So You Want to be a Vet?

by Dr. Michael Fagan

Michael Fagan, DVM

This post is geared toward high school or college students who might be considering veterinary medicine.  I don’t want to discourage anyone who is certain that they want to become a veterinarian, but I do want to help set up realistic expectations. 

I love my job as a veterinarian.  I get to work with other like-minded people.  I get to play with puppies and kittens.  I very often make patients’ lives better, and every now and then literally save a life.  Biology and medicine are interesting and challenging.  Surgery can be exciting and rewarding.  There’s no other job I would prefer to do. 

But, like any other good thing, there are not-so-good things that tag along.  Sometimes we can’t save a patient’s life, or even make it feel much better.  Euthanasia is always sad, even when it is the best and right option.  People sometimes get angry with us.  Sometimes they cannot afford a treatment we know would help.  Surprisingly, some dogs and cats don’t like us!  Bites are rare but can happen at any time.

Then there are the financial issues facing new or prospective veterinarians.  A recent article in the NY Times revealed the median cost of veterinary school (including living expenses) to be nearly $250,000 in 2011.  This does not include the cost of three to five years of undergraduate study.  Meanwhile, the median salary of new veterinarians that year was only $45,500. 

It is nearly impossible to repay a $250,000 loan on such a salary.  It would require over $2500 a month, on a salary less than $4,000 a month.  And not all graduates are finding jobs lately.  Last year, about one third of veterinary graduates were without an offer for a full time job.

There are some loan forgiveness programs, such as 501(c)3 charitable or military service, or Income Based Repayment or Pay As You Earn programs which keep payments lower but come with a potentially hefty tax burden at the end. 

So!  If science and math and problem solving and communication and a love of living things are your strong suits, by all means consider becoming a veterinarian.  But do so with eyes wide open to the cost of getting there and the challenge of repaying loans after graduation.  It is possible, but requires planning, discipline, commitment and endurance, and sometimes help from families or spouses. 

And finally, if you are still interested, contact us to arrange a day of job-shadowing so you can see what a small animal veterinarian does in real life!