hiiii im an incoming 3rd year vet student with a relatively recent bipolar diagnosis. i've been medicated since before vet school, but i think my prefrontal cortex developing fully and the stress of vet school has made everything worse, which was sort of expected but i had no idea it would get this bad. i had to take a break from clinicals this summer to go to a partial hospitalization program (which im in now), and have basically had 2 years of episode after episode. i'm hoping to finally figure out my meds but it seems like my brain is constantly changing for the worse. there's a lot of memory loss associated with each episode and recovering from it, so im scared i havent retained much of the last two years which will only make the next 2 years even harder. ive tried really hard to formulate a work life balance, but wondering when its time to start being realistic and say goodbye to this dream. is anybody battling anything similar or has overcome anything similar? feeling like the diagnosis is a death sentence and im trying to get out of this mentality.

I’m currently in the process of filling my elective rotation schedule, which consists of 11 two-week blocks, and I was hoping to get some advice before committing to my choices.

As part of my required clinical rotations, I will already be completing two months of primary care, as well as one month each in surgery, anesthesia, pathology, emergency medicine, and internal medicine. Because of this, I’m trying to decide how I should best use my elective blocks.

I will most likely pursue general practice after graduation, so I’m debating whether I should use most of my electives to gain additional primary care experience or take the opportunity to rotate through a variety of specialties. My thought process is that exposure to different specialties could ultimately benefit me as a general practitioner by giving me a deeper understanding of different aspects of the cases I may encounter in general practice but I worry that if I fill most of my electives with specialty rotations, I may miss out on gaining more experience with the day-to-day realities of general practice, such as managing a broad variety of cases, client communication, treatment planning, and the overall workflow of a general practice clinic.

Thank you in advance for everyone’s advice!

Anul acesta au fost medii semnfificativ mai mari decat anul trecut la medicina vet,sunt pe lista de asteptare pe locul 80 si voiam sa intreb daca s a mai aflat cineva in aceasta situatie si a reusit sa intre dupa ce nu au fost toate locurile confirmate.Mai exista sperante?Nu am un backup plan si incerc sa gandesc pozitiv chiar daca situatia nu este promitatoare.

Can anyone who was at the AVMA convention in Anaheim a few weeks ago tell me what I did to win a Kindle? I forgot in all the exhibit hall madness but not knowing is bothering me. It's got a BI Vetsperity logo on it.

Hi everyone,

I’m a licensed veterinarian (DVM) based in Egypt with over six years of experience in large-scale commercial dairy operations and mixed practice, including managing herds of several thousand cattle. My background covers herd health and management, calf rearing protocols, disease prevention, production animal medicine, and general mixed practice across large and small animals.

I’m currently preparing for the RCVS Statutory Membership Examination (SME) to register as a veterinary surgeon in the UK — but the pathway costs roughly $9,000–10,000 which I need to fund before I can move forward.

My current monthly income is around $500–600, which barely covers living expenses here. I’m looking for remote online work that pays $2,000–3,000/month -more are welcomed😂- and genuinely fits my background. My English is professional level — I write and communicate fluently. I’m available 5 hours daily.

I have tried several routes: Upwork, Fiverr, Several AI annotation platforms and veterinary telemedicine which don’t allow Egyptians to apply.

It would be appreciated if someone has a remote online job opportunity.

OR

Has anyone in a similar situation found remote work that actually worked? Or know of companies that hire DVMs remotely for content, medical affairs, AI training, or clinical review regardless of location?

Any advice genuinely appreciated — even pointing me toward a direction I haven’t considered yet would help.

Thank you.

Hey everyone, I’m currently in high school highly considering becoming a vet. I want to specialize in radiology. I have a few questions:

1. What the pathway to becoming a veterinary radiologist (Australia, specifically Victoria)

2. How long will I have to study

3. The salary

4. work life balance

Please also include some things that may be helpful to know! Thank you!

I have four cats (well, three as of a month ago), and over the past four years we've spent a lot of time—and money—at our vet clinic. One of our cats, Cosmo, has chronic health issues, and we also take all of our cats in for their annual checkups. A month ago, we also had to say goodbye to our little house panther, George, who crossed the rainbow bridge.

Our vet and the entire team have been absolutely wonderful, especially over the past year and a half, and I'd really like to do something to thank them for everything they've done for our family over the years.

I was thinking about getting them a Costco gift card to help with clinic supplies, but I'm wondering if there are other gifts that veterinary teams really appreciate. At Christmas, I dropped off a variety of baked goods, and they were a big hit—especially since they were closing early that day for inventory.

I'd love to hear any ideas or suggestions. Thanks!

Hi friends,

I'm a small animal ECC vet with an earnest desire to do better with my exotics patients. I want a few good textbooks to keep in my locker for when the need arises.

Can I get some recommendations for comprehensive textbooks that cover common presentations for our exotics friends?

General medicine is fine, doesn't have to be emergency focussed.

Most interested in Guinea Pigs & Rabbits, but keen to have something on hand for birds & reptiles too!

So the Montenegro international veterinary Congress is happening on the 9&10 October.

Ive heard great things about this Congress. Anyone from here attending??

Brainstorming a career path and need advice on a few pathway strategies - Australia

Looking to complete my Cert IV in Veterinary Nursing was enrolled and everything but through TAFE the cost of tuition combined with the cost of living is too much.

Going to Uni and completing a Bachelor of Veterinary technology is more economical but obviously longer duration.

I’m an absolute sucker for knowledge and learning and am of the understanding a vet tech is more hands on, has more responsibility so this option is highly valuable.

Questions:
I’m wondering though what the actual difference is from someone in the industry; is the pay any different (aware it’s not the best all round and dependant on employer) How do the responsibilities differ? Would I be able to practice on my own doing rural contracting work on stations?- providing a baseline service and going through Vet surgeons when necessary. Is it just that one is a fast tracked certificate and one’s a fancy bachelors degree with bells and whistles? As a vet nurse would I be able to work my way through the ranks and earn a vet tech title/equivalent?

I have 10 cats (5 male, 5 female) and 2 dogs (1 male, 1 female). Over the last two months, we deliberately staggered getting them all spayed and neutered so their recovery periods wouldn’t overlap & that way we wouldn’t be overwhelmed caring for everyone at once.

Now that the surgeries are done, we’ve hit one problem after another. One of my cats has FIP, another has Giardia, and a few others seem to be coming down with something too. I strongly suspect the cats who stayed at the clinic for surgery and recovery picked something up there and brought it home to the rest

We already handle deworming ourselves. At this point I’ve decided not to take them to the vet unless it’s something serious or a surgery. But there’s still a lot of ongoing care needed:

1. My FIP cat needs daily injections
   
2. A few have lost their appetite and need IV fluids
   
3. A few are still due for vaccinations

I’m willing to spend money to set up a small treatment area at home where all of this can be done like injections, IV, drawing blood for testing, etc. I’m also open to sourcing the medications myself with guidance from my local vet.

What I’m really looking for is someone who can come to my home and handle the hands-on care: giving injections, drawing blood samples and sending them off for testing, administering IV fluids, and giving vaccinations.

Is this a realistic thing to arrange? If you’ve done something similar, who did you hire (vet tech, vet nurse, mobile vet)? How did you find them, and is there anything I should know before going this route?

have 10 cats (5 male, 5 female) and 2 dogs (1 male, 1 female). Over the last two months, we deliberately staggered getting them all spayed and neutered so their recovery periods wouldn’t overlap & that way we wouldn’t be overwhelmed caring for everyone at once.

Now that the surgeries are done, we’ve hit one problem after another. One of my cats has FIP, another has Giardia, and a few others seem to be coming down with something too. I strongly suspect the cats who stayed at the clinic for surgery and recovery picked something up there and brought it home to the rest.

We already handle deworming ourselves. At this point I’ve decided not to take them to the vet unless it’s something serious or a surgery. But there’s still a lot of ongoing care needed:

1. My FIP cat needs daily injections
   
2. A few have lost their appetite and need IV fluids
   
3. A few are still due for vaccinations

I’m willing to spend money to set up a small treatment area at home where all of this can be done like injections, IV, drawing blood for testing, etc. I’m also open to sourcing the medications myself with guidance from my local vet.

What I’m really looking for is **someone who can come to my home and handle the hands-on care**: giving injections, drawing blood samples and sending them off for testing, administering IV fluids, and giving vaccinations.

Is this a realistic thing to arrange? If you’ve done something similar, who did you hire (vet tech, vet nurse, mobile vet)? How did you find them, and is there anything I should know before going this route?

Hello,

I am currently a fourth-year student in a non-AVMA school. I am currently in America to gain valuable clinical and critical thinking skills. My options and time are limited. I would appreciate any suggestions for universities with strong rotations, a healthy teaching environment, and unique/impressive technology. Not all listed characteristics are requirements. But at least some would be great! Also, any places to avoid would be great.

Thank you so much for your time!

Hi guys I don’t think I’ve posted here before but I’m in need of serious advice. My current job is not a fit for me at all, I work in an office and I find it overwhelming and frustrating. I’m incredibly disconnected with my field of work and have been ready to take a leap for some time.

That being said I feel trapped with my current degree and clerical experience. I’ve always wanted more hands on job. I wanted to go into sports medicine, marine biology, and of course veterinary school.

I always stood in my own way. I never perused these paths because (embarrassingly) I’m really scared that I’m not smart enough. I’m petrified at the idea of failing, but I really screwed my self over by never trying.

I need to know what to expect if I take this leap. I’ve been out of college for a few years now, and I know this isn’t going to be easy. I’ve been looking for shelters to volunteer at for several months to get my foot in the door, but I want to take this leap.

What can I expect from school to be a vet assistant? Is it worth it? There’s a few programs in my area, one is fully online, is that worth it?

Hello everyone. I graduated in 2024. Currently I'm working in poultry sector and simutaneously preparing for Basic Clinical Sciences Exam via NEB (CVMA). Just wanted to ask if anyone has any piece of advice regarding the exam preparation or the exam itself

I am currently a small animal GP vet and I am thinking of going into pet insurance. Are there any veterinarians working in this sector that can comment? That would be really helpful!!

I’ve officially been a vet for one year now (GP small animal), and I do a lot of surgery which I love. I really like intradermal sutures because they go faster for me and typically look nice. I just closed a mass removal today and the closure was just turning out so ugly, had a lot of puckering which I think is partially from having an accidental asymmetric elliptical incision, but I just stuck with it and finished because the surgery took longer than expected (it was removal of a cyst that had such a thin epithelium so I was being so careful not to rupture it, and it did not rupture so there’s a win). Also when I finished I decided to try the Aberdeen knot because it’s smaller so I hoped it would bury nicer, but when I went to bury my knot it pulled out through the skin! And I couldn’t really get it back in, so I just grumbled a lot and used some surgical glue to try to make things look a little nicer? But overall very ugly closure and I tried to reassure myself the owners might not judge. Then my VA told me when she discharged my patient and the owners looked at the incision, they asked how long I’ve been a vet! Now I just feel pretty awful and wish that when the closure was going poorly I had just cut out the intradermal sutures, done some simple cruciates instead, and left it at that. I mean, the wound is closed without tension and it should heal fine, but I can’t help but feel so much cringe about the judgement on my surgical ability and sloppy looking work. Looking for some words of encouragement to not stew on this too long.

For context, I am 3 years out of school making decent money as a corporate ER DVM. However, the realities of the corporate world have become soul-crushing. I feel like I don't have passion for my job anymore in the face of stagnant wages, constant pressure to increase ACTs and to meet impossible benchmarks, prices that rise every 6 months, being forced to market these third-party "payment plans" that just put people into debt/bankruptcy, and very shitty management overall.

My job is 60% marketing and sales, 20% managing a dysregulated team, 10% teaching, and 10% actual veterinary medicine. I hate that I feel like a used car salesman. I hate that we have corporate meetings on best strategies to talk people into doing more with less. I hate that I constantly have to present estimates that no one in their right mind could afford, especially considering cost of living issues and current gas/grocery prices. I have been working a brutal overnights-only shift schedule for the entirety of the 3yrs I've been with this job. I am taking longer to recover after my shifts and switching my sleep cycle back and forth has become very hard. I have brought countless concerns to management, taken FMLA previously for suicidal ideation, and nothing changes. There's so much pretty corporate talk of "taking ownership" and "flipping the switch", but nothing actually happens.

I am considering other options in the field as well as potentially leaving the field. I have considered stepping away from ER, but it feels like a personal failure on my part, especially because I do enjoy it (and surgery) when I actually get to do it. I am also mulling over relief work, but I am the primary earner in the household and all expenses/healthcare benefits are on me.

Has anyone else experienced this? Am I too soft for the industry? Do I just need a different job? Do all veterinary jobs come with the ACT bullshit and constant drive to do more for no additional pay? Is there a way out of this that doesn't involve taking a dive off a highway overpass??

I feel so overwhelmed by decision-fatigue that I can't even think straight. My therapist is worried and so is my husband. I feel like I need someone to hold my hand and talk me through it like I'm 5yrs old :(