AIBU to consider teaching after becoming disillusioned with veterinary work?

My vet was not a national one, but had several branches where I live.
I paid £700 for 3 hours of dental... she had 14 teeth taken out. If you break it down for that £700 to pay the all the staff involved in her care for that time, and also after. I had a bargain.

I do know someone who has a dog that was diagnosed with bone cancer. Had an amputation and chemo and also immunotherapy. Has cost her over £20k and that is after insurance paid out. He now has mets in his lungs and the meds for that are looking to be well over £1k pm.

@realdeal7393 The same tablets are prescribed for humans for an entire month’s supply for one NHS prescription charge (£9?)

You do realise that NHS prescriptions are subsidised. In many cases, the £9 you pay is nowhere near the cost to the NHS. NHS prescriptions are price capped, private ones aren't. Also, vets are obliged to prescribe animal specific formulations when they are available, which are usually costlier. Even if on the face of it, they look identical to you.

Yes i agree.

We have an independant vet and they do their best to keep prices down as much as they can. He’s very experienced and I trust the practice.

Most people are aware vets don’t make that much money aren’t they? Practices do and they’re owned by corporate companies.

The problem is with advances in medicine you’ve got treatments like stem cell therapy £££££ for your pet and not everyone can afford it, so there’s guilt and shame attached to that. Years ago you had a pet until around say 10/12, it got ill you had a sad decision to make. Nowadays vets can do so much to prolong a life (but should they) I don’t know. often quality of life isn’t there anymore.

Teachers are blasted more than vets. Teachers deals with parents complaining and children being abusive. Parents will be complaining you can't fix their child just like pet owners. They will he distrusting of you like the pet owners. You will not be appreciated by the government. Sometimes difficult SLT with unrealistic expectations.
If you want to do teaching for a love of teaching go for it, but do it with your eyes open. The things you struggle with as a vet aren't all that different from what you will struggle with as a teacher.

Anyway op do whats right for you.
As usual media and big coporates causing agro

Yes I am, and it's shocking that people think it's a disgrace that vets charge money and consider their hair appointments a necessity.
My dentist (mid 60s, soon to retire) says he should have trained as a nail technician, as they charge a lot of money and people feel it's worth it. They resent £100 on a filling though, saying they've been ripped off. It's mad really considering the expertise, student debt, the years of training, not to mention huge risks they have to take every time they open someone's mouth. It's the same for vets.

Would you consider a move into industry? It isn't for everyone but other options are out here, other than clinic work and teaching.

I also know of quite a few vets who have retrained as dentists. And one as a train driver!

A veterinary degree is just that. A degree. Use it to open whichever doors you need.

She wasnt in the catchment area.
She loved het cat.and the cat was one of a couple of positive things in her.life.
The coporate took advantage instead of being honest with her.
She ended up having to sell furniture etc to pay the bills.
Cat ended up being put down unfortunatley

Teaching is just as soul destroying but for other reasons. You’d be going from frying pan to fire.

I paid £27.99 for one antibiotic tablet for my dog this year at the vets, plus £32 for them to write the prescription for it. only rich people can afford dogs these days - it’s so sad. I’m not sure what is going on but it reminds me of private care homes. The minute they were all sold to third party investors and corporations it was a disaster with escalating prices.

The same tablets are prescribed for humans for an entire month’s supply for one NHS prescription charge (£9?)

What could possibly be unreasonable about leaving a situation with which you're disenchanted to pursue something you think may be more worthwhile?

Interesting. My PGCE was very subjecty. We used to do the very tasks that we would be asking of students. Loads of incredible subject discussion. Most of them didn’t last the full course, but there we go.

@Sadvetatcrossroads as others have said a PGCE does not cover content, it's a teaching theory/practice course. However, I'm sure I have seen a course offered in a teaching college for teacher shortage subjects, where you do a PGCE + content when you have the subject at A level but not at degree level. Eg if you have a degree in Biology, you have physics A level and they want physics teachers, so you do an extra 6 months in addition to the PGCE to cover the chemistry syllabus up to GCSE level.

Are you actually comparing a hair cut to an animal getting treatment?

BTW, not everyone is in the catchment area for PDSA treatment. I would be eligible based on the benefits I get, but I do not live in the "right" area.

I don’t blame you, I think vets terms and conditions are pretty crap for their high skill levels. People nowadays are generally moany entitled bastards as well. I’m just not sure teaching will bring you into contact with less of these types

Its often much more than 50 pounds depends on where you live. Some operations etc are 10 thousand .
I too love vets but soneome needs to give the public a breakdown.
Eg a local cafe broke down on face book how much they actually profit from selling a latte for example.
Its all the misinfornation and the lack of transparency from the big chains causing the issues

Yes that's awful, but you can't expect vets to give free treatment because of bad circumstances any more than you would expect a hairdresser to do a free cut and colour for someone whose DH had left them. If you can't afford it you have to find someone who can. Your aunt most likely would have qualified for PDSA treatment, which is only emergency care AFAIK but probably means that those who have fallen into bad times can hold onto their pets.

On that note, does a PDSA vet get paid less @Sadvetatcrossroads?

@Sadvetatcrossroads no your PGCE will teach you to teach, not teach you your subject.

I retrained as a secondary teacher in my early 40s and did some night school and other stuff to get up to speed or they wouldn’t have taken me on.

Do you think you would love your subject? You really need to in secondary. I no longer teach in school but have kept going with my subject, which I am thankful I rediscovered my love for.

edit typos

I love vets. They look after my pets and make sure they are happy and healthy.
I fucking hate how vets are seen. People moaning about a £50 fee to see a vet. It does not go in that vets pocket. It is split between the vet, all the other staff and all the outgoings like electricity etc.
But people go on like the vet is the only person getting that money.
Vets have a super high rate of suicide. I can see why.

I am a Science teacher op feel free to PM me any questions.

Peoples circumstances change. My aunt didnt expect to get severly ill her husband leave her and no longer be able to work

The ways MN makes schools sound does not reflect my experience of them.
Yes it's long, hard work, but it's incredibly rewarding and I have never had so much free time in any other job

Go into a school for a few days and shadow before making any rash decisions.

When my cat dies I will not be able to have another pet due to the cost (she's on palliative care currently). That's life surely? The responsibility and expectation of pet ownership have increased massively over the last few decades and with that comes greater costs. I don't believe it's a right to have a pet, if you can't afford it you can't have one.

What about university teaching to veterinary students? It seems a waste of your expertise to retrain completely. Also, our vet is an independent. Is that not a possibility any more?