In my youth, I volunteered at various conservation centers as a veterinarian and facilitator. I was in charge of taking care of the animals that required medical assistance and I advised the caretakers on what the animals need to stay happy.

I stayed on-site and check on all the animals in the clinic the first thing in the morning, before making my rounds. This included giving the animals their medication and talking to the respective caretakers to see if they noticed anything different about their charges. If any animal is feeling poorly, I’ll bring them into the clinic and examine them.

When my clinical duties are done, it’s usually around lunch time and I’ll have a quick lunch with the team of volunteers that work on enrichment for the animals. We will discuss which enclosure needs more attention and suggest various projects for them to work on. Enrichment is extremely important for animals in captivity because boredom and stress can lead to health deterioration. Most of the enrichment projects are food oriented which encourages them to use their problem-solving skills.

If no animals need any medical attention, I will spend my time on whatever new project the team is working on, but more often than not, there’s an animal or two in need of my assistance as we receive new animals almost on a daily basis. Most of it from surrenders, or illegal wildlife smugglers who have been caught.

The biggest pro is that I get to help animals, which has always been a passion of mine. It also shows me the beauty of humanity because there are so many kind souls willing to sacrifice comfort and time. I have made many meaningful connections over the years and met people from all walks of life.

However, this job also shows me the worse side of humanity in individuals who try to exploit animals for their own greed. There are also plenty of ignorant people who try to keep wild animals as pets but are unable to meet their basic nutritional requirements. So many animals have passed under my care due to malnutrition and that is one of the most devastating aspects of the job. You never get used to it, and every passing is an emotional blow.

Rachel Cassidy
Animalso

Dr. Caren Carney is a relief veterinarian. Relief or locum work is when an experienced, fully-credentialed veterinarian works in or even manages someone else’s practice for a short time, to cover for staffing shortages, maternity, and sick leave, or vacations. Most relief vets are independent contractors, which can be a challenge.

My day as a relief vet looks like a traditional veterinarian – I get to see animals all day. Unfortunately, if I’m seeing them, they’re usually not at their best. I diagnose illnesses, do surgery, give immunizations, and more on a daily basis. I think all vets would agree that the best part about the job is helping animals and seeing a recovered patient walk out the door.

Getting into the relief aspect of my job, the best part about being a relief vet is that I can control my own schedule. When I was an associate vet at an emergency hospital, I had my day shifts and then had to be on call at night, too. It felt like I was working non-stop. I switched to relief work and could schedule my shifts in advance without the extra responsibilities. I can focus better on my patients when I had a full nights’ sleep!

The worst part about being a vet is seeing animals hurt and in pain, especially when you can’t relieve that pain. Sometimes it’s that there’s no known way to fix it. Sometimes it’s that the owners can’t afford the medicine or surgery, and that’s the hardest of all. The hardest part about being a relief vet is that you can’t always see your patient all the way through. For example, you may do surgery and have the patient come in a month later to remove stitches. As a relief vet, I probably won’t be there a month later to remove the stitches and see that patient whole again.

Dr. Caren Carney
Holiday Vet

I start work at 6AM Monday-Saturday and stop seeing appointments at 4PM (although I am usually here until closer to 5PM). I do have a small block for lunch/meetings, but I usually use that time to accommodate clients that have an emergency.

6AM-8AM: I spend my time seeing walk-ins and checking in procedures for the day (surgeries/dentals).

8AM-4PM: I see appointments and complete procedures in between (dental extractions, mass removals, endoscopy, ultrasounds, etc).

After 4PM: I focus on making sure all labwork was submitted and calling owners with results, and answering messages.

Pros: Variety (I can go from giving a cats vaccines to taking a dogs spleen out in a matter of minutes), developing relationships with pet owners, and puppies

Cons: It can be long hours and dealing with pet owners struggling with financial limitations and handling euthanasias

Dr. Travis McDermott
Durango Animal Hospital

As is true with any other profession, being a veterinarian carries its pros and cons. It is often hailed as a rewarding and honest career, requiring a diligent work ethic and a compassionate heart for an individual to be successful. Over my 15 years as a veterinarian, having taken on many different roles, it has been my good fortune to know what is entailed on a day-to-day basis, as well as what the culture as a whole has morphed into overtime.

Perhaps the most common remark made by veterinarians regarding their workday is the enormous variety involved. No single day is the same. Every appointment will be different, any kind of species may show up with any kind of ailment, and the only consistent feature with any given day is that it be both exciting and exhausting. The day will also depend on the clinic setting; emergency hospital, speciality hospital, general practice clinic, and televeterinarian all have different daily routines and functions. In general, we begin our mornings reviewing the status of hospitalized patients, check messages left by pet owners from after-hours/overnights, and then hit the ground running with appointments and walk-in emergencies. The day may involve a sprinkling of surgical procedures, which are fit in-between appointments. A variety of tests will be run, phone calls will be made, and medications dispensed. Lives will be saved and lives will be lost. The goals of the day are to take care of our pets, ensure clients are satisfied, and complete the day in an efficient manner all while maintaining a healthy, positive work environment.

The pros of being a veterinarian are obvious. We make a difference in the lives of pets and pet parents every single day. We save lives, treat ailments, and prevent potential future diseases. We educate clients, educate the public and educate our support staff. We give a voice to the voiceless while also healing our human clients through their pets. The day is an adventure filled with highs and lows, a true professional roller coaster. We can diagnose conditions utilizing the most fundamental tools at hand. We can end suffering through euthanasia. We are admired by the community for making it through many years of rigorous training and being able to tackle a variety of species with different diseases. Perhaps the most common profession sought after by children is the veterinarian; there is something about it that resonates with everyone, including the very young.

The cons of being a veterinarian may not be so obvious. Our suicide rates continue to rise. Compassion fatigue is a real paralyzing dilemma for our staff. Pet owners self-diagnosing and self-treating their pets, claiming that veterinarians are money-hungry and writing scorning negative reviews online are all taking a huge emotional toll on veterinarians and their staff. Veterinarians are highly prone to be reported to the veterinary medical board or taken to court for unpaid client invoices. Doctors and their staff stay hours past their shift ends because of high caseloads, enormous amounts of paperwork, and understaffing issues. The profession is void of sound leadership, expedient veterinary medical board responses to the cultural toxicity, and emotional support. We have been killing our own profession for decades from the inside.

In conclusion, the obvious beauty of the veterinary progression is stifled by its more obscure ugliness. It is a respectful profession with life-changing implications, all the while being without support to increasingly negative cultural toxicity that has been known for years. As much as it is marveled at, it needs help. And the help it needs is time-sensitive. This is not meant to deter young people from becoming vets; on the contrary. Awareness is the goal. Tackle this field and make it your own. Take care of it. We are in need of new insight by young people, to challenge the staleness and complacency that has plagued it for far too long.

Shadi Ireifej, DVM DACVS is the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at VetTriage.com, a provider of veterinary telehealth services.

My name is Dr. Madison Rose. I am a veterinarian and the owner of two veterinary practices.

I have been a veterinarian for 6 years. I love being a veterinarian. What I love most about this profession is that there are so many avenues to take after you receive your degree. I have friends from vet school that work in public health, some who formulate dog food, some who create new lifesaving pharmaceuticals for animals, some who run non-profits, and those (like me) who own businesses and practice clinical medicine. It’s an amazing profession with a lot of opportunities. I never feel trapped by this profession. I know that if I ever felt like a change of pace, I could change my direction within the profession, all the while still helping animals out. This profession is rewarding and there is never a dull moment.

I am Sara Ochoa, DVM. I am a small animal and exotic veterinarian in Texas and a veterinary consultant for DogLab.com.

Being a vet has good days and bad. Many times I can help people’s pets get better. There are days that no matter what I do I can not fix them. Some people will get very upset and even angry when there is nothing else that can be done to fix their pet

My work life is pretty good especially compared to some of my other vet friends. I work about 30 to 35 hours a week and always get off on time. Many other vets I know work 50 to 70 hours a week, rarely get off on time.

A typical day for me is getting to work around 8 AM. I am usually doing surgeries from a little after 8 until 12. I get 2 hours for lunch where I eat, get caught up on anything, or do any emergency procedures that were dropped off that morning. Most of the time I do get the full two hours to rest and eat and do anything I want to do. Some days I even have time to go for a walk or run home to eat lunch with my husband. After lunch from 2 to 5:30 I will see appointments. This can be any sick dogs, or just routine health checks and vaccines. The other vet in my clinic sees appointments all morning and then most of the afternoon.

This easy schedule is not the norm for many vet offices. I have very efficient techs and staff and we strive to maintain a great work-life balance.

Pros: being able to help people and their animals. Being able to do many different things. I can do surgery one minute and the next treating a dog’s eye then a dental cleaning after that. The veterinary field allows me to do all the different medical things that human doctors have to without having to specialize.

Cons: the cost of our education vs how much we are paid. Human doctors have the same debt coming out of medical school but make 5 to 10 times what vets do.

Being a veterinarian is like being a jack of all trades. I feel like a dentist, primary care provider, surgeon, anesthesiologist, dermatologist, emergency physician, and more! Being a veterinarian is a very demanding but rewarding job.

My work life involves half preventive care, giving vaccines, and doing wellness checks on pets- both a physical exam and bloodwork to look at organ function. The other half involves seeing sick or injured pets, or performing surgeries such as to remove a skin tumor or do a spay.

Pros: The pros are that I feel fulfilled at the end of the day, knowing that I am helping animals.

Cons: The cons are that I can’t just do everything for free because equipment, time, and products like medications cost money which pet owners are not always able to afford everything I recommend.Ve

As a veterinarian, we fill many roles including healthcare provider, public health advocate, financial advisor, family counselor, grief counselor, mind reader, animal psychiatrist, human psychiatrist, and on and on. We spin many plates on many sticks trying to keep up. Being a veterinarian is the most rewarding and taxing profession I can imagine. Picture a pediatrician with a pre-set budget and a parent insisting the child to live beyond its life expectancy. Oh, and add in a manicure for good measure!

As a general small animal practitioner, I currently see family cats and dogs. I work 4 days a week with rotating Saturday duties. At our practice, each veterinarian rotates through medicine days and surgery days. We perform only soft tissue surgery (spays, neuters, mass removals, dental cleanings).

On a typical surgery day, I begin each morning by reviewing the surgery schedule for the day. I perform presurgical exams and double check the information on the appointment is in line with the owners’ expectations.

We typically premedicate each patient with an appropriate sedative to allow them to relax. We place IV catheters in every surgical patient. When their surgical time is due, we have two dedicated assistants who help me monitor and support the patient during the procedure and recovery. Once fully recovered, I give the owner a phone call letting them know that the patient is recovering.

At our hospital, we perform surgeries before lunch. After lunch, the surgical staff convert over to seeing appointments. Appointments range from wellness exams and vaccines, all the way through sick patients and euthanasias. Every day in general practice is different. We never know what is going to walk in the door. This provides variety and keeps us on our toes.

Danel Grimmett, DVM, Sunset Veterinary Clinic.

My name is Dr. Michelle Burch, DVM from Safe Hounds Pet Insurance.

Being a veterinarian is a jack of all trades in the medical world, especially for general practitioners. As a veterinarian, I have to wear the hats of internal medicine, ophthalmologist, surgeon, dentist, cardiologist, nutritionist, and hospice care.

We can be with you through the entire life span of your pet, from juvenile to senior. We form a special bond with every pet while putting our heart and soul into the job. Veterinarians are in the trenches doing what needs to be done to help your pet.

What is your work life like?

The work-life of a veterinarian is very demanding and can range from what you make it. Most of the hospitals I have worked for have been a four to four and half-day work week with no on-call. These days can range from 8 to 12 hours or more, depending on the need.

The majority of the days are spent seeing appointments every 15 to 30 minutes with squeeze-in emergencies in between. Some days are spent playing with puppies and kittens, while others are some of the most challenging days of your life, saying goodbye to multiple pets.

Surgery in hospitals can vary from a full day to two or three completed in and around appointments. Surgeries I would perform in general practice included spays, neuters, mass removals, dental prophylaxis with teeth extraction, abdominal exploratory surgery, fracture repairs, splenectomies, and more.

While at work, veterinarians also learn to be grievance counselors to help pet owners with the tough decision to say goodbye to their beloved pets. Navigating through the sea emotions is taxing on the entire staff. You never know which stage of grief and owner will be in with the passing of their pet.

What are the pros and cons?

One of the biggest pros of veterinary medicine for me is that I have never stopped learning. New research is published frequently, and unique ailments arrive in my exam room often. When you stop learning, you stop practicing the best medicine you can.

I find making the connection between client and pet is one of the most outstanding job achievements. When I can help provide the best life for a family’s loved one and continue to provide the best care for them is what fills my heart.

One of the most concerning aspects of veterinarian medicine is the student debt to income ratio. Today, new graduates are coming out with$250,000 to $400,000 or more in student loan debt with an average interest rate of 5.8%. The average income for a veterinarian in the United States is $95,000 with the lowest 25% making $75,500.

Most graduating veterinarians at this time cannot even afford the interest on their loans opting for income-based repayment (IBR) plans. Even though this may appear to be a beneficial plan, IBR plans allow the debt to continue to rise with dwindling hope of repayment from the veterinarian’s pocket and must rely on the end goal of government forgiveness. Government forgiveness will be considered taxable income, which will come with a one-year tax bill of $30,000 to $50,000. The burden this places on veterinarians is suffocating and makes it challenging to recommend others to join the profession.

Suicide rates are increasing in veterinarian medicine. Now only due to the crushing student loan debt but because of workplace burnout. As veterinarians, we are forced to provide gold-standard human grade medicine to our pets for pennies compared to our human counterparts. Owners guilt us for not delivering in house loans or lifesaving treatment because they cannot pay for it. We want to do all we can for your pet, but we also have to think about our staff, business, and family. We cry, scream, and feel defeated when we can not help.

The mental health of the profession because of social media and reviews. Owners can form a mob mentality with just a few quick keystrokes, even if their account of what happened is false and skewed. Veterinarians are unable to fight back due to privacy laws and liability. We then receive death threats and threats for physical violence, often from people we have never met.

For me being a Veterinarian is the fulfillment of a dream I had since I was 4. It’s very exciting and rewarding but also frustrating, upsetting and stressful.

I compare my job to being a pediatrician, a sleuth and a family counselor. If you don’t like working with people, it’s not the job for you.

Be fully aware that a career in Veterinary medicine does NOT pay well in general, unless you earn a specialty degree. However, at least in my case, job satisfaction is high, and for me that is worth more to me than making a lot of money at a career or job where you are unhappy. It’s a sacrifice. People will actually think that you are in it for the money even though you don’t make a lot, they will accuse you of not caring about their pet because you charge them for your services without even considering that you also have a home, a family, bills to pay and employees to pay. You will be asked to euthanize loved family members, and sometimes be told that “it’s just a cat/dog”. Some of your clients will respect and appreciate what you do, and others will just be looking for the cheapest way to get what they want regardless of the quality of the care.

In short, I LOVE my job. but it can be quite stressful as well.