I’m enrolled in an MD program but am thinking of switching to veterinary med. I’ve spoken with several former docs who are now vets, but no former vets who are now docs.
Are there are any docs out there who used to be vets? I’m wondering what turned you off to vet medicine and whether you’re any happier now that you’re a doc.
I’d also be glad to hear from happy/unhappy docs, happy/unhappy vets, and partners/friends of either. Thanks.
General Questions is for questions with factual answers; IMHO is for polls and opinions. I’ll move this thread to IMHO for you.
Off to IMHO.
DrMatrix - General Questions Moderator
My wife is a vet. She was never a “human” doctor, but she does enjoy watching ER because she recognizes much of what they are doing and loves to yell out the diagnosis of patients before the TV docs do. She’s also a big Star Trek fan, and my suspicion has always been because on Star Trek she would be “the doctor” (who has to be able to treat all species!).
This may not be the answer you had in mind, but for my 2 cents worth:[ul]most Doctors are far more specialized than most Vets
Vets never have patients who talk back or complain (at least not specifically!)
Doctors (usually) never have patients who try to scrtatch or bite them
Doctors are able to ask diagnostic questions to their patients
Doctors get paid much, much more than vets[/ul]
Doctors are paid more than vets, but are expected to carry much more malpractice insurance.
I do know a doctor who first trained as a vet. He was a fertility specialist (human fertility). He did a lot of research work with animals and I think the vet skills helped there.
If you’re a vet your patients may not complain, but their owners certainly may. And pet parents aren’t much less demanding than regular parents.
Your patients have a limited lifespan, and unfortunately you may be called upon to euthanize animals simply because the owner no longer wants them, or because they’re unwilling to do things like give the dog a pill every day. Also, the cost of treatment doesn’t mean most humans don’t get treatment, whereas in vet medicine, that’s unfortunately often the case. That doesn’t happen in human medicine.
Vets patients may be animals, but I’ve heard vets say that the real patient is the owner, and not just because they’re the one with the checkbook. It’s because you still have to deal with human emotion like grief, loss, obstinancy, etc.
If you’re a vet with your own clinic, you have to deal with all the headaches of a small business owner - start-up costs, personnel issues, tax and government regulations, etc. Many MDs enter an on-going practice and avoid those headaches.
StG
I am neither a doc ot a vet, but I spoke with a doctor once who said that he could have gone either way in terms of learning the subjects/job, but what it really came down to was the money. Vets don’t make much, unless there is a lot of specialization and luck involved, while doctors can expect to make a pretty good living right out of school. For him, it depended on what kind of lifestyle he wanted, and a vets life just wasn’t enough for him. A lot of vets barely get by, since they put so much money into their practices, but they LOVE the job. There is more support (from government, society) etc for doctors, and a whole legal structure in place concerning wages and work hours, etc. There is no such thing for vets.
My advice? Find out if you think you could really love the job. Visit some vets, or a vet school, and follow them around for a day. Get elbow-deep into a cow (literally) to see if she’s pregnant, watch a cat get spayed, etc. Then make a choice.
I just graduated med school. My fiancee has spent several years as a vet tech and made a few unsuccessful attempts to get into vet school. (It is much, much more difficult to get into than med school.)
I know two doctors who were vets before they went to medical school. IIRC, they both changed fields for the same reason–they started having back problems, which made serious vet work impossible.
Aside from that, I can only state the obvious–vets make a lot less money, but they usually don’t put in the ridiculous hours that docs do. They also don’t have to go through the whole residency thing. I’m sure there are some similarities in the day-to-day work and the thought processes of the two professions, but there are probably just as many differences.
I’m curious–how far along in your MD program are you? Why are you considering the switch? I’m very happy as a doctor, but I might be less so next week when my internship officially starts.
Dr. J
DoctorJ: I just finished my first year of med school. I’m not unhappy–I enjoy human med–but I’ve always loved animals and had considered applying to vet school instead of medical school to begin with. Plus, as banal as this sounds, I’m put off by my many (not all) MD classmates who obviously care much more about money and prestige than they care about helping others. That mindset seems less prevalent among vets.
I’m not too concerned about the salary differences between vets and docs, but moreso job satisfaction and career flexibility–ie, if I get sick of working as a clinician, what else can I do with my degree? In that case, I’d be better off as an MD. But AS a clinician, I’d be happier as a vet–no HMOs, much lower malpractice rates, shorter hours, no residency requirements, cute/fluffy patients, etc etc etc.
Think my school will give me an MD/DVM? Stay tuned. And good luck with your internship.
The nice thing about both human and veterinary medicine is that they are both such diverse professions. I grew up reading James Herriott books and gave passing thoughts to trying to become a vet. But instead I went through med school and just finished my residency.
Med students are a diverse bunch and while many are preoccupied with money, many are not. In veterinary school, I imagine a (smaller) proportion of students also place a high emphasis on money.
I’m generally satisfied with my education and will be starting practice next month. Most medical students doubt teir career choice at one time or another. I’m sure you could find satisfaction in either job.