Veterinary science is awesome. It's also hard- very hard, and I'm only in first year. It's not hunky dory or rows of daisies- it's tough, dirty, physically and mentally demanding work and I think that is overlooked a lot when people think of being a vet. I think that the veterinary profession is perhaps one of the most misconceived and glamorized- most of society has this idea that we get to spend our days bonding with animals and cuddling puppies, that we're 'saving animals'and that it's just a cute and fun job and while those assumptions are somewhat true they fail to include the reality of being a vet- the reality of even having to go through a grueling 5 year course (in Australia that is). People seem to forget that it is a medical course and it's not pretty 99% of the time and there are days when you just want to curl up in your bed and sleep for the next week and forget that you have a million assignments piling up and midsemester exams just around the corner.
Vets are also NOT animal rights activists. If you think that by going into vet you're going to abolish all intensive production industries and horse racing then you have the wrong idea. Yes, of course I'm all for animal welfare but you have to learn to work with people and face reality and understand that not all animals are pets, that it is not necessarily viable to enforce 'more ethical' alternatives and that sometimes mass cullings of feral animals like dogs and cats are necessary for the health of farm and native animals as well as the health of people.
I'm hoping that through this blog, which also features my coursework- people will be able to see what the vet profession is really all about so if you're thinking about becoming a vet- make sure that it's right for you.
Vets are also NOT animal rights activists. If you think that by going into vet you're going to abolish all intensive production industries and horse racing then you have the wrong idea. Yes, of course I'm all for animal welfare but you have to learn to work with people and face reality and understand that not all animals are pets, that it is not necessarily viable to enforce 'more ethical' alternatives and that sometimes mass cullings of feral animals like dogs and cats are necessary for the health of farm and native animals as well as the health of people.
I'm hoping that through this blog, which also features my coursework- people will be able to see what the vet profession is really all about so if you're thinking about becoming a vet- make sure that it's right for you.