Both my daughter and her husband (BF from uni) are vets.
If you saw what they did to get where they are now at 27 yrs old you wouldn't do it.
She studied nightly religously for 4 years at high school to become runner up dux. Then the stressful wait to get into Murdoch, she got in on the 2nd round selections.
Then 5 years of hard slog, grime, stench of dead animals and study that even people doctors state is more than they have to do.
Then off to the USA for post grad internship in post natal equine. That she/we had to pay for and she earnt next to nothing, merely survival money, teaching undergraduates and learning from others.
They graduate as general medical practitioners AND surgeons. Human doctors are not surgeons or even a GP on graduation. They are also expected to know all species of animals brought into the surgery, human Drs only have one species.
Then first position, on around $38,000 pa, now about $54,000 for a 1st year. She now earns less than a graduate engineer and he is earning about what a good engineer would earn. They both do the same tasks and she actually does more as she runs the practice, it is a male dominated industry, yet has more female doctors.
To start a basic vet practice be prepared to fork out around $1-2m. Then if you want specialised equipment go to the bank and good luck with that.
It isn't all beer and skittles.
Vet practices/vets often cop this sort of flak as people have no idea what really goes on.
Human doctors have a massive compulsory insurance fund behind them, Vets don't as it is voluntary and up to pet owners.
We have 3 dogs and my daughter has 4. All are insured as we treat them as family not simply something to throw a ball to when we are bored.
It is only costly insurance as it is private and not many take advantage of it. Our daughter advised us to do it and we don't regret it.
We had hoped one day we would have two vets and small vet bills lol. Dream on parents... she has moved so far away we simply go to the vets like anyone else.
If your saw and knew how our daughter treats animals, you would all want to take your pets there. Especially dog owners and even more so if German Shepard and Cavalier King Charles.
Next time you go to the vet have a think about what they did to get there. If you aren't insured then you maybe should reconsider having pets if you don't want to pay to care for them. Would you refuse your kids medical care? Animals have feelings as well.
