Tell your kids to be exotic vets!

[SaltyFoxfish]

Seriously, there is such a shortage of exotic vets, especially for animals like fish, inverts, or, my current emergency, venomous reptiles.
How can we encourage people to go into this field? What can we do to make it more appealing?

Side note, please keep my little Sidewinder in your thoughts. He degloved part of his body this morning and we are scrambling to find a vet that will take him, since ours is off on Thursdays.

 

[fish farmer]

It looks like vets make just below what a Physician's Assistant does. The schooling is similar, I assume the Doctorate is what would get you into the Physician range of jobs. I direct students all the time into similar fields of study, natural resources, fisheries, etc, but the pay is generally lower and the basic science coursework is similar. If you're smart enough what path would you chose when the human doctors tend to make more money?

How Much Can a Veterinarian Expect to Get Paid?

Salary information for the typical veterinarian.

money.usnews.com

 

[SaltyFoxfish]

It looks like vets make just below what a Physician's Assistant does. The schooling is similar, I assume the Doctorate is what would get you into the Physician range of jobs. I direct students all the time into similar fields of study, natural resources, fisheries, etc, but the pay is generally lower and the basic science coursework is similar. If you're smart enough what path would you chose when the human doctors tend to make more money?

How Much Can a Veterinarian Expect to Get Paid?

Salary information for the typical veterinarian.

money.usnews.com

Not everyone bases their job choice on money, though. I run a nonprofit reptile museum with saltwater tank care on the side. I don't make a lot, but I love my jobs.

 

[Hemmdog]

Seriously, there is such a shortage of exotic vets, especially for animals like fish, inverts, or, my current emergency, venomous reptiles.
How can we encourage people to go into this field? What can we do to make it more appealing?

Side note, please keep my little Sidewinder in your thoughts. He degloved part of his body this morning and we are scrambling to find a vet that will take him, since ours is off on Thursdays.

Call Sandy Cate at Adobe Mountain wildlife refuge, it’s in north Phoenix, it’s an AZ Game and Fish facility that’s does raptor training/rehab and rehab for venomous reptiles. I volunteered there for years, brilliant vets. She will be able to refer you to someone in Tucson who can help.

 

[Cassian]

This is what I’m interested in! (I’m going to college soon)

 

[fish farmer]

Not everyone bases their job choice on money, though. I run a nonprofit reptile museum with saltwater tank care on the side. I don't make a lot, but I love my jobs.

I agree, that's why I went into the fisheries field. My dad was a Federal Vet, he was in charge of cattle inspections at the Arizona/Mexican border in Douglas, AZ.

 

[fish farmer]

This is what I’m interested in! (I’m going to college soon)

Have you picked a college yet?

 

[Cassian]

Have you picked a college yet?

Yes, University of Missouri. I want to stay in my state

 

[SaltyFoxfish]

Update in the Sidewinder, if anyone is interested. Managed to get a vet in, one if only two in Tucson that do venomous, and Wyatt is now patched up and back home.

 

[nezw0001]

Poor guy. good luck on a fast recovery

 

[reefvet2021]

I'm a current veterinary student! I'm in my 3rd year. A lot of it has to do with there not being a lot of jobs in the exotics world as well as the pay. Many veterinary students are in debt $250,000+ and vets that work at zoos I've seen may make 50k? Plus there is extensively more training after veterinary school. For zoo vets, you often have to do a year or two of internships (making 20k) then do a 3 year residency (often paying 30k). All this AFTER veterinary school. More and more schools are educating students about aquatics and fish because they're becoming important as a food source, but also as pets too. You'll see more of an increase in students wanting to pursue fish I hope if the schools start incorporating it into their curriculum. At my school I will be taking my first exotics class next semester (called non-traditional pets). I'm interested in going into research. Let me know if you have questions! I'm brand new to R2R and will be starting a 29g saltwater tank next week!

 

[fish farmer]

I'm a current veterinary student! I'm in my 3rd year. A lot of it has to do with there not being a lot of jobs in the exotics world as well as the pay. Many veterinary students are in debt $250,000+ and vets that work at zoos I've seen may make 50k? Plus there is extensively more training after veterinary school. For zoo vets, you often have to do a year or two of internships (making 20k) then do a 3 year residency (often paying 30k). All this AFTER veterinary school. More and more schools are educating students about aquatics and fish because they're becoming important as a food source, but also as pets too. You'll see more of an increase in students wanting to pursue fish I hope if the schools start incorporating it into their curriculum. At my school I will be taking my first exotics class next semester (called non-traditional pets). I'm interested in going into research. Let me know if you have questions! I'm brand new to R2R and will be starting a 29g saltwater tank next week!

Don't forget there are jobs at the state and federal level. There are lots of disease threats with CWD, ticks, fish diseases. I'm noticing more focus with state and federal agencies. We just closed a Fish Health Biologist position, granted it starts at $50,000, but the experience requirements aren't as extensive at a vet.

 

[reefvet2021]

Don't forget there are jobs at the state and federal level. There are lots of disease threats with CWD, ticks, fish diseases. I'm noticing more focus with state and federal agencies. We just closed a Fish Health Biologist position, granted it starts at $50,000, but the experience requirements aren't as extensive at a vet.

Yes! Those are more in line with the public health jobs which are good I think. A lot of the for vets are in packing plants. Still not a lot of students going into public health but I do know of a few wanting to go into that sector. Just not near as much as your dog and cat clinical practice. I hope it will continue to get bigger and biger.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Vets and people doctors, to me, are in a class above. Being able to save life via extraordinary means is very special.

I wound up an Engineer, but would have loved to have done Medicine instead. That or be a movie star, whichever.

 

[reefvet2021]

Vets and people doctors, to me, are in a class above. Being able to save life via extraordinary means is very special.

I wound up an Engineer, but would have loved to have done Medicine instead. That or be a movie star, whichever.

Thank you! Not a vet yet, but am on track to graduate in 2021! It's been a long 3 years already but will be worth it in the end. Hoping to go on and do a PhD and do pharmaceutical or research in academia. I have much respect for engineers! Crazy smart and able to solve problems like none other. In another life I think I would've liked biomedical engineering.

 

[Terri Caton]

I'm a current veterinary student! I'm in my 3rd year. A lot of it has to do with there not being a lot of jobs in the exotics world as well as the pay. Many veterinary students are in debt $250,000+ and vets that work at zoos I've seen may make 50k? Plus there is extensively more training after veterinary school. For zoo vets, you often have to do a year or two of internships (making 20k) then do a 3 year residency (often paying 30k). All this AFTER veterinary school. More and more schools are educating students about aquatics and fish because they're becoming important as a food source, but also as pets too. You'll see more of an increase in students wanting to pursue fish I hope if the schools start incorporating it into their curriculum. At my school I will be taking my first exotics class next semester (called non-traditional pets). I'm interested in going into research. Let me know if you have questions! I'm brand new to R2R and will be starting a 29g saltwater tank next week!

I don't see the difference in that training vs a human doctor. Is called Internship and Residency where you specialize in the type of medicine you want to do. But the school loan debt is valid for many professions. Forces you to take a job making bigger money just to pay them off.

 

[jace]

There are at least two sides to this... The financial to survive or the labor of love for fulfillment . Unfortunately, in our society until money isn't the priority we most likely will see people continue to gravitate towards the most lucrative of fields for their education leaving industries like exotic animal veterinarians with a smaller pool of truly dedicated students like yourself

 

[LARedstickreefer]

There are at least two sides to this... The financial to survive or the labor of love for fulfillment . Unfortunately, in our society until money isn't the priority we most likely will see people continue to gravitate towards the most lucrative of fields for their education leaving industries like exotic animal veterinarians with a smaller pool of truly dedicated students like yourself

Money = resources. Resources for you and your family have been a priority ever since Man was created (or evolved depending on your beliefs).

What’s wrong with people gravitating towards lucrative fields for money alone? As long as they do their job well, what’s the issue?

The problem shouldn’t be the money, but the time worked to get money. Making $200k and working 40hrs a week, or maybe 50, is great. Working 80hrs a week and earning that isn’t, as it takes away time from family.

I have a 6 figure job and work 40hrs. I didn’t take this job solely for fulfillment. I took this job partly because it was a nice jump in pay to go along with a nice opportunity to gain experience for the next, second to highest, level in my industry. I certainly have less fulfillment than my last job, but also less stress and more money.

 

[reefvet2021]

I don't see the difference in that training vs a human doctor. Is called Internship and Residency where you specialize in the type of medicine you want to do. But the school loan debt is valid for many professions. Forces you to take a job making bigger money just to pay them off.

The training is pretty similar. Human doctors often have to do internships and residencies (and also a fellowship that vets don't often do).. however they make 10x more and can pay off their debt much much faster. Most people think vets make a lot of money but that isn't the case. Depends on where you're at in the country, if you own a clinic, etc. The median is 80k... which is a healthy amount BUT you have to think about the debt too. Our debt to income ratio isn't healthy. While vets are specializing (doing the internships, residencies) you're getting paid 20-30k. That's barely enought to live on especially when a lot of these residencies are in higher cost of living areas (New York, California, etc). During that time interest grows and grows... it grows while were even in school. So even though you graduated 200k in debt... by the end of your post-vet school training you may be in 275k+. Veterinary school is the same cost as human medical school. I am seeing schools costing 100k PER YEAR. That's tuition, housing, etc. But human doctors make 10x the salary. Vets aren't in the profession to make money. If that were the case, we would have chosen a different career path. Were in it because it's what we love to do. For this reason it's why we even have exotic vets. I hear a lot of people saying vets are only in it for the money and it makes it hard. I don't think people realize the debt we are in once we are out of school. Vets are one of the highest suicide professions. I thankfully went to my in state school and have parental help where I will be in debt less than the average student.

 

[Gareth elliott]

So admittedly Not a vet but i think its also quite difficult to get into a veterinary school. Traditionally because there were so few spots in the country your, grades and med cat scores had to be amongst the top of your class. All the while you are incurring massive debt that most will never pay off(student loan debt is non transferable, you die no one can inherit), similar to what happens with general practitioners, why there is a shortage of non specialized doctors in the US.