So I have an idea

I've wanted to be a veterinarian since I was 6 years old. The only thing stopping me is myself. I'm 21 and not currently in college. I basically failed out of college. My gpa is about 1.0. Now, I really would like to start going to classes and actually doing my work. I know the material, I just don't apply myself, which is my own darn fault and I'm slowly realizing this. So today while thinking about where I am in life, I realized that I still want to be a veterinarian, one who specializes in small mammals, birds, reptiles, and other exotics. So I think to myself, "Jay, what does this city need in a veterinarian?" "Why, we need a good emergency vet."

And then began my amazing idea. Well maybe not amazing to you, but when you finally realize what you want to do in life, its amazing. I want to be a veterinarian, specializing in small mammals, birds, reptiles, and other exotics, and on top of that, it will be based right in my home. The veterinary clinic will be inside my home, letting me stay at home with my kids and animals but also have a career. Basically patients would come to my house and the clinic would take up a spare space like a basement or the downstairs of the house, while living quarters were elsewhere. We would have normal hours just like any other vet, but instead of closing our doors to everyone at a specific time, emergencies would be taken in 24hrs a day. (It would suck, I know, but its kind of like the old farm veterinarian who makes house calls on those old movies). We have the situation here in this area that if your dog gets hit by a car at 2am, you have to rush him downtown to an emergency vet on Cary St. Then you get charged out the a** for the care. Not to mention, your animal is being seen by someone who has probably never seen your animal before and doesn't know his history. Why not your normal vet? And that's what I could do.

I know this kind of thing has drawbacks (lack of sleep, calls in the middle of the night, and many more that I probably don't even realize yet) but this could be something that could really help people. What do you think? Bad idea, good idea?

It would probably take a long time to get something like this up and running (what with education, permits, the usual business stuff, equiptment). If you are dedicated, I would say go for it. Do what you love and what makes you happy. :D

Oh yeah. Its going to take years. I'm expecting somewhere around 10 years of education, maybe more with specialization. And a whole bunch of other stuff. But its something I'm aiming for. Might not get exactly what I want, but I can try.

Its going to take a longgggg time but you're never too old to start! 21 is nothing, I'm currently attending college and am in the veterinary technology program - ages range from 19-50, granted, the vet tech degree is only a 2 year degree (not counting the 1 year of prerequisites), but we have one pre-vet student in the class that looks like he is 20-22.

I think I would just worry about one thing at a time though, education, then gaining experience outside of required internships, then having your own clinic.

I voted bad idea. Here's a couple of things why:

1) A professional veterinarian should not run a business out of the home, ESPECIALLY emergency veterinary care, which will commonly require surgery.

2) Cost of education. It's ridiculous, and unless you have scholarships(which since you failed out of college, I assume you don't) on a vet's salary you will be paying off student loans until you're 40 or older. That's a long time before you actually start making money to put towards retirement.

3) Vet school is both more difficult to pass and more difficult to get into than med school. Are you smart enough, able to apply yourself enough, etc. to get an undergraduate degree with a 3.8+ GPA from a state university? A little lower GPA from an ivy league or similarly difficult/highly regarded school? Having graduated from a liberal arts school that is nationally ranked in the top 5 regularly, I spent enough time around pre-med and pre-dental and pre-vet students to know just how difficult of a time they have, not only in passing the classes and tests(MCAT/vet aptitude, GRE), but then getting rejection letter after rejection letter.

If you want it, do it. But don't just "try". Go back to college. Get As in EVERY class, an A- CAN'T be acceptable. Do multiple internships where you get actual hands on experience helping animals(the biggest mistake people make is working in a research lab, and unless you're going into research, schools don't care about that) Consider running your vet service somewhere other than out of your house. I wouldn't take my pet to someone's basement to get treated, and I bet many other people feel the same way.

Just know what you're getting yourself into :D

Unless you're going to really push yourself, don't bother. Vet school is hard to get picked for. It's a long long push, with really hard classes. They pick the cream of the studants to take, and since you already failed out once, you'll have a huge hurdle to overcome.
The idea of a home based emergency vet is a bad one, unless you're going to have a HUGE home, with zoning that allows it, able to pass inspections, with a dedicated set of rooms. Then you'll also have to keep all of that cleaned and set up, while seeing patients, while dealing with the public, and "spending time with family and pets"? Not if you're doing the job. If you do it all yourself, you'll probably fail, because there's just too muchw ork for one person to run a clinic properly. If you hire someone, will you have them 24/7? What will you do when you need a second set of trained hands at 3am? How about when a drunk shows up on your doorstep at 2am with a mutt demanding you give it it's vaccines? Remember that's your house too.
You can make it happen... if you really apply yourself to not more than JUST this idea. But everything else in your life will have to be put aside. You'll probably have to end up with a clinic, and a house behind it. You'll have no life other than that clinic, unless you want emergencies to happen only when you're not on vacation, or not out to eat, or during your kid's birthday party.. etc.

anyone who knows anyhting about becoming a vet will tell you that it just isn't going to happen.

I have seen high school dropouts with kids, go on to become Valedictorian of their University. BUT..they had amazing support systems (family, friends) and did get financial help.

It can be done, and you are young enough to do it. Simply be realistic and work towards that goal, go to a community college..take courses that will help you towards the goal..in other words be realistic. Focus on the small steps to get there and not the possible end result.

Whatever you decide to do, Good luck!

You have a very selfless vision, and I applaud it. And I'm sure it is possible (although you may regret the heck out of it later). But it would be an incredible amount of work that would never end. You may be read for this, I don't know. But you should just really think about all of the cons associated with this idea, as well as the pros.

Have you thought about going back to school to be a vet tech? The pay will probably amount to the same as what you are looking into doing, and you would be working with animals (which you love), and getting paid to do so. It's only two years, I believe. You can even take some distance courses for this degree while working as an intern in a vet clinic.

There are no vet tech programs around here, so if I'm going to have to move anywhere to go to school, I'd rather it be for something more.

I know it is going to be a lot of hard work, but there are people out there who were told their ideas were bad because of all the cons but they did it anyway. I don't care how much money I make or don't make. My passion is with animals. Maybe a clinic with the house behind it is a better idea but I would still want it to be close to my house so that emergency care can be available.

And maybe this won't happen but its my goal. If I fall short and just become a vet tech or a vet with a clinic like any other vet, then at least I tried and became something. It may not be the ideal, but I tried. And that's all I can do. I know vet school is very hard to get into. I'm going to have to work my butt off for a long time.

Do it times flies, in a few years you will look back thinking your glad you took that first step and went twoard your goal. Life sucks if in the back of your head you keep thinking what if. It is better to try and fail, than to not try and always wonder what if may have been like to be a vet. You are the only one who can make or break you, if you want it get it. Nothing better than realizing your dreams.:salute:

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

I know it is going to be a lot of hard work, but there are people out there who were told their ideas were bad because of all the cons but they did it anyway. I don't care how much money I make or don't make. My passion is with animals. Maybe a clinic with the house behind it is a better idea but I would still want it to be close to my house so that emergency care can be available.

And maybe this won't happen but its my goal. If I fall short and just become a vet tech or a vet with a clinic like any other vet, then at least I tried and became something. It may not be the ideal, but I tried. And that's all I can do. I know vet school is very hard to get into. I'm going to have to work my butt off for a long time.

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Jay, GO FOR IT! It's a wonderful idea!

Okay, you obviously have the passion for it, you have the vision as well, and you are willing to work hard for it. GO FOR IT!

My brother wanted to be a doctor since he got his first Operation board game when he was 6. He doesn't just want to be a doctor, he wants to be a brain surgeon. And he doesn't want to work at a big hospital, he wants to work in the rural areas to help those who can't afford that kind of surgery. We come from a lower-middle-class family. My dad cannot possibly afford medical school. By the way, this is in the Philippines where med school is not just expensive, it is OBSCENELY expensive! All his friends told him he is crazy - not only because med school is super expensive, but becoming a surgeon takes 15 years of education, and him doing it to work on those who can't pay him??? He did it anyway. He starved through residency - I'm the younger sister and I already had a decent job by then, I helped pay for his books and groceries (he would forgo food for tuition!) and when he finally became an MD after 10 years, we threw a huge party where we asked him to give a speech and he said, well, hope you don't expect me to make money soon because I'm going to 4 more years of specialty schooling! There was a collective groan in the room... Most of his friends and all his siblings are now successful career people driving Mercedes Benzes and owning houses. He is still a struggling, penniless student living in the school dorm whose belongings will fit in a gym bag - no computer, TV, stereo, xbox, or whatever else my 5 year old owns - if you give him a TV he'll sell it for tuition. His friends snicker behind his back...
He turned 40 years old this year, 2 years out of his final graduation (we didn't throw a party that time - afraid he'll say there's more schooling)... he ended up as a neurologist. He works at the hospital making tons of money. We are not quite used to the idea of him not needing money from us anymore. He married a special-needs pediatrician. Him and his wife work for free at the mayor's office (my uncle is the mayor) of a small town. Yeah, the mayor's office has a surgical table for things like circumcision and stitching up wounds and such. And he provides supplies from the money he makes at his hospital job. A lot of times, the people who come to him pay him with chickens or bananas or house cleaning, etc. I've asked him plenty of times to move to the USA but he only laughs and tells me American doctors are more concerned about avoiding lawsuits than healing people.
Anyway, he is an example of how one vision can be attained amid great odds as long as you are willing to sacrifice and you are dedicated to your cause! He is only 40 and he is happy and fulfilled. The money he makes is not even part of his goal - it is a side-benefit, although it is important so that he can use it to fund his cause. I guess it is difficult for most Americans to understand this because here in America, everything is all about the "maximum money with the least amount of effort". I see people suing doctors for no other reason than to get million-dollar settlements... even if they know for a fact that the doctor did his job. They just think that doctors have lots of money, they can afford to be sued. Easy money. Not many people have a "noble cause" anymore.
So, I have to tell you... your vision is unique. GO FOR IT!

I'm in a similar boat, and I just decided that I'm going to go back to school for an English Education degree. I want to teach because it's my passion. (And I want to eradicate ebonics from the world. ^_^)

The point I'm trying to make is that, no matter the obstacles, if this is truly what you want, if this is truly what you need to make you happy, GO FOR IT! You can't live your life wondering what-if. You have to know you at least tried.

Don't let all the people that only see the negative side of this, drag you down or discourage you. If you have a vision and a dream then go for it. If that dream comes true then great. If it doesn't then at least you can say you gave it your all. And didn't sit around spending your time telling others how they would fail. GOOD LUCK!! :D

well from your second post it sounds like your mind is made up already, so good luck!

Just remember one thing: to have any chance of success, it MUST be a "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION" scenario. Those are the only people who get into vet school.

Get all A's. No other way around it. If you have to stay up 50 hours straight to finish that 40 page paper, do it. I've done it before, my girlfriend has done it before, many of my friends have done it before. You can do it if you have the willpower. Spend summers in internships actually working with animals. This will be all the more difficult since you already have children, it sounds like. I hope you have a strong friend/family base to keep you motivated and help you when you need it.

Good luck, and don't say I didn't warn you!

I have one suggestion and that is to get your feet wet first. See about shadowing someone in your desired field or as someone else suggested try vet tech first. Real life can be far different than what you may think.

I always wanted to be a physician (general surgeon). My mother suggested I get a job in health care to be certain that's what I wanted to and I am so glad I did. Currently I'm a respiratory therapist. I know for certain I would never become a doctor of any type. Our health care system is a disaster. Most physicians do not like their jobs and would quit if they had the financial means. They spend more time on paperwork then with their patients. High liability insurance, lawsuits, and indegent care can put many physicians in debt. Getting insurance companies to pay can be a monumental task. Also, with this new nationalized health care plan going into effect things are likely to get far worse.

I know vets don't face many of these problems but I'm sure they have their own.

When you go to college a lot of kids have no idea what they want to go in to. They may think they want to do this or that because there is money involved or they may think it will be fun. Or you just go to college because of its expected of you.

When I went to college I had a 75% scholarship and I had no clue what I wanted to do. Basically I was living the college life, partying every night and showing up to class when I wanted to. I quickly got put on probation because of my grades and lost my scholarship after my freshman year.

After meeting some friends of friends I figured I wanted to try and become a firefighter, I mean thats what I said what I wanted to be when I grow up when I was in Kindergarten so why not.

Well fast forward 5 years, I am now a firefighter, an emt, a paramedic, a lieutenant (the youngest ever in my departments history) and I am loving my job. I have full benefits, a great retirement, and make more than my friends who have MBAs.

Point is, it takes a while to find what you like, I had a piss poor GPA until I got into what I really WANTED to do. Once I started taking classes I was interested in I actually wanted to go to class and tried my hardest at everything.

Follow your dreams, sometimes it just takes people longer to figure out what they REALLY want.

Our family vet is like that. Well, she was. She is still available at all times on her phone, and if needed she will see the animal with little notice. She used to be based out of her home. We waled inside and sat at her kitchen table to have the animals looked at.

Your idea is one I would support. I think that this kind of open door policy is an important one, and I think that if you have a passion for your work .. more power to ya!

Seems to me like you can't make up your mind. First you wanted to be a farmer. Then you wanted to open a pet shop. Then it was back to being a farmer. Now you want to be a vet and open your own clinic in your home.

I would just make sure that you're absolutely positive that this is what you want to do for the rest of your life. Vet school is a HUGE committment, time-wise and financially. It'd be a shame if you put all that money and effort into it and decided later that it's not what you want to do.

Just be sure. Good luck with whatever you decide!

I don't have kids yet so I don't have to worry about that hurdle just yet. My husband is supportive. We were talking about possibly talking to my mother in law and see about moving in with her. Rent would be less and I could lower my hours at work and go back to school full time.

I know what the problem is with my GPA. I've been taking classes that just don't interest me but I have to take them as part of the general education classes. I fail every single one, BUT, I've taken vertebrate anatomy. That class was fun and I always did my work. I ended up getting a B+ in the class. I bet if I took it over again I'd get an A. I was only a point or two away from an A. I love science classes so I should do very well in those. Its the math, history, and english I can't stand. But I gotta do what I gotta do to make this work.

Thanks for all the encouragement. That really helps me. My family was shocked when I told them I wasn't going through with wanting to be a vet, so they will be very happy to know that I've made up my mind and I'm going for it. I'm not in it for the money. Heck, I was planning on living at home when I have kids and running a non-profit animal rescue (and breeding ball pythons :) ) so money has very little to do with my goals in life. (All my money goes into my animals anyway)

Yes, I would like to have a farm and have a garden to grow my own food. I don't want a full blown farm, maybe a few "barnyard" animals as pets, but that's all. I don't like living in the city. Also getting a bit of land will allow me to have a house on the land as well as have a seperate clinic.

The pet shop idea was just that, an idea. Kind of me settling since I wasn't going to become a vet. I still wanted to work with animals but needed to have a job, so I put the two together and came up with a pet shop. It was a passing idea.

This feels more real. I've wanted to be a veterinarian since I was little, and now I know what I want to do with that. I've taken what I wish I had in a vet and I will become it.