Vet School vs Med School - assumptions, regrets, salaries

[@jubilationbrown6507]

Soon to be vet here! (I graduate in May!) at least in the US, vet salaries are increasing due to demand and many of my colleagues are signing contracts of $100k-130k as a small animal general practitioner. We still don’t get nearly as much respect as human medicine and are often not seen as ‘real’ doctors-which is entirely untrue! Respect to all doctors out there!

[@parkpark3859]

@@RandomUserYTisFailingmake sure you start out as a vet assistant/vet tech because in order to get into vet school you will need hours of hands on experience!!!

[@jacobjbs8613]

@@RandomUserYTisFailingu can become a vet tech !

[@irshadhasan8062]

Best wishes doctor I aslo doing dvm degree

[@VictorVonDoom.]

Vets are doctors I fail to understand why people don’t understand that Humans are just animals. Doctors look after animals. Whether that’s humans, dogs, cats, elephants, birds etc etc

[@vetstudentjasm]

Definitely went through the same dilemma before I chose vet school!

[@guppy8326]

Worth it

[@melinana__]

I went through this confusing phase and ended up choosing vet school fortunately im so happy ♥️. Thank you so much for inspiring us to love our career.

[@MayYean]

It is a rewarding career indeed with various job options! All the best!

[@eri.grass_]

I love this! It gives me more detailed overview of the two different professions. Both careers are amazing and tough that's why it's a matter of being committed with what you are going to do because surely, it would take you a huge responsibility. Being a veterinarian is something that requires being devoted to and passionate with the job. It's sad that we are lacking of vets right now but I hope someday our vet population grows with me being part of it! Thanks for this! I'm excited for the next part.

[@lyna5097]

I really like this video , i'm a 1st year vet student ,i chose this major because i have loved animals since i was little and i didn't really think about human med when i was young but in some point in my life i thought about it after watching movies and because my friends wanted it ,but in the end my marks didn't reach me to human med which i'm thankful for cause u know i could have joined it under the pressure from my family and my friends i believe God knows what was in my heart and i'm really happy that i chose what i love and not what people want me to do

[@melinana__]

Happy for you Lyna 🌟 ,you’re doing great keep it up

[@JJ-gg7wz]

hey, happy second year of vet school! how is it going? I'm a junior in Uni, probably going to take a gap year after senior year before I apply to vet school. Nervous but excited, and eager to hear about how others' experiences are going!

[@madevenikanareswari829]

Similar dilemma to mine when I was a veterinary student and all my relatives deeply regretted it, why not become a doctor or a dentist? and here I’m now in 6 months, I will be a veterinarian.

[@jovanag2949]

how’s everything going now ?

[@DyanNugrahadis20]

hi doctor may, seeing your videos makes me even more excited. I am a 2nd semester vet school student from Indonesia. I really enjoy studying anatomy, physiology and genetics. For anatomy, now I have reached the stage of learning about muscles. I admit, it's very difficult, because we have to go through exams every week so that all the lessons really stick in the brain. but other than that, it's great to know how each muscle in an animal's body works, and it's really amazing. and you know, I take my interest in cattle. thank you Doctor may, for sharing your experience, I hope you are always healthy, and enjoy your activities sorry if my english is bad, i use google translate. greetings from Indonesia ;) ❤❤💯

[@MayYean]

Hey Dyan, that’s so cool to hear, I remember we had so many dissection sessions going through anatomy in the past, all the best in your studies 🐮and your English is great!

[@DyanNugrahadis20]

@@MayYean thank so much you doctor may, 🤩🥰...

[@Ohdeyummm]

Wow so insightful!! I’ve been wanting to go into medicine for so long and despite my love for animals I thought it was the right path for me. Now that I’m closer to finishing up with pre med, I’ve come to the conclusion that Vet school would be more purposeful for me. In the U.S , human medicine has just become so political and overcome by corporate greeed that doctors who have a passion for human health can’t really make the positive and genuine changes they want to make. They’re just overworked, overwhelmed , and stuck under our corporate rules. Not to say the animal side is any better, I’m just saying that from the people I’ve met, research I’ve done and the experience I’ve had in both environments , animals clinics just feel more like home .

[@JeNom-g5r]

I am a veterinarian and I would like to be doctor

[@lennon7185]

You’re such an inspiration! Your transparency and insider knowledge is so informative to even people who work in the veterinary industry. Keep up the good work and take care! 🐶

[@nettaboyar9870]

My dream since the age of 3 was to be a vet. Now I’m 28 and soon to graduate vet school. I never questioned my choice of career. When I started working as a vet tech in a horse hospital I officially knew there is no other job I can do. No matter how hard it is (physically and emotionally), how low pay it is and how long hours it is, I can’t not work with animals.

[@GregNoblin]

Veterinary Surgeons in the US make $250,000-$500,000 per year. There's also only about 1300 of them. Surgeons have 4 more years of education than a regular vet. So when you have to have surgery, look for a board certified surgeon. In the US it's 4 year undergrad and 4 year vet school to become a DVM. A surgeon or specialist will get an undergrad, go to vet school, then get a masters and do 4 years of a surgical residency at a university. For example, The Ohio State University graduates 2-4 veterinary surgeons per year. So a regular vet is Joe / Jane Smith DVM A specialist, like a surgeon is Joe / Jane Smith DVM MS DACVS

[@chloesmith5142]

That’s interesting, in the UK it’s five years and all vets are surgeons!

[@GregNoblin]

@@chloesmith5142 Yeah, my wife did undergrad at University of Georgia, the Vet School at University of Georgia to get her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. She then went to Ohio State for her Surgical Residency for 4 more years. She also got a masters at OSU for fun. So in the US a vet is a DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine), they do minor surgeries like spay neuter and maybe some simple foreign body stuff, but if you need a leg plated, you're going to need a board certified surgeon if you want optimal outcomes. So a vet here is a DVM, my wife is a DVM MS DACVS. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Masters of Science, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. 12 years total. Same level of education requirements as a human surgeon here in the states.

[@GregNoblin]

@@chloesmith5142 I did some research. It's not 5 years in the UK to be a surgeon. It's a bit confusing. You're regular vets in the UK are boarded and overseen by the RCVS, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. So your regular vet is John Doe RCVS... that's the equivalent of a DVM in the US, 4 years of vet school. RCVS vets can and do do minor surgery, however they do not perform things Specialists would do, like plating legs. Those Specialist vets have 3-4 more years of surgical residency, Those surgeons will have ECVS after their name plus whatever certificates and other education titles. So a real veterinary surgeon in the UK would be John Doe RCVS ECVS at the minimum. Specialists include soft tissue surgery, orthopedic surgery, oncology, internal medicine etc. In the UK, you do get your RCVS (basic veterinarian) straight from your bachelors. So you can be a regular vet in 4-5 years then become a specialist with 3-4 more years. Any vet that only has 4-5 years of veterinary specific education is not a specialist and not a "surgeon" etc

[@chloesmith5142]

@@GregNoblin Hey Greg! I’m actually studying to be a Veterinary Surgeon in the UK, it’s five years, I will have BVMSci MRCVS after my name and I will be allowed to do any surgery (within reason, I wouldn’t be doing orthopaedics on my first day, as that’s not an RCVS Day One Competency.) You’re right about the residency 3-4 years; if I were to do a surgical residency then I would be referred to as a surgical specialist, and would most likely work in referral hospitals. But you’re still referred to as a surgeon even without the further qualification. I’ve seen vets in practice do encleation’s and fix diaphragmatic hernias without an specialist qualification and these definitely aren’t simple surgeries. A lot of time, many people can’t afford to refer their animals to referral hospitals so the vet will do the surgery themselves, especially, if you work at a charity hospital etc. It’s crazy how it’s so different depending on where you qualify, college in the US seems very different to university in the UK, I do wish it was longer than 5 years though, so much to learn!

[@GregNoblin]

@@chloesmith5142 Interesting! My wife is what you'd call a specialist surgeon. I'd also say, over here in the States, there's a lot about the money and creating a system of requirements far above what is necessary in any field. Like general studies type things not associated with a field are still required. Does someone really need 2-3 more english or biology classes if you're going to be a civil engineer? So in the US you have to get a 4 year undergrad bachelors degree before you're even allowed to get into a vet school. Seems in the UK you pretty much start vet school year one. So in the UK you can get in 7-8 years the same specific education / training of what takes 12 here. And same here about cost, it's a lot more expensive to see referral specialists here.

[@victoranuarvaldezengel2569]

I choose the vet school here in Mexico 5 years ago. I heard my profesor of epidemiology that some vets win 200,000 MXN per month (10K USD) in the WHO. Thanks for the video I really love this career and love de wild animals. I hope to became a great Zoo vet.

[@liv-dh5fp]

this was rlly helpful thank you. I get a lot of pressure by my family to enter medicine but i rlly want to be a marine vet. I didn't know what i should do. Thank you guys so much!

[@valiantvelarde5280]

There are far more vets making more money out of there profession here in the Philippines the human medical doctors. Many medical doctors here look like they are making more money out of there profession only because they already came from a wealthy family. The kind that they have been changing cars while still in school. I think the point here is really going for what you really love. Both makes good money, I guess you just have to be somewhere where your chosen profession makes the most that can sustain your dream life.

[@scaravv1876]

This video is great! Helped to understand the differences. I’ve been torn between going to med or vet school because I’ve always wanted to work in the med field but never knew whether or not if I wanted to work with people or animals! Hopefully i figure it out soon.

[@MayYean]

Thank you so much and glad it helped!! Definitely get work experience in both fields if you are able to so you can see for yourself which is best 🙏 all the best!

[@scaravv1876]

@@MayYean of course! And thanks so much also! I’ll definitely be looking further into both.

[@rozzybuggy7203]

They are tough but think it like this first are totally different and tough. Anyways being a vet is working with animals and making them get better or med school helping pepole out.

[@briegraves2227]

The picture to this video is lovely, you're both wonderful women spreading positive knowledge! But the first picture I see is Vet vs Doctor.. A Vet is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.. I know you know this but we are already are looked at as less than by my medical school cohorts. I wish it would've said DVM vs MD. Thankful for you two making this video! It just should've said Doctor vs Doctor.

[@littlemooshca9323]

I want to be a vet so badly. I hate working with people, and have always been socially awkward. I connect with animals effortlessly and love volunteering at shelters and ranches. But my family keeps pressuring me to be a human doctor, they say why waste that long in school to make as much as factory workers. But I’m 3 months into my CNA job and it’s miserable. I cry every day, I hate it. But I don’t want to set my future family up for failure with a shit salary and student debt :/

[@relaxationsounds238]

Remember at the end of the day. You wake up. You live your life, not your family, not your mum, not your dad or siblings. You look after yourself, your mental health, physical and your OWN morals and what makes you happy. You don't want to get to an old stage as say oh shit I regret not working with animals. Veterinary doesn't pay alot of money compared to other careers but people do it because they are happy and love animals. I hope you will find something you love doing without the pressure from your family ❤️‍🩹

[@sophialamond1770]

your videos have been so helpful throughout my application process !!! thank you so much for making these :)))

[@rajakuchibhotla4714]

These videos are so fun and helpful. Thank you.

[@ordinarygirl8520]

In the outer Hebrides it would be great to have more doctors! My family is from there and when my grandad fell down like a mini cliff and hit his head, there was no way there would be any doctors in the outer Hebrides who could do anything. So he had to be helicoptered to Glasgow. Obviously though there is less demand for doctors in the outer Hebrides than Glasgow for example.

[@eisyahumaira4146]

Thanks for this great video..It help me a lot in beginning of my vet journey..hope you do many more video..❤️❤️

[@Corvusenca_20]

I’m a high schooler working as a veterinary assistant at a clinic near me, but I’m also looking for ways to learn about human medicine as well. Do you know of any ways I can gain work/shadowing experience in the human medical field as a high schooler? Thank you!!

[@Diisycorner]

thank you for sharing both experiences of being a human and animal doctor.

[@Lilibeth_3634]

Thanks for the honest review on both these amazing careers!!! I really love helping animals and I’ve got two poodles myself, but I’m so confused, my parents really hope that I can become a Human doctor but I feel that I should do something that I’m passionate about and not just bcs I wanna fulfill my parents’ wish, I feel that I’ll let them down, but I feel it’s what I want do…..but also at the same time if I do become a human doctor I could use my salary to donate and help animals at a larger rate, at this moment, I don’t even know if I’m going to make the right choice….I’ve still got time as I’m doing my A levels now but time passes fast…… it’ll be great if you guys can leave your opinion here tq😊😊

[@pccl9358]

To be honest, I fully support my daughter to become a vet and send her overseas to study for that because that's her aspiration and dream in life. She will soon graduate. However going through all these years I understand that with the same amount of effort and even more, the respect and monetary reward are not comparable to human doctors. A good vet's salary is only a small portion of a good doctor. The environment you can choose is very limited for a vet. While for a doctor, you can choose a big hospital, open a small clinic ...etc. However, for a vet, the equipment is so expensive that it is difficult to open a clinic, plus a big hospital is rare for animals. I regret I did not encourage her to study human medicine.

[@LadyOya-dc]

Veterinarians make much more in the US. Average is 100k and because of the shortage of Vets even in the US company are giving large bonuses.

[@RockinBarBRanch]

Wish I know this before I went and graduated from medical school. I moved in a different direction as it was not my calling!

[@Avelline6]

Doctor please make a video on animal related courses apart from vet science.⭐⭐⭐

[@ryannnnadi4629]

Hi dr may ,its a great video ! ,iam a fisrt year vet student from Indonesia, the vet profession is less desirable here and its often considered unimportant in Indonesia, the sentence I often hear is "it's just an animal"😢

[@lil_ducky2027]

It’s not just an animal ♥️ it’s a life

[@oluchipreciouselezua8460]

Hello Dr. May. Thank you for doing this Video. I love the insight from the Human Doctor. Thanks for sharing.

[@Belle-x9v]

I am given admission to study vet.. even though I choosed human medicine. I have no regrets at all. But I need to learn more about veterans

[@charulatha8192]

Hey. I am a first year vet student too. This video is amazing

[@tomato5250]

I have a chance to attend to a vet school and i think it is awesome but at the same time i am sad i can’t study at med school… i know it sounds wild but maybe i will apply for med school after i graduate from vet school. Or maybe i will like to become a veterinerian more than being a human doctor idk. I will wait and see what i can do about it.

[@Esfahanian.8]

hi dr. may , im vet student in iran, your video was greathful. veterinary in iran is still primary. i want to be a diffrenet in my job and start the podcast but i dont know how get i started in this way.🌹

[@nettaboyar9870]

Good luck with both your studies and your podcast! You can try to get accepted for an internship or residency in a country where veterinary medicine is more advanced, then move back to Iran and bring the advances with you!

[@turikumanajoshua1848]

Vet yesinga

[@polins_wallflower]

Hi! I love ur vids and was wondering if I could get some advice! I'm 13 ( 14 in july) and really want to study veterinary! At this age what is the best way to get experience? 🥰🥰

[@myxnku5042]

Heyy ! I'm 15, and this may be no help to you, but I thought I'd share this info with you ! I also always wanted to be a vet and I'm looking for places currently where I can do work experience. So far, what I've learnt is that people mostly take 16+ people to gain work experience, or you can have certain places where they allow 13-15yr olds but it's very controlled and they don't allow you to do much always. But it definitely depends on the place ! I went to my local vet and I got some advice from them too, they recommended that you just message many areas around you (farms, animal shelters, etc) and maybe one place will accept you ! With my own personal "work experience" so far, I've joined clubs (such as horse riding clubs) where i get to spend time around certain animals and I get to learn about the animals :)) I hope some of this info helped :) !

[@polins_wallflower]

@@myxnku5042 thank you! This helps a lot! 🥰

[@MayYean]

Yes Myx has answered it very nicely! You can also join the vet mentor free virtual vet society on medicmentor.co.uk and their free virtual work experience programme as well ☺️

[@Corvusenca_20]

Greetings!! I’m a little older than you but still in high school, and I work as a veterinary assistant at a clinic near me! It’s a great job for high schoolers to gain some work experience and I’ve learned a lot about veterinary medicine already. Good luck!!

[@chloesmith5142]

Hello! I’m a 4th year vet student in the UK! With work experience, the best advice I can give is to make it as varied as possible! Obviously definitely get some experience in a vet practice, but a lot of vets don’t accept students until they are 16 or 18. However, there are many other places you can go as a younger student; catteries/kennels, rescue centres, wildlife hospitals, farms (farmers really appreciate help with lambing during lambing season, it’s also a lot of fun!), zoos etc. I would also recommend doing as much as possible to make your application stand out. Vet schools are really oversubscribed so doing the bare minimum won’t be that helpful, good luck!

[@pemanilnoob]

I so want to be a vet. I want to be an expert on cats and cat health, but I literally am not allowed to due to the school system not allowing me to get grades to go into vet school just cause I’m neurodivergent. My only other option is to help out at a cat shelter. So I hope I can do that at least.

[@lil_ducky2027]

I’m so sorry!! Have you talked to your school, or are there other schools near you that you are able to have better opportunities at?

[@pemanilnoob]

@@lil_ducky2027 I'm definitely not gonna quit school just for that. I'd die from such an awful thing And I've basically screamed at them about it lol

[@pemanilnoob]

@@lil_ducky2027 but thanks for your concern and caring

[@ericabertagnoli5469]

I’m not a dr. But I had this between being a RN or a vet tech. I decided people are f ing crazy and I love animals. I make just about the same as RN

[@allabouthorsesschleich7025]

I don’t mean this in a bad way, or a hateful way it’s just so confusing how I always hear that doctors don’t make a lot of money, but I personally know several doctors and they are VERY rich, like living in a mansion, driving multiple Tesla’s rich. Do different hospitals, pay drastically different?

[@SuspiciousBagel33]

are these uk doctors? in the NHS doctors for the first few years get paid very little (as mentioned in the video)... London doctors will have to deal with high rent/ general cost of living too which takes a great deal off their wage. It will be private doctors generally who have those high salaries you're thinking about

[@Billionaire216]

Hi dr! Its my 2nd year being in vet school the frist day i enterd the vet school i saw your yt channel And today is my 2nd year 4th semester start thank u for guidance and appreciation Vet feild really need dr's like you.btw i wanna say if possible make a vedio on opportunity foe vet from forigen countries into US Europe etc....❤

[@bhanulathavedagiri6727]

INDIA LOVES HUMAN-DOCTOR NOT THE VETERINARY-DOCTOR. HYDERABAD-13 TELANGANA

[@Bharanidharan-bz6wd]

Not anymore, doctors are getting beaten by the so called public.

[@lilywaka2025]

Hi! I’m 15 and in Highschool and I live in the united states and I was wondering if you can give me any advice to start getting experience for becoming a vet?

[@irmaquinones4772]

Apply at local clinics or animal hospitals

[@lil_ducky2027]

Lots of volunteering! Especially at shelters or sanctuaries, places like that. I want to be a vet too, and have done a lot of research!

[@segzy05]

Vet or Doctor? arent both doctors? Am hearing this for the first time

[@blackeagleadventures7200]

Can a vet assistant do surgery ?

[@allabouthorsesschleich7025]

Teslas*

[@AnnAcosta-o2k]

Not comfortable dealing with human anatomy

[@anhluong9891]

Hay quá

[@prerna7252]

Thanks for the video In the compensation for vets can you mention how much do board certified vet’s earn ?

[@worrell3831]

That is going to vary based on the type of specialist and what setting they are working in. Not as standardized as a GP vet

[@GregNoblin]

Surgeons, Cardiologists, Internal Medicine type specialists have 4+ more years of education and earn $250,000 and up. It's usually a base plus performance bonus. So like $125,000 base and 25%-30% of production after costs, whichever is higher. So say you do like $1,000,000 in billable services, you'll make like $250,000-$300,000 for that year.

[@prerna7252]

@@GregNoblin thank you so much for this info !!

[@worrell3831]

@@GregNoblin GP also works on a production/ base salary model. Not just specialists. Standard in GP is 20% on top of your base pay.

[@GregNoblin]

@@worrell3831 didn't know that! Thanks for the info. My wife is a veterinary surgeon, that's the only reason I know anything about it.

[@ljr9365]

Dang. You vets need to move across the pond.

[@shazhamilton5160]

I honestly think if your blessed with the brains to go into a profession like this then you should be a doctor or nurse. I think its a real waste to choose to work with animals when you could be saving human lifes its the same thing as people donating more to animal charities when human children are starving. I like animals but this treating them better than people and choosing them over humans is weird

[@matchalattee679]

chile, we gotta eat to keep these brains workin ima go vet route, I also want a life

[@dandelion9915]

talk to any pet owner, myself included, and they will tell you how beyond grateful they are for the way(s) in which a vet has provided life saving care to their pet, or at least, provided care to their pet at a time they were vulnerable due to illness or injury, and therefore in need of the unique care that a vet can provide, which a human doctor simply would not have the skillset to provide. Where you find humans you find animals. Both careers are just as needed and just as valuable for the respective patients they treat.

[@frvrcatss]

What-

[@aisyahamirfz]

yeah sure and who’s going to keep the agriculture and food industry going? human doctors??😂

[@anarivera_t]

And just because you’re smart you should go into a profession you don’t like and be miserable?