My husband is an aquatic animal specialist. Generally, you have have residency in the field you choose. If you go directly to clinics believe me, you work your ass off. All my vet friends tell me how horrific it is. It is NOT the cases, it the owners not doing what you have been trained to identify and solve, then getting pissed about your bill.

If you want to make money, get boarded in pathology or lab animal medicine. Both are VERY DIFFICULT boards and there is a 30% pass rate for the lab animal medicine... For the path board, if you do the AFIP course and study VERY hard, you can do it.

Folks really need vet paths... And surgeons

Working your ass off is an understatement. I'm only in my 1st year and I don't feel like I have a life anymore. I think there's only like 150 or so board certified veterinary clinical pathologist in the US. I think that may include Canada too, so there isn't very many. I can see why. I mean, I think clinical pathologists need at least three years of residency training, and of course that's after 4 years of veterinary school, maybe I should say 4 years of hell,:rolleyes: anyway I think it is three years to be eligible to take the board certification exam though. AKA Monet, I don't know. Really I don't even know if I can take much more of this semester and it just started.:o:p

If I did go into a specialty program it would be surgery.

This is the time where they will TRY you. You just have to suck it up and keep it moving...

You still need the path knowledge to do the surgical residency. Private practice will not allow you to do all the surgery you want, but academic surgery with a vet path board--look at DSI Technologies...

Ironically, I cannot tie knots with a 4-0 to 6-0 Ethicon suture... And I was suppose to be using 11-0 silk... Oh well... ;)

lol ^^^

I've noticed a lot of pathologists practice their specialty in university veterinary hospitals. When I mentioned the 150 or so, that's what I was talking about. They're mostly in vet hospitals, or independent labs. Either that or biotech companies. Yeah, surgery requires path, but after last semester some of my DVM goals have now changed.:):o

Can you tell your husband to sign onto greekchat so he can help me with my homework. lol (I'm kidding):p

You're right, it is hard, and yes I do have to suck it up big time. I did o.k. last sememster. I hoping to do better this semester though.

Thank you! All I know about medicine I learned from ER.

LOL! I WISH that's all I had to know.

That is the #1 question I am asked... "Is it anything like "ER"/"House"/"Grey's Anatomy"/insert random medical show here?" and the answer is NOPE! But it's still pretty cool most of the time. :p

This is great advice. It will probably get worse before it gets better, Cheerfulgreek. But it will be worth it in the end!

Sorry sweetie, he'll make you clean out the tanks and do a 12 hour TID of treatment on some dayum fish, and all they do is "look"...

Apparently, you need to learn by doing, constantly and consistently. If you can get into a vet lab on your campus and keep on keeping on, I think it will help you with your specialty board... Just don't be like my husband who had to jump in with the alligators at the farm...

I originally thought I wanted to be a vet.....too bad I'm allergic to pretty much anything that has four legs.
I'm studying for the MCAT now and applying to medical schools this summer. I'm pretty nervous and feel like I have no idea what I'm doing or how the whole process works, so if anyone has any advice about ANYTHING....

It's already gotten worse, but I do hope it pays off. I'm worried about how well I'll do when I start doing my rotations, and that's still a year and half away.:o:(

I got a kitten for Christmas and when I take her to the vet, I think the doctor hates to see me coming, because I bombard him with a ton of questions. lol.:p

lol lol lol.:p

You were kidding about the alligators. Right?

Good luck to you!:)

Oh man those days seem like they were just YESTERDAY! I guess my only advice at this point for you is to study hard and apply EARLY. A lot of my premed friends waited until the last minute, and I think it hurt some of them when interview time came. On the other hand, I came out pretty well and I do believe some of it came from being the "early bird".

And, since you brought it up, I have comment on the fact that you wanted to be a vet. Medical school, or the medical field in general really, is way too difficult and insane to be a back-up profession! I know vets who get allergy shots and use nasal sprays for their allergies. If that's what is truly in your heart you should do it. I hope that didn't come off the wrong way. Just some food for thought...

I was told by the med school admission's dean that you should read the "top matter" to JAMA and NEJM for the last 3 years. You should know current events from your newspaper--especially the government health issues, i.e. insurance, new drugs, better treatment options. And if you have not done experiences in a hospital or similar, you need to do them, ASAP. So, when you do get an interview, you have a discussion.