What is the best part about being a veterinarian?
I have always loved animals for as long as I can remember, and now that I have discovered an interest in medicine as well, becoming a veterinarian is my largest educational goal. Now that I am a junior, I am starting to prepare more and more for my future, and I would love to know what the best or most fun part of being a veterinarian is. Thanks! #veterinary #veterinarian #veterinary-medicine #animals
2 answers
Thejas’s Answer
Ryan’s Answer
There are so many different rewarding aspects to being a veterinarian, depending on your personality and what drives you. I'll start with the most rewarding aspect for me, and then go into some secondary ones, as well as aspects that my colleagues find rewarding.
1.a. Teaching other vets and technicians. There is nothing more rewarding to me as veterinarian than helping a co-working learn and master a new skill, be it collecting blood, placing an IV catheter or teaching another veterinarian a new surgery. Seeing the excitement in their face when the accomplish a task with no assistance is incredible.
1.b. Specifically from a veterinary medicine standpoint. I'm surgical minded, meaning I like "quick fixes". I.e. fractured bone --> go to surgery, fix it. Bleeding spleen --> go to surgery, remove it. A patient comes in with a problem, and within 12 hours you have it fixed.
Other aspects that are rewarding depending on your specific job
- Vets that work in shelters, love helping pets in extremely poor conditions and in great need. Turning a malnourished, mange-ridden dog, into what can often times look like a completely new animal can be extremely rewarding.
- Developing long standing relationships with those in your community.
- Practice ownership, and starting a business from scratch and absolutely nothing, into a flourishing respected veterinary practice. (very rewarding for the business-minded folks)
- Community outreach and volunteer work. Of course we must do something to earn an income, but for many donating our services, abilities and medications, and seeing the exceptional impact it can have on a community that has very little, can be extremely rewarding.
- Still others in research find huge reward in the discovery of new microbes, or more importantly new medications to treat certain conditions
As I'm making this list, I'm realizing that the list might quite possibly be endless. Point is there are lots of opportunities. And I feel it is imperative for a DVM to find some rewarding aspect to their job to drive them. But one most also understand that everyday will not be rewarding. And some days just plan stink. As long as you still have a healthy dose of rewarding days, you can keep going. I find that to be good advice for any career choice.
Hopefully this helps.