done studying medicine It seems farfetched now, but hey, if the goat industry needs help, why not?


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## cmjust0 (Nov 18, 2009)

kapfarm said:
			
		

> They are in the proccess of making livestock medicine and companion animal medicine seperate, so livestock vets wouldn't have to go to school as long but it would give me less oppurtunities.


That's extremely interesting to me..  Splitting the two out makes a lot of sense, imo.  How much less schooling is it for the livestock program?

Ya know...so few new DVMs are interested in working with large animals these days, I would think you'd have plenty of opportunity..  Less _money_, perhaps, but I can't imagine you'd be anything but covered up with work if you were a dedicated large animal vet.


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## Roll farms (Nov 18, 2009)

I'm thrilled b/c our goat vet, who really, really tries, and will seek out info on things she doesn't know (since she's in her 50's and from the era of vets who weren't 'learning goats' in school) just took in to her practice a guy straight out of Perdue vet school who WANTS to do large animal practice.  
He's younger than me, so should be practicing even when I'm too old to tote feed and hay and have to *gasp* give up my goats.


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## kapfarm (Nov 18, 2009)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> kapfarm said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I am not 100% sure what the difference in schooling would be, I thought I heard 2 years less, but I might be mistaken. I will be $100,000.00 + in debt so I will want to finish all schooling.


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## kapfarm (Nov 18, 2009)

When I talked to the veterinarian yesterday, he said there are a lot ov vet clinics around our area, owned by soon to be retired vets that have no licensed ones coming up the ladder to take over! It sounds very promising.


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## BDial (Nov 18, 2009)

Same here we have 5 that I can think of right of hand. The only reason they haven't retired is they don't want to leave the clients without a vet.


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## kapfarm (Nov 18, 2009)

I just read this, not sure how accurate it is but it sounds right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterinary_medicine#Threatening_Veterinary_Shortage

*Threatening Veterinary Shortage*

A shortage of veterinarians who treat farm animals is stressing the nations food inspection system. This shortage is becoming so severe that it is prompting the federal government to offer bonuses and cover moving expenses to fill hundreds of empty employment opportunities. The result of this shortage is mainly due to veterinarians choosing to live in metropolitan areas and pursue a practice specializing in pets or small animals. The main scarcity is seen in veterinarians who treat farm animals or work as government inspectors. This then results in the shortage is most severe in the USAs Farm Belt, which is in the rural areas of the Midwest that is responsible for much of the nations meat production.

The American Veterinary Medical Association reported that there are roughly 500 counties that have large populations of food animals but no veterinarian to treat these animals. The common concern of a lesser salary in the farm animal field was disproven by the statistics showing that starting salaries for private practice veterinarians are generally higher than that of public practice veterinarians but after about 10 years of practice they roughly even out. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that the number of veterinarians needed will just continue to increase to 22,000 by the year 2016. This would make it one of the fastest growing professions. The nations 28 veterinarian schools provide around 2,700 graduates a year, something that hasnt changed in three decades. However, something that has changed is the fact that the baby boomer generation, the generation that fills the employment for farm animals mostly, is retiring fast and therefore hastening the shortage


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## Beekissed (Nov 19, 2009)

kapfarm said:
			
		

> I am definently getting more inclined to go to school. You are right about full time schooling/supporting a family but I am sure it has and can be done. There must be different options available.


There are, especially for a person supporting 7 kids!    You can get a full Pell Grant, full student loans to cover all your schooling.  There are also many other programs available for older students, especially head of households.  My son found out that he qualifies for a non-traditional student grant~because he is 24 years old~ that pays for his tuition completely for nursing school at a community college.  

My middle son is going to college next year to pursue a vet degree.  He found that you can get a huge loan/grant right out of college, with a vet degree, that will help you set up a business.  Right now is a good time to get into this as there is a huge shortage out west for large animal vets. 

One of our local vets moved away and there is a huge clientele just waiting for another vet to move into....there are opportunities if one chooses to explore them seriously.


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## cmjust0 (Nov 19, 2009)

BDial said:
			
		

> Same here we have 5 that I can think of right of hand. The only reason they haven't retired is they don't want to leave the clients without a vet.


There are five on-staff DVMs at the clinic I go to, and at least three other clinics in town..  Of the five at my clinic, only two work on large animals...luckily, they've got a few years left.

There's only one other large animal vet in town and from what I can understand from folks who have used him...he should have retired years ago.  

I had a scary conversation with him one day where he told me there was C/D-T Toxoid and Tetanus Antitoxin, but no such thing as C&D Antitoxin.


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## cmjust0 (Nov 19, 2009)

kapfarm said:
			
		

> The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that the number of veterinarians needed will just continue to increase to 22,000 by the year 2016. This would make it one of the fastest growing professions. The nations 28 veterinarian schools provide around 2,700 graduates a year, something that hasnt changed in three decades.


Ya know, I just had a thought..  Oftentimes if my wife or I have some mild medical situation we need to have taken care of, we'll just run to the urgent treatment place instead of making appointments or -- heaven forbid -- going to the ER (which costs a blooming FORTUNE under my insurance plan)..

Thing is, we rarely see an actual MD at urgent care...it's always a "PA-C".  A certified physicians assistant.  They work (theoretically) under a doctor's supervision, but they're more or less doctors...they can write scripts, order tests, or just about anything they want.  They make good money, too...not MD money, but really good money.

How long do you guys think it'll be before you go to the vet's office and see a "_V_A-C" who can legally diagnose, order tests, write scripts, etc..


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## kapfarm (Nov 19, 2009)

Becoming a certified veterinary technician provides you with a professional edge. It means greater prestige among peers and employers. It means better job security and greater career advancement opportunities.

Veterinary technician certification requirements vary from state to state, but generally requirements can include a diploma from a two-year program and up to three years on-the-job training. More work experience is required for those who did not graduate from an accredited veterinary technician training program.

Your state may require you to complete a certain number of continuing education hours per year in order to maintain your certified status. Ongoing education is an important aspect of maintaining your certified status. It assures the public that your knowledge and skill are current and that you are actively involved in the field of veterinary medicine.

I couldn't find anything about their salary.


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## cmjust0 (Nov 19, 2009)

Techs are more analogous to nurses in human medicine..  So far as I know, there's no analog for Certified Physician's Assistants in veterinary medicine.

I'm thinking maybe there should be...and I'm thinking that if there was, that would be an interesting career path.  Work basically as a vet, but under a vet's supervision...and maybe only handle their goat calls.  

I'd work that job off _commission_!


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## kapfarm (Nov 19, 2009)




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## BDial (Nov 19, 2009)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> BDial said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yep know what you mean. I was in surgery with one of the docs and he was almost done with the spay and he said he was having trouble seeing. When it came to the skin sutures he said " you have to finish up I cant see anything. " Thank goodness he had recently given me a refresher on sutures.


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