Veterinary medicine as a second degree....am I brave enough???

[coffeeebean]

Hello,

Ever since I can remember ive wanted to be a vet. Unfortunately i lacked confidence, I was shy and talked myself out of it. I chose to do an Animal Science degree because it was interesting and felt more doable. I got 3A*s at A-level and a 1st in my degree, so I could have gotten into vet med if id just believed in myself a bit more.

Now, i feel awful about it. I regret it so much. I am completely different person to who i was before my first degree and i cant help but think 'what if...'. Would i be absolutely mad to consider trying vet med now??. I would have to self fund about £45,000 (parents have very kindly agreed to take some out of my inheritance) and would be 28 at the earliest upon starting. I am single and would like children in the future, this would put me at 33 upon qualifying at the earliest. I am terrified i wont make it through the course and that money will be gone.

Is this a stupid idea? Or will i be kicking myself forever? Has anyone done this, how do you feel about it now?

DH has a cousin who didn't do quite well enough at A levels to get into vet school, so did a degree in anatomy and then did his vet degree after that. It's what he'd always wanted to do.
He's built up an extremely successful practice, married another vet he met while training, has kids....

So it's definitely doable!

Do it now otherwise you will be coming up 50 like a friend of mine complaining that it’s what you always really wanted to do!!!

I could have written this exact post but with dentistry. What do you earn now? If it’s not much, you don’t really have much to lose and you should go for it!!

I’m aware this is completely privileged but I’ve got to a position where I earn a lot in a job I hate - but I earn so much I’d feel guilt throwing it away to earn nothing for 5 years and getting £40k in debt...

Also, why not just apply? See you get a place and then make the decision.

I earn next to nothing now. Was only just starting my career when covid hit and now im stuck at home in a dead end job for now (which i am very grateful for right now!). Im just scared that if it doesnt work out I will be back at square one, still living at my parents and starting a career from scratch...just having lost a lot of time. It is an awful lot to risk. aahhhh this is doing my head in

Do it OP. You have wanted to do it since you were young. Imagine never becoming what youve always wanted

I have several friends who started second degrees - medicine, dentistry much later. Yes of course theres the money but it sounds like your parents are willing to lend it.

33 is nothing. Do it!!!

Do it. 28 is nothing ..33 is nothing.How exciting !!

On the one hand I’d say do it. On the other hand I have heard it’s incredibly stressful being a vet and not very rewarding. The suicide rate for vets is sadly pretty high.

Do you know any vets that you could talk to honestly about the idea?

I'm assuming you had plenty of hands on experience with animals on your degree course but it's vital that you shadow a vet or volunteer at a vet's practice. Not easy to do this at the moment though! You have demonstrated that you have the ability to succeed academically. Go for it and good luck!

At 28 I would definitively do it.

My friend started vet school last year at the age of about 43. She was a vet nurse, but had always wanted to be a vet, so applied and got in. She's loving it!

Only thing I would say, is it's a very stressful job and the pay isn't that great for the responsibility you have. Plus the hours are unsociable, and you often have to stay late if a case comes in, and you rarely get a lunch break.

It is an enjoyable job, but if you want to earn a lot, I'd look elsewhere.

Loads and loads were way older than you on my medical degree - do it OP. Please. You sound like you really want it

Do it. You're young! I'm almost 50 and have probably had about 10 different careers! You won't regret it there are students of all ages!

28! You're still a baby! Just do it!

If you want to do it, then do it

I currently study dentistry as my second degree. Plenty of people in their late twenties and thirties on the course. Older applicants have maturity and more life experience that often makes them brilliant in these sorts of professions. Go for it! Vet med here is exquisitely competitve so maybe consider applying abroad?

Think about applying for graduate entry - that's four rather than five years.

Think about applying for graduate entry - that's four rather than five years.

However, is the competition greater for GE Veterinary Medicine than for the normal route , as it is, apparently, for (human) Medicine?

Do it now or be like me - continue to wonder, year after year, whether you should have done it "last year", until your mid 50s when it really is too late!

Training abroad is another option. A friend's son is training in Poland.
Good luck.

Do it!!! You'll always wonder "what if" if you dont

Do it!