Need Some Advice...

Dropping out would be the biggest mistake you can make. The first year of vet school is always the hardest, once you get into the next yrs and start real hands on work it gets so much more interesting. Everything worthwhile in life is hard work but very satisfying when you graduate and know you're set for life in a job you love---imagine getting paid for doing something you love.
Taking " a rest" is something you will regret-- some students do go back but most never do. And don't kid yourself, vet techs do not do almost the same work a vet does and some are not very well paid for the work that they do.
I think you should reread all the great advice you were given and just make up your mind that you will do this no matter what it takes....giving up might make you happy for a few yrs but down the line you will always regret it.

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Originally Posted by Asiel

And don't kid yourself, vet techs do not do almost the same work a vet does and some are not very well paid for the work that they do.

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Totally missed this part of the post... I echo this: Vet techs absolutely do not do anywhere close to the same job as a vet, hence the huge difference in pay. Do we work harder physically during the work hours? Yes. In the US anyway, we are forbidden to diagnose, prognose, perform surgery or prescribe medications. These are things only a vet can do. And those 4 things is a huge bulk of what goes on in this medical field. And this is for a registered tech. You are even further limited as to the duties you are allowed to do if you aren't registered!!

We are a support staff, we support and help the vet. But we are not vets...

Any job you go to school to train for or work towards is going to leave you with debt. You have to ask yourself if that's something you can see yourself doing long-term. I strongly recommend against dropping out of school altogether, though!! That would be a huge mistake and you would very likely end up regretting it later.

I don't recommend doing what my friend did... started uni fresh out of high school, ended up switching majors every year for her first 4 or 5 years in uni... cost her parents thousands upon thousands of dollars... she finally graduated this past year. If you're not sure... stick in school, get some gen ed classes out of the way, work toward your associates or bachelors degree... then crack down on a major when you KNOW what you want to do.

I "took a break" after high school, a 5 year break, but when I finally went to college again it was because I knew in my heart this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

I haven't read this entire post so forgive me if this has already been said. But have you ever worked in an animal related job before? I know you have and love animals but that's not the same thing as working with them. I've known plenty of people who love and have animals and tell me they could never do my job (groomer) and people who love and have animals and have tried to be a bather and couldn't handle it. Maybe you should try getting a job as a grooming assistant/bather or possibly vet assistant (if they have those there? I think here you can be an assistant without a degree but not a tech) and see if you can honestly handle that before you jump into vet/vet tech school as I know it's quite pricey. Also it would give you good experience for future training anyway, and it's a paycheck. You can get a job as a bather without any experience at most places, they will teach you. Cleaning up poop/dealing with difficult animals/getting bit is not something everyone can handle, even animal lovers.

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Originally Posted by caseysmom

my daughter thought she wanted to be a vet until she volunteered with a vet for a year every Saturday, he was pretty relaxed and let her do everything he did, even surgeries

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ARE YOU SERIOUS???????? :eek::eek::eek: Yikes - it's a wonder this guy didn't lose his license, and I'm pretty certain he would have, if this fact was publicly known. Definitely not a vet that I would recommend to anyone, or take any of my animals to.

I know this is kind of off the mark. You've gotten a lot a really good advice here. When I graduated from high school I had planned to go to college to become a paralegal. Unfortunately, my brother's college education took top priority. I've been working since I was 15 years old. I found that the workplace experience far outweighed any education I could have gotten. I became good at what I did through experience. I later went on to work at the 1 thing I had a great passion for... writing. I'm not saying you should quit school all together and go to work. I also put myself through paramedic school. I worked full time during the day as a secretary and went to school at night. I knew that no matter what I would always have something to fall back on. Because being a secretary didn't pay that well, I worked both jobs for 20
years. I was a single parent raising a child. I think what you need to do is talk to an advisor and see if they can give you guidance. I wish you much luck, Bri. And remember, the 1 person you know that no matter what, will be there always for you is yourself.

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Originally Posted by caseysmom

He's a great vet all his patients love him he was always by her side it was mostly spays and neuters she assisted he let me come in and watch too they were pretty straightforward, this is a great guy people would bring in pets to put down and he would say okay and take them home.

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He may have been a great vet and loved by all, but that doesn't change the fact that what he was doing was most definitely illegal and highly unethical. I shudder to think that he was allowing just a volunteer (and a kid, at that), to participate in surgical procedures.

A friend of mine for his SAE project (Supervised Agricultural Experiment)with the FFA volunteered and later worked for a vet. He assisted in surgeries as well, but by assist I mean, handing the Vet tools, things of that nature. I think that's what Caseysmom is getting at.

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Originally Posted by Alysser

A friend of mine for his SAE project (Supervised Agricultural Experiment)with the FFA volunteered and later worked for a vet. He assisted in surgeries as well, but by assist I mean, handing the Vet tools, things of that nature. I think that's what Caseysmom is getting at.

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I'd like to think that was the case, but I doubt it. She said "let her do everything he did, even surgeries" and "he was always by her side". That sounds to me like he was letting her perform at least some part of the surgical procedure.

My apology to Caseysmom if I am wrong. I really hope that I am.

And that being said - I'll say no more. I am not being confrontational, but I was shocked to read what I did - thus my response.

Bri - a 14 year old in Pakistan was shot in part because she went to school and got educated. Does that not make you appreciate your being able to get an education in your country?

Finish school. Finish this term at least. It will show other schools that you finish what you started.

And if you take a break? I have a funny feeling you will get a job, and get pregnant, and never get back to school...it can happen very very easily.

Do it while you can!

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Originally Posted by caseysmom

You have a right to your opinion pomptzu no animals were in danger like i said it was routine things. The whole point of my post was that it changed her mind. But she changed her mind a few times that is life and normal but she is still on track in college that is the important thing.

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When you start to coin procedures as "routine" in the medical world, you start to let your guard down and get lazy because "its just a routine spay, what can go wrong?". Lots of things can go wrong. I don't agree with it, but I also understand that this type of thing happens a lot, a lot more than most of you pet talkers think. It's one thing if he was allowing her to help on stray animals that didn't have a home (yet), but not on a client's pet.

In any case, what's done is done. No sense getting into ethics over things that happened in the past, I suppose.

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Originally Posted by Jessika

When you start to coin procedures as "routine" in the medical world, you start to let your guard down and get lazy because "its just a routine spay, what can go wrong?". Lots of things can go wrong. I don't agree with it, but I also understand that this type of thing happens a lot, a lot more than most of you pet talkers think. It's one thing if he was allowing her to help on stray animals that didn't have a home (yet), but not on a client's pet.

In any case, what's done is done. No sense getting into ethics over things that happened in the past, I suppose.

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When I said routine that was my opinion this all happened 6 years ago and I refuse to sit and argue about it that wasn't the point of my post and I really don't care if others disagree like you said its in the past. She got to watch, she got to cut the stitches after he did them she FELT involved enough to change her mind that was my point geez.

Back on track Bri if you can stick it out there are a lot of jobs you can do with your animal science degree besides being a Vet. I am only keeping at this because I care, just remember that please I hope the best for you. My oldest daughter didn't like college and she does have a decent job it can be done but the pay is lower for ever. I was lucky when I met my husband I wasn't in college and he talked me into going to college so it can be done with a guy it just depends, its just that we got a thread about your fiance and shortly after you were quitting school, you can't really blame us.

I've worked as a dog bather before and hated it, but that was because of my boss and unfair treatment.

I've volunteered in a vet clinic, shadowed at UT's vet hospital and volunteered in animal shelters. I love the environment and everything that goes on. I don't care if I get to cut open a dog or just draw blood in the future, all would be satisfying careers. I never cared about the amount of money I made either, so that's not an issue.

I don't get the big deal over Caseysmoms daughter helping with surgery. I've been in ORs before and assisted with a couple of things in my volunteering and shadowing. Heck, in my animal science classes we've castrated piglets, calves, and I drew blood on Brennan. So I mean as long as there is supervision and guidance, I don't see the big deal.

Anyway...

I know you're all just trying to be helpful and I appreciate it.

I'm not 100% sure what I want to do in regards to this yet. I've talked to a couple of vet tech schools and I've registered for classes at UT next semester until I make up my mind.

You'll all be happy to know Michael isn't too thrilled with the "take a few semesters off" idea.

Either way I'm going to vet tech school, it's just a matter of when. The taking Semesters off thing is mainly a way to work and save money to relocate. Since I'd have to move an hour away from home when I transfer. I'm still thinking and debating and haven't made a final decision yet.

I also found out I can't drop the other class I need to without owing the university money :/, so I'm gonna have to finish it out and retake it later. I also found out a lot of my credits probably aren't going to transfer, so I'm going to end up retaking a lot of animal courses and the few sciences involved in vet tech. There are less actual sciences (bio, chemistry, etc) and animal sciences don't bother me.

So I will keep everyone updated!

Also apologies for any typos, typed all that on my phone and cant edit it and autocorrect is not my friend lol

Well we are cyber friends and don't ever want to alienate you from being comfortable here want you to feel comfortable to come her and talk.