Vet students graduate not knowing how to run an anesthesia machine
Aspiring and practicing veterinarians express anxieties about career paths, skill gaps, compensation, and the physical demands of the profession. Many are questioning their chosen field, feeling unprepared, or struggling to find fulfilling roles within the traditional veterinary setting. This uncertainty spans students to seasoned professionals.
SOURCES (60)
“I have been working at my small animal general practice since I finished tech school, and for a bit, it was my dream job. 3 years later, I feel burnt out and I’m having a hard time mentally with the workload and cases some days.…”
“Most of my work experience is in animal shelters/rescues and the veterinary field. I want to get out of that line of work because it is overall very low pay. I'm trying to get out of that field and use my bio degree or do literally anything else. I had a job as a veterinary receptionist for 1.5 years which didn't work out, so I currently work as a hotel front desk just to have something to live on. But I desperately need to get a better job. It's been awful, I spend all my free time”
“Hello everyone! I’m looking for some career advice/recommendations. I’m currently working as a veterinary assistant and have been in the veterinary field for about 5 years. While I’ve gained a lot of valuable experience, I’ve realized that I don’t want to continue further into veterinary medicine or pursue my license. I’ve slowly been losing interest in the field and have been thinking about trying something completely different. I’d really like to explore another career and get my feet wet in a”
“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 docto”
“I dont have any animal volunteering experience. I am finding one but none of them reply... I have some animals care experiences (my pets: cats, 3 turtles and one frog) is this enough for vet school in australia? My results are ok but I am really anxious about it.😭 submitted by /u/TakashiMikan [link] [comments]”
“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”
“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. submitted by /u/Only_Book_995 [link] [comments]”
“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 getti”
“Hi all! I’ll keep this short and sweet. I am a recently graduated and licensed tech, who was lucky enough to find a job soon after taking my VTNE. I started this new job a week ago, making this my second week. Today, we had a fractious cat come in. My school and my place of internship were pretty much strictly fear free … but obviously I know the basics of animal language and safety. UNfortunately, the poor fella was really not digging his blood draw and nabbed me. It’s pretty superficial, I’m o”
Any advice? submitted by /u/Melanisticunicorn [link] [comments]
“are there any vet “assistants” that have moved to potentially UK, Netherlands, Germany, or Ireland? I’m curious if you feel there was a big hiring need for the position or not. A lot of what i’m finding is basically the CVT equivalent to said country. I have 8+ years of experience so i’m curious to see if anyone else had a similar situation and how did it work for you? submitted by /u/Busy_Dragonfly5660 [link] [comments]”
“Hello everyone! I am a (newish grad) veterinary medicine doctor lurking here for tips and tricks to take from the corresponding human med field. I thought I could post this question here because it's probably relevant to the human EM too. I'm working exclusively night shifts at an animal hospital, meaning I deal mostly with acute, severe cases. I love emergency medicine and consider myself decently educated, but there is no amount of theorethical knowledge that can replace experience, wh”
“I’m considering starting vet tech school in about a year, but while I’ve been researching the field, I keep coming across a lot of negative experiences like stress, burnout, low pay, working overtime etc. What I’ve noticed, though, is that the overwhelming majority of these experiences seem to come from people working in veterinary clinics. I understand that working at a clinic is the most obvious career path for a vet tech, but is it really the only option? Are there other jobs where vet tech q”
“So before any harsh comments happen, I will preface this post with the fact that our provincial government announced the closure of our provincial veterinary service within 12 months, 6 months ago. As a result, we have lost several young licenced vets to out of province jobs, and my local branch has 1 vet on staff who can't attend to 90% of emergency calls. As a result of this, I lost a doe last week due to an 8 hour wait for a vet call back. There are no private livestock veterinarians eith”
“Hi, wondering if more of you in a similar situation and what you end up doing. I’m living in the Netherlands, for reasons I haven’t been able to get my diploma certified therefore can’t practice in any job requiring it (ofc clinic, but also gov, inspections, etc) on top of this the language is a barrier for any admin roles like sales, management,etc. I’ve landed a job in customer service for now but is definitely not what I would like to do long term. I’m also learning the language but my guess”
“So i'm planning on applying to some unis next year for vet nursing, but i lack work experience in a vet and im really not sure how to go about getting it. i have over 150hrs volunteering with a cattery, but I do know there's a care aspect and a more clinical aspect to work experience. i have quite a few vets in my area, and also my local one which i'm trying to build connections with but i'm still at a loss on how to actually convince a vet practice to take me on, even for just a”
“I just want to know which would offer • higher job stability • higher pay • higher AI resistance If anyone works in these fields id love to hear your pov <3 submitted by /u/min_456 [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, I'm a Belgian veterinary medicine student in the honours programme, currently working on an assignment for the KCV 1 course (2nd bachelor year, kind of our skills lab to practice our medical skills before practicing on actual patients). The goal is to come up with an innovative way to help students get closer to clinical practice, even before they start working with actual patients. • Our idea is to build a kind of "Operation"-style system (like the board game) from sc”
“Hey posting this for my girlfriend. She is currently in her pre vet program wanting to get a doctorate and be a vet. However, she recently discovered how much money she’s gonna owe from student loans. If anyone is willing to say, how much do you pay monthly for student loans? How much do you owe in student loans? Is it worth it? submitted by /u/Swimming-Opposite595 [link] [comments]”
“Hi all - I got my start in a toxic clinic in vet med, stayed for a year and a half, and have since moved to a practice I have been with for nearly a year now, and I just wanted to post some things to look out for in a clinic that are parts of why my clinic was ultimately unsustainable for me and why I would not recommend others to work there. Anyone else out there who is getting their start in this industry with zero experience and don’t know what to look for in a working environment, I hope thi”
“I'm doing my 3rd and final internship currently at an Anicura clinic in Norway. It's a bigger clinic than I've been to before and was very (and still is some days) overwhelming at the start. So the thing is, none of the employees seem to trust me to do blood draws, intubation, IV placements etc. even though those are exactly the things I'm supposed to be doing a lot of this final internship. How do I get them to be willing to let me do stuff besides restraint and cleaning? I unde”
“Unfortunately, after almost 6 wonderful years learning and working in vet medicine, I have finally left it. I was getting very burnt out at the end due to staffing issues and personal health issues, but I feel much more at peace and will forever be grateful for the knowledge I have that I can use and apply to my own fur babies to better their lives. However, I'm fairly young and this was my first real job, so I'm struggling to find something else. My leaving the clinic was mainly prompte”
“Yeah, but lit phds don’t perform surgery, diagnose patients, script out meds (including controlled substances) which Veterinary Doctors do. They go to veterinary medical school and get medical training. Their title is literally DVM, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (or VMD if they went to Penn). They also have huge role in public health for humans.”
“I am a vet, I graduated in 2021 and I an now pursuing a specialty abroad, while I wait for my paperwork I got a job in a shelter, as a shelter vet. Worst decision ever. The Adoption Counselor always argues with my medical decisions, she prescribes meds like candy without ANY medical knowledge. She always dismisses what I say and wants to treat all the animals "holistically". I need advice if any of you have encountered an specimen like this, who thinks they're a vet because they as”
“I took a job to be a veterinary "tech" (aka assistant). I was specifically hired to be doing hands on work. I am the only one here with any kind of formal education - not to say the others aren't experienced because they are and they have been here for a very long time. I keep being put in as a kennel assistant. I've been told "I started in kennel" by managers which yes but they were literally hired as kennel assistants. I just feel kind of dismissed. I don't mind”
“I am currently a Vet Tech of almost 8 years. Its really all I have known. About 1.5 years ago I left to work for the provincial govt. I was absolutely miserable, felt lost and not like myself. I returned and have felt great until recently. I moved from the ER clinic I was at due to the schedule demands as I have a almost 5 year old. Im miserable where I am. The job doesnt pay the greatest either. I have considered going back to school but I really am at a loss. I was fortunate to not have studen”
“I'm 16 in high school, I want to be a vet but I heard the emotional stress is high and I'm scared about the diagnosing part, is vet tech a better option? I want to be financially stable I'm not planning on having a family but have a few pets in my life, no big house, just a simple life style . Would it be better if I was just a vet tech? submitted by /u/Future_Veterinary [link] [comments]”
“I am interviewing for a VA position at the vet i use - they are amazing and seems to be a wonderful work environment as well. I have about 10 years of professional animal care experience, 7 years of retail and 7 years as a force free dog trainer. I feel very equipped to learn anything necessary. My only concerns are physical limitations - i am about 90lbs even with a muscular, lean build. I work out a lot but worry about having to lift or handle giant breeds alone, safely. I have no vet med expe”
“I am currently almost finished with my bachelors degree and planning on going to veterinary school after. I did have a question for vet techs that pursued it as a career. I wanted to see how your livelihood is affected by your income. If money didn’t matter i’d become a vet tech instead of a vet but my family struggled financially growing up and i want to feel completely free from it now. I don’t ever want to have to worry about finances for the rest of my life after i pay off vet school debt. I”
“Omitted sensitive info obviously, but how does this look? I want to be a vet tech, perhaps even a full vet if i feel like another billion dollars in student loans. I'm looking at veterinary assistant and kennel/shelter jobs, next year I'll go back to school to get my vet tech degree. submitted by /u/vampkittyxoxo [link] [comments]”
“I always wanted to be a vet. I’ve worked as a vet assistant since graduating high school, eventually working up to a technician, and was perusing vet med in my undergrad years before I started traveling. I learned I didn’t want to live to work, I wanted to work to live. And then the nursing idea was born. Mainly because I like to take care of people and I have a mad tech skill set. But I still wish I started selling feet pics and locked in a long distance sugar daddy years ago. sigh”
“Has anyone successfully completed their veterinary technician specialist (VTS) in dermatology? If so, can you please explain case reports/case logs feedback? My nurse has applied twice for this and keeps getting declined due to grammar errors but has received no feedback whatsoever. The board is really not helpful and honestly discouraging so I'm just reaching out if anyone else has had the same experience? submitted by /u/shelbyylainee [link] [comments]”
“Good Morning all.. As read from the title, i’m really struggling in my new vet clinic. They aren’t corporate, one owner who owned 2 clinics then downsized to 1 pretty largish clinic. I’m not going to say state of the art. But we do have some nice things that my previous clinic didn’t have.. so I’m struggling because where I came from was very community based. I’m not gonna say it was in a small town but it was a tourist area so we saw lots of tourist but also lots of people from our community ri”
“Hello, I am a UK vet student in clinical years, and I am doing a lot of clinical placements (mostly small animal). My problem is that I feel a bit stuck, i feel like i leave every placement positive; having learned something/practiced a new skill etc and feeling happy/competent with my current abilities. Post-placement block, my uni requires us to send out a feedback form that someone from the vet practice signs and reports feedback. I have recently received a some feedback saying that im not ‘p”
“hello hive mind!! I was wonder if anyone here has a VTS in zoo med/exprice? I graduated and passed my VTNE in May and want to continue my path with working and helping exotics (mainly reptiles lol, I love them). id love ANY information/tips you have- I currently work in a practice that does see exotics! submitted by /u/cynical_soup [link] [comments]”
“I feel so conflicted right now and could really use some advice from others in the profession. I'm a new grad currently at a small animal rotating internship. I thought I wanted to specialize for my last two years or so in vet school, but in my last semester, both my personal circumstances and perspective changed, and I wasn't so sure about specialization anymore. Nonetheless, multiple professionals that I talked to convinced me that doing a rotating would be worth it even if I ended up”
“Hi everyone! I am a current student at RUSVM looking to become an aquatic vet, specifically doing rehab and aquarium work with marine mammals. (Ex CMA, Georgia Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, etc) Looking into it, I am totally lost on how to reach that goal. I have a lot of questions and am praying someone has some answers for me, or at least can steer me towards where/who I need to go to. I want to do my clinical year somewhere where they have aquatic electives AND also allow externships so I can ma”
“I am a junior in high school, thinking about majoring as a vet. I've loved animals for as long as I can remember and always wanted to be a vet growing up. The only thing that has me hesitating is performing surgery. I was looking into being a vet assistant, but with the cost of living rising and job pay not increasing, I will not survive on that little pay. I was also thinking about a Vet Tech, but that pay is not great either, but seems like maybe something I would want to do? I live in NC,”
“Hey im a second year veterinary tech student and in the midst of my semester. I got sick with the flu. That sickness left me with lingering fatigue and somehow initiated this ultra bad depression within me. Im too tired to do anything and often feel indifferent to the topics im learning despite it being my passion. I wakeup feeling like i never slept at all. For days im supposed to study, i just lie down in bed and blank out with zero motivation or will. Its extremely scary for someone that hasn”
“i understand that you won’t get paid FAIRLY for the work and knowledge needed to be a vet tech, and i understand that vet techs are underpaid. however im pretty happy living frugally and im passionate about animals. i dont plan on having a family (kids never interested me) and i dont spend excessively (make my own coffee, i never get fast food, etc). i work at a vets office currently and i know ill be happy being a vet tech (going to school for it currently and i love it) but hearing people CONS”
“Hi everyone! I’m a new vet grad and I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I never really developed a solid understanding of anaesthesia during vet school. I mostly followed protocols without fully understanding the “why” behind them, and now I really want to fix that. I’ve tried several times to study it on my own, but I feel like I’m missing some basic foundations, so I struggle to build my knowledge from more advanced resources. What books, webinars, courses, YouTube channels, etc. would you”
“Hello. I am an upcoming first year vet student and I am super nervous about starting school. Although I did ok in undergrad, I do not feel as though I prepared myself for vet school. My first two years of gen ed were not that hard even though I did get a C in both organic chem 1 and 2. My last two years were all online because of covid and I do not feel as though I really had to study and I did not form good study habits. After undergrad, I decided to switch to veterinary medicine and pursue vet”
“Hey everyone. Ive been in the Veterinary field for 3 years now as a kennel tech. I was promoted earlier this month in my clinic to a veterinary assistant. I work full time, as well as attend school full time in a Veterinary Nursing Program. I'm very new to the asisstant/tech side of the field (in my clinic, techs and assistant do the same job, just different titles), and I have been given little to almost no training. I was thrown into this role, and have been learning by trial and error, as”
“Hello everyone! I’m an internationally trained veterinarian with 2+ years of experience in small animal practice. I recently moved to Canada as a permanent resident and I’m currently preparing for the licensing exams (BCSE, NAVLE, and CPE). I’d really like to gain some Canadian experience and become familiar with the workflow and veterinary system here. I’ve been sending my resume to clinics hoping to find a position as a veterinary assistant, but so far, I haven’t even been invited for an inter”
“I've been in a group on Facebook for years called As A Vet Tech I Am Horrified. For some reason tonight when I went to search for it, nothing is coming up?? Did something happen to the group? submitted by /u/gold3n_sunris3 [link] [comments]”
“TW!!!!! (Neglect) I am a newly out of school vet tech, I am on my last week of extenship at an ER. I have so far had a great time and done well separating work and life. Even the super hard cases aren’t too emotionally draining. Until today. A one year old Australian shepherd came in weighing 11 pounds with a BCS of 1. I am unsure of the exact reason his owner brought him in as I was helping to stabilize. Once he was relatively stable the vet started talking to the owners who had had him his who”
“I interviewed two weeks ago for an Oncology Vet Tech Assistant position at a specialty veterinary hospital, and I'm trying to figure out what the actual day-to-day responsibilities would be. I already have a decent amount of veterinary experience, which is why the manager actually told me during the interview that he thought I might be overqualified and was worried I would get bored. He mentioned that my skills would be very transferable and seemed impressed by me. At my previous jobs, I was”
“Hi Everyone, I am starting my first externship for my veterinary technology program at Penn Foster and wanted to know some resources you used during the externship. Any resource would be greatly appreciated. submitted by /u/No_Broccoli6883 [link] [comments]”
“I thought about going to school to be a vet tech/emergency vet tech but it generally doesn't make a lot of money. I was thinking maybe a human resources manager but by the time I'd be able to do that I'd be like 30. I live in Massachusetts btw. I'm thinking of getting certified as a peer support specialist, no college needed, but it only makes slightly above minimum wage Location: Massachusetts submitted by /u/DeliciousTension2155 [link] [comments]”
“I thought about going to school to be a vet tech/emergency vet tech but it generally doesn't make a lot of money. I was thinking maybe a human resources manager but by the time I'd be able to do that I'd be like 30. I live in Massachusetts btw. I'm thinking of getting certified as a peer support specialist, no college needed, but it only makes slightly above minimum wage submitted by /u/DeliciousTension2155 [link] [comments]”
“Hi all, I currently work at a private ER/specialty but the pay is abysmal and I’m sick of the hours. I have an interview for PetFolk this week as there’s one opening near me in October, and another interview for an Ethos-owned hospital a little further away from me but with better hours and pay. I wanted to see if anyone had advice/experiences about either corporation? I’ve never worked corporate before, only been in private settings. For context I’m unlicensed and hoping to just spend another y”
“Hi Everyone, I am starting my first externship for my veterinary technology program at Penn Foster and wanted to know some resources you used during the externship. Any resource would be greatly appreciated. submitted by /u/No_Broccoli6883 [link] [comments]”
“This post will probably be the opposite of many others in here, so please bear with me. I’m a new graduate vet and I recently started my first job abroad. It’s been about a month. For the first two weeks I was shadowing because I was waiting for my license to be approved, and once that came through, my clinic started giving me vaccination and healthcare appointments. My team is genuinely lovely. They take mental health very seriously, constantly check how I’m doing, ask if I’m stressed, and they”
“I’m currently entering my second year of vet school. I worked my ass off to get into veterinary school, i accumulated over 1000 hours of work experience in high school working in farms, shelters, clinics, zoos and ect… Yet, once I got into vet school despite getting good grades and enjoying the subject… I just feel so discouraged. I feel like im blindly walking towards of pit of despair. Every single vet I have shadowed has told me not to become a vet, and it doesn’t seem to get better in differ”
“Hello there. I graduated from my veterinary college. I'm 28 years old who hadn't experienced yet and sometimes I really worry about my age. I'd like to work in the UK via Skilled Worker Visa. My college was accredited by EAEVE so I can work in the UK without Statutory Membership Exam. I just need an IELTS or OET score to register RCVS I'll be preparing the English exam whilst working at somewhere. Is my age late for working in the UK or abroad? Sometimes I consider about my age.”
“I started working at my GP clinic two years ago. I just recently graduated from my vet tech program and passed the VTNE. The raise I got for getting licensed was only 99c, not even a whole dollar. I’m now getting paid $4 below the average for a vet tech in my area and I’ve been there for two years. Management also started talking about having LVTs at the clinic start doing non anesthesia dentals which I do not feel comfortable doing. I’ve also wanted to branch out and see what else I can experie”