Things You Should Know Before Becoming a Veterinarian
Read ahead to learn 5 important aspects of becoming a veterinarian before you start your veterinary studies to become one.
If your love for animals and commitment to caring for them is making you consider the veterinary profession, you can look forward to a rewarding and fascinating career. Successful cases and the handsome pay on the job can make your efforts worth it.
However, the veterinary profession is much more than caring for animals and performing routine check-ups. The job requires you to be proficient in business skills, interpersonal skills and diagnostic intuition. It also requires you to continually update yourself regarding the latest information about the veterinary world.
Read ahead to learn 5 important aspects of becoming a veterinarian before you actually start your veterinary studies.
1. Why choose a Caribbean veterinary school?
Becoming a veterinarian involves interacting with pet owners and parents on a regular basis. In fact, there might be times when you have to spend far more time communicating with the owners rather than the pet.
People interaction is an essential part of the veterinary profession. You need to communicate with the owners to get information regarding the animals’ medical history or past vaccinations. Hence, your love for animals should be equally complemented by strong communication skills.
2. Veterinary school can require enormous amount of effort
A DVM degree is one of the most challenging postgraduate degrees in the medical domain. Most DMV curriculums can be very extensive and involve very steep learning curves. During your time in veterinary school, you will go through an enormous amount of information which you might be expected to retain for long. Therefore, you must build good study habits to successfully absorb so much information.
3. Working with animals can often be uncharted and surprising
A career in veterinary sciences can let you experience something new almost every day. No two days are alike and you must get accustomed to expecting the unexpected. Your work with animals might not always go as per your plans. An animal’s response to you depends on its temperament which can vary a lot from animal to animal. Therefore, embracing the possibility that your plans might be disrupted can make it easier for you to go with the flow.
4. Veterinary school can be expensive
Most veterinary schools in the U.S. charge a bomb for tuition, forcing students to take on costly student loans. However, if you plan to spend your life caring for animals, veterinary school expenses can be a costly but worthwhile investment.
In search of a good veterinary school that wouldn’t cost you all your savings? The St. Matthew’s University School of Veterinary Medicine (SMUSVM), located in the Grand Cayman can be a great option.
St. Matthew’s offer a DVM program at competitive tuition as compared to other veterinary schools in the U.S. or Canada without compromising on the academic standards. The total tuition fees are more than $25,000 less than the average for students at U.S. veterinary schools. The high quality of education is evident from the impressive NAVLE pass rate of 92% in the last three years. St. Matthew’s also offers an accelerated program that lets you graduate early.
5. You may have to become business savvy
Data from the American Veterinary Medical Association shows that most veterinary students opt to establish their own practices. However, running your own animal clinic is easier said than done. You must keep in mind that running a successful practice requires immense business acumen apart from medical expertise. Therefore, it can be a good idea to take on relevant business certifications along with your DVM degree. This can provide you with the right business skills to grow and expand your practice.
Although pursuing a veterinary degree can be challenging at times, it can give you many new experiences. If you have the drive and passion to do well, veterinary school can be some of the best years of your life. Invest in a good veterinary medicine program today to establish a successful veterinary program in the future.
Click here to apply for the DVM program at St. Matthew’s University School of Veterinary Medicine.
This article is written by Sweha Hazari.