Don’t know if it belongs here but I saw this and was disgusted. This is why we have so much burn out and suicide rates. So many people think that it is done for the money but we are severely underpaid. We do it for the passion and love of animals. And I especially hate when dog trainers try to give medical advice. I’ve had so many cases were a dog owner was lead astray over a dog trainer.

Hello everyone,

I am a recent new grad who just took the NAVLE for a second time and found out that i failed again… i feel completely devastated and i honestly don’t know what to do. I took the navle the first time in March and got 408 and took it again in august and got 413. I feel completely embarrassed and ashamed of myself because all i did this summer was isolate myself to study. And yet it wasnt enough and i didn’t even do that much better. I completed almost all of vetprep, used vetcandy and did an icva exam which told me i was at a passing range.

From what i understand now, the next time i can take the navle is in March 2027 because of the new rules they added. Anyways, i was wondering if anyone here has any advice on what i should do until then. Can i get a job somewhere even if i havent passed the navle? Is there any corporate company that will take me? Can i apply for internships even without a passing navle? Any advice would be great. Theres also the worry about how am i going to start paying off my loans if i cant get a job…

Hello everyone,

I am seeking advice from a veterinarian who may have been in a similar situation as me. I am a current 4th year veterinary student who is feeling lost. I have no one to talk to about this and I need help.

I am passing all of my rotations and receiving great feedback, but constantly struggle with my confidence. I feel like I don’t know anything and that I am going to be a horrible veterinarian. I sometimes panic when doctors ask me questions and answer incorrectly, even though I know the right answer. I say completely dumb answers because I panic and can’t retrieve the information. This has only happened a few times but sometimes it’s just the most basic things and it’s so embarrassing. I sometimes forget things I haven’t reviewed in a while that seem basic as well though. The information is able to be retrieved though once I look into it more. I also dwell on making mistakes during my rotations, and think I am the only one making mistakes. I am overall extremely scared to be a practicing veterinarian and struggling at this point mentally while everyone else seems to be thriving. It makes me really nervous that maybe I’m not cut out for veterinary medicine because I’m not smart enough.

I'm a vetmed student. Any tips po sa paghahanap ng internship opportunities locally or abroad? I'm more inclined to pursue a small animal career post-grad pero I want to explore din other fields during my internship.

Also, for internships abroad, how does it work po? Ano po need na documents for that?

Thank you!

Hi everyone.
I just graduated Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest with a special interest in Equine medicine. I'm looking to gain more hands-on experience in a specialized equine hospital/clinic. During university years I didn't get the opportunity to get much clinical experience in this field, so I'd like to build confidence, skills and medical thinking in this area. I have some experience with horses, have been doing vet checks at endurance competitions , and assisted veterinary doctors with various tasks : foal care, equine reproduction, ultrasonography in pregnant mares and foal care in stud farms, as well as writing my Bachelor's thesis on equine reproduction.

I'd be very grateful for recommendations on how to approach the application for an internship/externship or any placement in equine hospitals or clinics, where to go and what to expect, as I don't have much experience in this field.

The university in Bucharest is EAEVE approved, so I'm open to different European countries. I don't expect a paid position right away, for now I just want to learn and gain as much experience as I can.
I speak Romanian, English and German at a B1-ish level. I'm also thinking of starting to learn French.

Any response is helpful, I just feel a bit lost as to what to do next. Any comment and suggestion is welcome.
Thank you <3

Hi all! I’m going for an interview next week at a large animal care educational spot. Being vague for data reasons.

I am determined to bag this role as it’s gonna really kickstart my career. I’ve just completed a 3 year BSc in Zoology so this would be amazing for me. It’s 45 minutes spoken, and a 45 minute husbandry assessment with a random animal, on the day. The job entails getting things ready in the lab for class, looking after animals in the off-class time (before and after too), and making sure the lab is well-stocked. I have done many labs during my time in university but am slightly nervous. I would appreciate ANY and all tips from any lab technicians or anyone who has done a similar or same role.

Also, what’s the likelihood of the animal NOT being a guinea pig or a rabbit? I don’t feel they will give me any exotics in case I do damage (I would NEVER, but obviously it’s an animal they will most likely have to replace after this).

Just curious what other ER docs are averaging per year across the US? And how many years of experience?

I manage a small family owned practice, I have been managing it just fine for years. That being said, we switched systems and it's very confusing because I can't get the same papers for them at the end of every month and quarter. The faith in me has been deteriorating and they are replacing me without telling me they are. It's upsetting because I have given them so much of my life. I have sacrificed days with my son. I only see him for an hour in the morning and an hour at night. Yes I get weekends, but it's rough because even if I request a day off they look at me sideways. I love them so much and it feels like I'm being punched in the throat repeatedly.

Apologies in advance for rambling, I'm less than a month into being a SA new grad. I have lots to be thankful for: living at home and finding a practice with a good team and support. I have mostly been doing vaccines but have now done a few ear, V/D, cough and the odd skin/lameness cases. It's been a steep learning curve, I did fairly well in vet school but you don't realise how many steps go into every appointment that we have little practice with during EMS/rotations. I've learnt some valuable lessons already: don't rush an appointment just because it's the end of the day. I feel like I've forgotten a huge amount of knowledge over the summer so I do feel pretty incompetent at times but maybe this is normal??

Anyways what I'm actually struggling with the most is my home life outside of work. I'm lucky that I've never had an abnormal level of anxiety, my mind is fairly empty, I love being outdoors, I used to work outdoors which I loved but it was unstable. The first two weeks of practice I have been riddled with anxiety at home, had extreme insomnia, my days off consist of me thinking about work but trying to distract myself but not really enjoying it, even going for walks doesn't seem to help. I dream of mundane jobs where I can leave work at work. The thought that this is my life forever is distressing. I'm not sure if this will get better the more confident/competent I become. For now to ease my mind I've been telling myself to stick it out for 1-2 years until I feel more competent and then reduce my hours or something. I will say that I am sleeping better now and the anxiety has reduced.

It would just be nice to hear from seasoned vets and how they felt when they first started. During the summer I did do some revision and genuinely tricked myself into thinking most common cases I would be okay with, but as soon as all the responsibility is on you it feels SO different. I have had one surgery day which I found extremely overwhelming but I do enjoy consults for the most part even if I have to double check alot of things.

I’m about to go into year 3 and having come from a previous career that involved a lot of stress and burnout I’m getting increasingly concerned I might end up back in that situation again.

I’m finding uni very tough academically and I’m worried I’ll end up in a double-whammy of struggling clinically combined with struggling with the lifestyle.

Is it time to quit while I’m ahead…..I’d love to hear what your experience has been.

What are your experiences working for either company as a new grad vet in terms of mentorship (I've heard vetco may be often sole charge??), culture, appointment pacing, amount of sick visit cases you get vs. just wellness, etc?

I feel like I've read quite a few new grad experiences for Banfield but don't see much for Vetco.

Thanks!

I was just recently hired at a local clinic for a vet assistant position, and am starting in a few days. I love animals, and feel as though if i werent helping them, or making a healthy change in my community, I wouldnt have any clue what my passion might be. Anyways, I have no direct clinic experience. Ive cat sat, dog sat, horse sat, always have had dogs of my own, picked up and relocated strays, and have never been scared to approach or help an animal. But I am deathly nervous of starting in a clinic! And to be honest, I dont really know what i am even scared OF! I have heard so much bad about the industry, and how evil some techs and experienced people can be, so that might have something to do with it. But otherwise, I am maybe worried I wont be capable. I understand and am expecting for this to be emotionally hard, but I am worried about literal job duties and math and the scientific stuff. How much of this is reliant on the assistants? Is it very very hard to learn? What would be a good indicator on if i can do this or not? Basically, tell me everything about when you started, how you felt, how long it took you to learn, and even embarrassing things you've experienced or seen other assistants or yourself do! I need a reality check - that not everything is PERFECT and so serious, even if it is a serious job!

I desperately need a job, and have been offered one as a CSR at a locally owned clinic. However, I am going to be honest. I don’t know if I should take it. Of course I love animals, but they aren’t my “passion” and everyone says they need to be for a job like this to work. During the interview they kept asking over and over again “are you sure you aren’t going to leave?” “This is a career you are looking for right?” I lied and said yes but this is just a job that will provide money until I get one I want. Is it wrong of me to go about it like this? Should I not take it if i may be working there for only a few months? Everyone says this job is extremely hard, is that true?

Hello everyone, I was wondering if there were any fun, small decorations I can put on my stethoscope. I don’t want anything to big like a sleeve, just some subtle personalization!

Hello, I’m currently a student in college, studying to get a Bachelors degree in Business Administration. I want to get into a vet tech program after I graduate in the next couple of years. I was wondering what is the best way to get experience in the veterinary field without a license? I want to get some experience under my belt but it’s hard when places won’t hire someone without experience. I have worked in dog daycare facilities for years and have a certification in dog behavior and training. Any tips would be very helpful!

Hey y’all!!

I’ve recently been faced with a tough decision. For the first time ever my vet school graduation is happening a week later than it usually does.

I tried to ask administration about this last year but no one knew. So I asked previous students and looked at the previous graduation dates going back to 2018. All of them were before a certain time period.

Bc of this I told my family to schedule an important event after this time period.

Lo and behold the graduation is a week later than usual and falls on the same allocated family time.

I don’t know what to do.

Don’t miss it: On one hand I am the first person in my family to graduate with a degree like this and my family couldn’t come to my undergrad graduation. I would love to see my friends walk the stage and take pics with my professors

Miss it: my friends and I are already planning a 3-5day trip with just us before we all graduate so we can cry and what not. My family is willing to celebrate me in other ways. I can always email / meet up with my professors.

But idk yall. I’m struggling I’m not sure what to do. We could move the family event but it’ll be expensive and everything is booked already , but my family said don’t let that be a determining factor.

They want me to purely assess how I will feel and what I want. So I wanted to see how you all feel about graduation.

I’m not sure where to take these questions so I’m hoping here is okay.
I’m 17, I’ve loved animals longer than I can remember, but I’m still unsure about a job path. I know realistically veterinary school is something that’s gonna take a lot of good luck for me to even have the opportunity of attending, let alone doing good at. I don’t consider myself a smart person; but since I was younger I’ve always wanted to work in an animal shelter and where I live the closest thing to that while also getting paid is working at my local humane society because I always see job listings for A veterinarian. I need to know if it’s even worth it, I know it’s a silly question but it’s a lot of money for just school and I don’t come from a wealthy family in the slightest so I’m gonna have to earn all of it. (I’m scared of getting student loans because of the horror stories I’ve heard from people who couldn’t pay it off). Would going to school to be a veterinarian be better in the long run than vet tech or is it not worth it? Pay and school wise. I apologize if these are stupid questions I’m getting myself worked up about it because after looking at the cost of college for it I’m thinking my dream is becoming very unachievable, especially with my chronic illness.

Hi!,

I am applying to veterinary schools in the UK, and although I have not submitted my UCAS application yet, I have gotten a conditional offer for a Kaplan International Foundation Year at Liverpool for progression into the veterinary school. Just asking if this is completely legit, as it is a big sum of money they are asking you to cough up for the deposit + regular tuition. Is this pathway seen as pretty standard? Do most students progress through to vet school? I got the offer quite quickly after submitting my grades and test scores (no essays), so I am a little freaked.

Hi all.

I will be starting an ECC internship (USA) in January and looking for one good book to have as reference during the internship to aid cases/self-directed-study.

Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.