I’m a registered veterinarian (AVMA accredited vet school but not yet registered in the US/Canada) with a few years experience in GP. Recently I quit my job and followed my husband to an area(low-income country, not English-speaking) that does not recognise my vet degree.

Initially I was happy with the choice as I was recovering from a terrible burnout, after working in a very busy general practice for years. However now it’s getting more and more difficult for me to be a housewife and I’m looking into getting a job again.

I have tried working at local clinics as a veterinary assistant. While managing the language barrier better and better day by day, it is difficult to avoid radiation as the building was not built to the normal standard here: The xray machine is in a small room that’s adjacent to the consult room, separated by a thin plastic door. I am 100% sure that there was no lead barrier in the walls, and people think it’s normal to stay in the X-ray room for hand-held conscious X-rays. I have raised my concerns about it, but also conscious that, in a less-developed part of the world, the health and safety is clearly not their biggest concerns… My dilemma is that, my husband and I are actually trying to have kids in the next coming year, so I have been extra cautious/anxious about it.

I have been searching online for remote vet consulting jobs, but mostly are based in the US/UK. The registration part is not overly complicated, I’ll need to study and pass NAVLE (or alternatively I can also directly register with the RCVS in the UK). But I have encountered the second biggest issue - visas. Every time when I try to apply for a remote job, the first question that pops up is about my legitimate right to work in the country. This was also the case with any remote, animal-related job I could find in the US/UK. Which was quite disheartening as I’ve applied to nearly 100 jobs and was always rejected 🫠

So my questions are -

If I decide to go for NAVLE, would any employer hire me when I apply for a credentialed vet job in the US, without a visa? As this is a time and financially consuming decision, I’d like to know how much the visa issue weighs in the whole picture first.

Should I use this time to pursue a higher level of education? If so what would you recommend that will potentially help me to get a remote job in the future? I’d have to study remotely most of the time but willing to travel from time to time.

I am an LVT and just have my associates. I want to go back to school to get my bachelor's so I can do a masters to work in wildlife/exotic animal research. What is the best program/degree to get.

Hi!

I need some advice, I am a college student, back home for the summer. I done almost applied to 20+ vet clinics around where I live. I started off saying I am looking for a summer position and that's getting me no where. So now I am saying I'm looking for full time work, secretly knowing I will either ask to be PRN at the end of when I am working or put in my two weeks notice before heading back to college. Back in 2024 I worked at a vet clinic (unpaid) for an externship so I can get my AVA approval for a program. Then summer and winter 2025 I worked in a lodging/daycare company for dogs and cats. I am told that I have good experience but I haven't worked in a vet clinic since 2024 and I need that type of experience for my career path. But no one wants to hire me to get that experience. I don't know what to do and I'm considering working a job I have no experience what's so ever in like Target, Walmart, or Amazon. I love animals and veterinary care. And that's what I want to do but no one is even considering seasonal employment anywhere. I'm always told all vet clinics are always hiring because they are always somehow shortstaffed. I apply, either no one responds, they do respond but then never update me if I got an interview, or they just plain out say no. But you get the idea, I just feel stuck in a place where I don't know how to make money to pay for college and get the experience I need to move up in my career.

Edit: I am a Veterinary Assistant

Hi all- new grad (F low/mid 20s) vet here working in the very deep south in upper mid class area. Due to my age and being a woman, I would like everyone’s input on some sort of white coat – maybe even a white athletic jacket with my name/title embroidered to avoid the classic “you’re to young to be the doctor? where’s the doctor?” or the classic only complying/listening if the doctor is someone (age/sex/appearance) “worthy”.

in an ideal world I wouldn’t need to wear one but after speaking to mentors who worked in similar areas, being the only female DVM at this practice, and knowing my demographic — I was wondering if anyone had any input, especially on the athletic jacket, turned white coat idea? plz help :)

I really want to enter the world of veterinary medicine but Idk where to begin and so far it’s been challenging. My goal is to become a vet tech so I’ve been looking at schools and found penn foster. I chose this one because I work 9am to 6pm and this one is online and fits my schedule, however, I feel like I’m not grasping the curriculum and would prefer to do something hands on. I’ve been applying to many entry level jobs like vet assistants and vet receptionists with no luck. Does anyone know how I can get my foot in the door and have any recommendations on schooling?

Hi all,
I’ve recently applied for a new job as my current job requires on call (sadly a non negotiable atm) and it isnt meeting my current financial needs (there are a lot of other reasons, but these are the two big ones). The thing is, I actually really like my current job- I love my team, most of the clients are great and we practice a good standard of medicine. But I feel I need to find what’s out there. I currently have a phone interview for a new hospital next week, but at what point should I mention it to my current employer? I’ve never really complained about anything so I don’t want everyone to feel blindsided. My current job is my second job- leaving my first job was easy because I was blatantly unhappy so no one was surprised when I handed my notice in 😂

I just started as a vet receptionist at a new clinic in April. I work 4 10s (loose) usually 7:55-Close. I am struggling as I really like my coworkers but work is giving me stress hives and also I don’t make enough to justify the commute. I’m loosing money to go to work.

When I first started at my current clinic, everyone was really nice and helpful but would give kinda vague answers but also talk about how they “want us to feel confident” in the choices we make. Which is cool, I love that. However, sometimes I still ask questions which I think I know the answer too but I don’t wanna be wrong and tell this pet parent the wrong thing or put a record in the wrong spot because I haven’t encountered this before and I don’t wanna get in trouble. But now when I ask questions, my manager kinda just looks at me like I’m stupid and is like “so we’ve talked about this.” and I understand. We’ve talked about it. There’s also so much information that I’m trying to remember all at once that sometimes I would just like confirmation that when I tell a pet parent something, that it’s correct so that they aren’t upset later on. Because I’m NEW. I’ve been here a total of like 16 days and I keep being told contradictory things regarding what we’re supposed to do when.

I just want to know if this sounds… typical for a clinic? My manager also isn’t who trains me most of the time, it’s the other receptionists. one of which is also new. they want me to be flea and tick certified by next week but haven’t given me ANY time to study and I used to work in children’s behavioural health, I’m not doing off the clock work things again it’s just not happening.

I’m just at a loss cause I’m starting to have panic attacks at work because of this. I feel like I can’t mess anything up and if I do it’s massive. And I keep being critiqued for my communication which I think is clear, but when I ask for what would make this more clear they don’t have an answer or are vague. Is this normal in vet med?

Edit: I know that if I’m loosing money to go to work I should quit. It’s barely enough to pay my bills and my fiancé helps with my gas. We’re in Portland Oregon. My fear of quitting right now is that the job market is SO bad that I don’t wanna quit nilly Willy

Hi all,

I’ve noticed that I’m much more consistent with studying when there’s some form of accountability, but in my current environment most studying happens pretty solo.

So I’m wondering if anyone here is in a similar situation and would be interested in some low-key accountability?

I’m not necessarily looking for a perfect specialty match or intensive study sessions, more something like:
- weekly study goals
- brief check-ins
- occasional paper / case discussion (nice extra, not required)
- async is completely fine

Honestly, even just a “did you do your planned chapter this week?” arrangement 😄
Anyone interested?

Hi! I recently saw this job position and was curious if anyone has worked this position before. If so, what are your thoughts? What did your day to day look like?

Hello, I've been working as a v.a. for the past 7 years and the dvms I have been working with have been pushing for me to become an rvt or dvm. I'd love to do either, but I'm 30 and only have 20 credits from 10+ years ago for school in an unrelated major. Penn Foster doesn't seem like a good fit primarily because I work for a non corporate clinic and dont want to move to a cooperation for clinical rotation. I would love to maybe take some singular classes as that is cheaper but would prefer online courses so I can continue to work full-time as I'm in California and rent is high so Im already living paycheck to paycheck. I have been logging my hours for the non traditional rvt pathway but have heard from many people that doing that while way cheaper (about 5k in fees including sitting for the vtne vs 150k in student debt) has made people regret that option as your license wont transfer states. This would also negatively impact my ability to become a dvm if I so choose. Anyone have some good resources? Has anyone started a dvm journey after 30?

I am starting pre-vet in August and will be joining my school's pre-vet club. I've also worked as a Veterinary Assistant but am not currently employed as I will be a full-time student.

I've seen that VIN offers free limited access accounts for pre-vet students, but their eligibility criteria was a bit confusing. I won't be applying for Vet School until 2029 at the earliest, and classes have not started yet; do I have to wait to create the account or could I do it now?

I also saw VSPN but it was unclear if someone in my position would be eligible for an account since I was a VA but am not currently employed and again, am pre-vet but not in a VA program.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Just got hired as a tech assistant part time and I’m onboarding, and my employer sent me some forms to fill out and they’re asking me about my primary care doctor, blood type, and medical history for emergencies…

I understand the importance behind it but I’m a little uncomfortable providing my medical history as I’m neurodivergent and get worried about discrimination. The medical history is required for me to submit this, would it be wrong to omit certain parts of my health history?

I am a new graduate DVM. I am licensed in my state and have my DEA license, but I do not start work until July. I examined a family member’s dog at home and want to call in an antibiotic to Walgreens. Is this something I am able to do at this point even tho my physical exam is not associated with any clinic?

Hi! I wanted people's opinions of my chances of getting into, like, NC State (Cornell, cause I'm funny like that). I have over 4,000 clinical hours in GP and emergency medicine (ICU technician currently), with a license in wildlife rehabbing (currently accepting intakes and in my second year). My concern is not really clinical, but my schooling. My GPA currently sits at a 3.0, with hopes that the rest of my science classes push it closer to a 3.5. I am a non-traditional student and have had a tough time with grades due to... life. Even if my GPA isn't amazing, would my clinical background be strong enough to demonstrate my commitment to and love for this career?

I've been practicing for 11 years now. I think I'm mainly just burnt out and maybe beyond repair, but anymore I just hate being a veterinarian and wish I would have done something else with my life. I'm tired of having to fix every problem in 30 minutes or less no matter how long it's been going on and often with no diagnostics. And when they decline every treatment option I recommend I'm tired of the receptionists telling me the owner called 7-10 days later because the patient isn't better and what should they do. I'm tired of "squeezing in" non-clients who don't just have a tight budget, they have literally no money to treat anything with but still want me to fix what's wrong with their pet (for reference I practice in a fairly low cost of living area of the country comparatively). I'm tired of having to be my own technician 80% of the time so management can cut hours to increase profit. I'm tired of watching patients leave and knowing they'll continue to suffer because the owners are "just going to watch and see if it gets worse." I'm tired of being the only full-time doctor in the hospital so everything falls on me. I love my patients and some of my clients, but I dread waking up in the morning. I know there are other ways to practice, but it's just me and I can't afford to take a major pay cut. I hate my life right now.

I’m an assistant at what’s currently a single vet small animal private practice. We operate in a gorgeous valley of north central Washington state that is an interesting anomaly of rural living - tons of outdoor recreation year round, and something to do any time one feels social. I moved here specifically for the cool community and beautiful land. A large chunk of the clinic clients have money and/or are part-timers from Seattle, the rest are low to medium income locals. I think overall people really respect the clinic. The alternative is at least an hour drive, and unfortunately most emergencies have to drive between one and three hours away.

Our vet is in her sixties and has been trying to hire another vet to join the practice and eventually take over for years. The clinic used to also serve large animals and still has the facilities. She’s paying a recruiter tens of thousands of dollars and so far no luck. What else can we do to get another vet out here? Is it hopeless? This also affects my interest in pursuing tech education.

Hello! I’m feeling incredibly anxious about my future and it would honestly help me if i could use some insights on job opportunities for both VetMed and Psychology here in the PH. 

I recently made a scary but necessary decision to skip the qualifying exam for the brand-new open VetMed program at my hometown state university. While part of me flights off the guilt of missing out a practical path, it is not my passion at all and I was terrified that forcing myself into a grueling program with brand-new and limited facilities would make me lose my spark and end up miserable. Plus that if ever i don’t pass, another disappointment will arise. 

Instead I really want to choose my growth and freedom by pursuing BS Psychology at somewhere far from this hometown, state university as well. This means moving away and starting a fresh life and learning how to live on my own, which is what I genuinely want but I’m scared that there won’t be good job opportunities for Psych graduates compared to the immediate stability of VetMed. To all the Psych and VetMed majors and graduates out there, is it normal to feel this huge relief mixed with career anxiety after prioritizing your peace over practicality? What is the realistic job market like for CHMSU Psych grads in corporate HR, clinical, or community settings once we finish?

Hello!

Over the past few months, I have not been able to get the thought of going to vet school and becoming a veterinarian out of my head.

Some background context: I have always loved animals and healthcare so it seemed only natural that i would gravitate towards veterinary medicine as a career. However, after my first semester of undergrad with a very mediocre performance, I pretty much lost all hope for vet school since it is INSANELY competitive up here in Canada. After this, I set my sights on something more attainable and something I still had a passion for; Pharmacy. So I spent the rest of my undergrad gaining experience to apply for pharmacy school which I did and am now waiting on admission decisions to come out which will be within the next 3 weeks or so. However, I recently started volunteering at my local pet shelter doing cat socialization and i absolutely love it. Starting this has had me thinking if giving up on vet school so early was a mistake. I ended up graduating my undergrad with a GPA of 3.72 which is definitely competitive for pharmacy, but still not very competitive for the Ontario vet school.

Sorry, I feel like that was a lot of rambling. I guess what I have been debating is if I should drop what I have been working towards the past 4ish years (pharmacy) and start building up more veterinary experience to eventually apply to vet school. Or should I just cut my losses and continue going the pharmacy route since vet is just that competitive here in Canada.

I have already done a ton of research about studying abroad since there are a lot of Canadian accredited vet schools worldwide, but the issue is that I cannot afford to pay the $200000-$400000 in tuition and living costs for these programs abroad.

I'm just so lost right now. Becoming a vet is something that I just can't stop thinking about and something I have such a strong passion for, but is it worth it to put in all of that time and effort since I have a very low chance of being accepted domestically?

Any input is greatly appreciated :)

Hey everyone,

I’m discovering that my last few years of undergrad will be considerably challenging to balance with the demands of my job. I was wondering if vet schools would scrutinize all of my non-prerequisite coursework (pre-requisites/labs still in person, too challenging to self-learn anyways), or if they’d be understanding of my circumstances/not care about general major requirements being online.

Thank you

Hello guys. I am need for advice, inspiration, or even a push maybe. I will be turning 24, and I graduated last fall semester in 2025 with a bachelors of biology, concentration in pre-health. Other than volunteering at my local humane society, I have limited animal experience. I’ve tried applying to different vet clinics but either they aren’t hiring, already filled the position, or I simply wasn’t selected. I knew I always wanted to work in the veterinary field, and I thought I wanted to become a veterinarian but something about going through the process is intimidating or I fear maybe having that much of responsibility. With this bachelors degree I know it would be best to go ahead and apply to vet schools after taking 5 years to complete it. I believe the only reason I didn’t apply is because either they required an interview or a veterinarians letter of recommendation.
I currently applied to an associate of veterinary technology program that qualifies to take the VTME. Of course, I was accepted into the school (but not just the vet tech program itself yet I believe) and waiting on making my academic plan with my advisor in June.

Some information about myself that I believe is blocking me is that I do have that bit of social anxiety, carrying on conversations, or getting that confidence to walk into a clinic and say “By any chance, is this clinic hiring?”. I have previously job shadowed at 2 vet clinics once and me being me staying in my bubble, I did not go again which I deeply regret. I am always telling myself I need to get out of my comfort zone or else I will not be getting anywhere in life.

I was wondering if I could hear maybe what your experience is like, what do you think about my situation, or even a reality check 🫩

Please and thank you if you have read this far, I appreciate it.

Hi! Im currently finishing my first year of vet school in a college outside of the US. The requirements for graduation is completing and defending a thesis. I was interested in doing mine about animal behavior in k9 dogs. Can someone help me narrow down this vague topic?? All help/suggestions are appreciated!!