The new normal in veterinary medicine

[Anonymous]

For the vets o this thread—can you explain why it is that the vet owned practices can’t compete with the VC owned businesses? It would seem that by cutting out the $$ going to the corporate overlord, you could charge less and make more. I’m sure I’m missing something but wondering what it is. Do the big companies keep costs down by negotiating with suppliers for things like anesthesia?

[Anonymous]

My issue with vet care is that everyone is blaming the Banfield or the VCA owners but they are only practices that I can get appointments with within 8 weeks for our new puppy. Our local vet pointed me to the wellness clinic at the SPCA for routine vaccinations because they don't have any appointments for my new dog.
If I'm going one place for vaccines and one place for a sick visit and another for an exam, I'm going to simply shop for the lowest pricing and the most availability which happens to be the Banfields of the world.

If a good vet's office can schedule appropriately, leave sick visits blocked off somehow than I'm going to be loyal and pay a little extra.

It seems the vet world has become giant HMOs with the primary care being done by the equivalent of a Minute Clinic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vet here....I am going to write this as compassionately and realistically as possible.

Your vet's office is slammed. More pets. Decreased number of vets because many older ones retired during the pandemic. Some offices closed entirely. Decreased staffing - huge shortage of veterinary technicians and assistants. Increased negativity from clients. Corporate ownership of many practices, so the vet has NO CONTROL over prices. Vets leaving the field because of dissatisfaction. Crippling educational debt (often over 120K). High suicide rates. Long waits for annual exam appointments - sometimes 4 weeks or more. Sick visits are often scheduled only that morning - just like at your doctors office - or you may be sent to an ER/Urgent care facility.

These are the facts. The new normal. You cannot just walk in an expect to be seen. You cannot call and expect them to fit you in around your schedule. Those days are gone. When I walk into work every day, my schedule is booked from start to finish and I have to be very creative to squeeze in the extras that I know need to be seen. I have not taken an actual lunch break in years. I eat at my desk between appointments - if I get to eat.

So, when people complain about prices or not being able to be seen, this is why.

Your vet's office is working their tails off. Have some compassion and appreciate them.

my daughter had outstanding GPS from a science program at Virginia Tech. She was rejected 2 years in a row from 5 different Vet schools.

You get no sympathy. You and your ilk created this issue by limiting the number of Vets

I work in the veterinary realm, and have worked closely with veterinarians for 20+ years. Did your daughter do anything other than attend classes? Did she in a vet clinic, or with the research animals at her school? The days of just having a good GPA and high GRE score are gone — thankfully. I’ve worked with so many vets that should not be vets. Now you really need to have worked with animals to get in to vet school. They want to make sure the person knows what they would be dealing with as a vet. Just because you love animals doesn’t mean a career in veterinary medicine is for you. Prove to the vet schools that you’ve tested the waters.

Not PP not do I think OP is responsible for the shortage of vet schools. PP mad about her daughter needs to chill on this person. But the point is a real one. BFF is a vet, went to college w degree in bio, graduated 3.9 GPA, applied and got in nowhere, went to grad school for animal husbandry Purely to be accepted to get school, and was. Not everyone can do that. People with families, lives, poverty, etc. your note above reeks of privelege and the notion that when an industry is in short supply people need to break their backs to get into training.

Huh? I’m the pp you quoted. I never said go get a second degree. They need real life experience. That was my point. There are plenty of hands-on jobs where aspiring vets can get this experience…most come with benefits. Do a year or two, put it on your resume, then you get into vet school. I’ve seen it work dozens of times.

Are you really a vet OP/PP? Vets have many years of training, internship, DVM, externship, staff vet and on up, but they’re not ready unless they go vet tech or do something else before they go to vet school? You said we have a vet shortage but we don’t need more vets. Green vets need more real world experience so it’s ok for them to put off having kids to work low wage jobs as a vet tech until you deem them to have enough “real world experience” then go back to school? That puts career entry when people start having families. People without wealth have a harder time doing that. I was super sympathetic to your first post and now I’m not. If there’s a shortage, do your part to help the next generation in!