u/Repulsive-Cap-1445

TLDR: 23F, always wanted to be a vet. Finally got a clinic job and love the work, but the pay is low, we’re understaffed, and I’m starting to feel burned out. Coworkers with 10–20+ years experience say it doesn’t get much better financially or mentally. Now I’m questioning if vet med is worth the debt/stress and wondering about alternative careers with a pre-vet degree. Not motivated with going to school.

I’ve wanted to become a veterinarian for as long as I can remember. I never really explored other career options because this is the only thing I’ve ever been interested in. Up until recently, I didn’t have much hands on experience besides pet sitting and helping friends/family with their animals. It took me almost a year after graduating college to finally get hired at a clinic (everywhere else turned me down because i didn’t have the experience).

I decided not to go straight into tech or vet school because I wanted real experience first. I learn better hands on, and I wanted to make sure I actually understood the field before committing to more school and debt.

So i’ve been working here for 8, going on 9, months and i LOVEEEEE the job. At times it is stressful, and because we are understaffed i feel a bit of burn out, but I love learning, i love seeing animals, working on them, doing hands on work, love the business and seeing something new everyday… But i hate the pay.. Especially since we’re understaffed, and im doing multiple jobs, I do not get paid enough. I would understand if i was in high school or stating off in college, but im out of college, living on my own, and i have lots of bills and college debt that needs to be paid. I use quite literally all of my paycheck on bills and managing my life.

I am more than grateful for the opportunity this clinic has given me and i love the people im surrounded with everyday (with the exception of one doctor lol) but im thinking of looking at other options that i can do with my major at this point. (Agricultural Sciences, Concentration in Animal and Food Sciences (Pre-Vet Track) If you know anything, pls help me out). And i say this because, my coworkers are heavily persuading me to not go into VetMed. They say the pay doesn’t get better, the stress gets worse, and burnout is extremely common. I know not to let other people’s opinions influence mine, and i hadn’t for the longest, but i’m starting to get burned out myself and i’m seeing a lot of the negatives they (and people online) talk about. Even if I move to a city that has better pay, is the stress and burn out worth it? Is the college debt worth it?

The techs and doctors that have been certified for 10-20 YEARS say they don’t get paid enough.. and they don’t. I also think it’s so unfair that I’m basically able to learn and do everything that a tech can do with no certification, just with lower pay.. I never take offense to my coworkers venting to me about it because i completely understand.. Why should they have had to go through so much schooling, and debt, if someone like me can walk in and do the same things they do? Just at a lower pay? That’s very unfair. It also doesn’t motivate me more to go to school.

I guess this is more of a vent but i would also like advice or just to hear some other opinions as well. I love the career, just not sure if the stress of the job and barely being able to survive off table scraps, while paying for life and college bills, is really worth it.

TLDR: 23F, always wanted to be a vet. Finally got a clinic job and love the work, but the pay is low, we’re understaffed, and I’m starting to feel burned out. Coworkers with 10–20+ years experience say it doesn’t get much better financially or mentally. Now I’m questioning if vet med is worth the debt/stress and wondering about alternative careers with a pre-vet degree. Not motivated with going to school.

I’ve wanted to become a veterinarian for as long as I can remember. I never really explored other career options because this is the only thing I’ve ever been interested in. Up until recently, I didn’t have much hands on experience besides pet sitting and helping friends/family with their animals. It took me almost a year after graduating college to finally get hired at a clinic (everywhere else turned me down because i didn’t have the experience).

I decided not to go straight into tech or vet school because I wanted real experience first. I learn better hands on, and I wanted to make sure I actually understood the field before committing to more school and debt.

So i’ve been working here for 8, going on 9, months and i LOVEEEEE the job. At times it is stressful, and because we are understaffed i feel a bit of burn out, but I love learning, i love seeing animals, working on them, doing hands on work, love the business and seeing something new everyday… But i hate the pay.. Especially since we’re understaffed, and im doing multiple jobs, I do not get paid enough. I would understand if i was in high school or stating off in college, but im out of college, living on my own, and i have lots of bills and college debt that needs to be paid. I use quite literally all of my paycheck on bills and managing my life.

I am more than grateful for the opportunity this clinic has given me and i love the people im surrounded with everyday (with the exception of one doctor lol) but im thinking of looking at other options that i can do with my major at this point. (Agricultural Sciences, Concentration in Animal and Food Sciences (Pre-Vet Track) If you know anything, pls help me out). And i say this because, my coworkers are heavily persuading me to not go into VetMed. They say the pay doesn’t get better, the stress gets worse, and burnout is extremely common. I know not to let other people’s opinions influence mine, and i hadn’t for the longest, but i’m starting to get burned out myself and i’m seeing a lot of the negatives they (and people online) talk about. Even if I move to a city that has better pay, is the stress and burn out worth it? Is the college debt worth it?

The techs and doctors that have been certified for 10-20 YEARS say they don’t get paid enough.. and they don’t. I also think it’s so unfair that I’m basically able to learn and do everything that a tech can do with no certification, just with lower pay.. I never take offense to my coworkers venting to me about it because i completely understand.. Why should they have had to go through so much schooling, and debt, if someone like me can walk in and do the same things they do? Just at a lower pay? That’s very unfair. It also doesn’t motivate me more to go to school.

I guess this is more of a vent but i would also like advice or just to hear some other opinions as well. I love the career, just not sure if the stress of the job and barely being able to survive off table scraps, while paying for life and college bills, is really worth it.