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Finances

10 Wrong Things Pet Owners Say About My Salary

June 6, 2017 by Nicole Palumbo, DVM

“I bet I paid for this exam room.”

“That’s a nice wedding ring, bet my dog’s bills paid for that.”

“I bet you live in a giant mansion with all the money you have made off my cat.”

“I put your kids through college.”

“I paid for all those cruise vacations.”

“Is that your Lexus that I just parked next to?”

“Vet bills weren’t so high until vets decided they needed to drive Mercedes and live in gated communities.”

“ You probably buy a new car every month.”

“I’ll bet you had a good Christmas after doing my dog’s surgery.”

“Well I guess the kids won’t get Christmas gifts this year. Hope you enjoy yours!”

All of these are real quotes stated by real owners.

Veterinarians are doctors. Let’s repeat that, we are DOCTORS! We have gone through the same training and dedicated our lives to the same level of medicine as our human counterparts. But when it comes to respect and wages, we seem to be stuck.  Most people see human doctors as deserving of their large wages, nice cars, and expensive houses. It’s a mark of a good human doctor to have it all. It’s accepted that our human counterparts make good money and deserve it. So why are veterinarians consistently made to feel bad if they make a living wage?

We are not rich.  Veterinarians make between $50-80k per year depending on experience and area of practice. Sometimes specialists will make a good amount more than that. But compared to human physicians we make about 1/3- 2/3  of their annual salary.  We put the same amount of time and studying into our degree but at this time our wages do not reflect it.  Next time you tell a veterinarian that they are just in it for the money just remember that with our wages there is no way your statement could be true.

Another misconception is that for every test we suggest we are making extra money off of your animal. We aren’t!  Most of us work on a salary. Some get bonus money depending on if we had a good month but no veterinarian is suggesting blood work or x-rays on your animal to make 100 bucks extra that month. We suggest those things because your pet is sick and we want to figure out what is wrong with it.

The same idea goes for recommending a specialty diet or a specific medication. We do not get paid by pet food companies or drug representatives to push certain products. We will occasionally get free click pens or a “lunch and learn” to discuss new products, but let me tell you, a free pen and a slice of pizza aren’t going to sway me to push a product. In fact, most veterinarians will try to find substitute medications or script out products if they are cheaper at an outside pharmacy. We want your pet to get better, not for you to have to struggle with paying its bills.

Another issue is the price of veterinary care depends on the region. The care may be the same but unfortunately, the cost of living and keeping a veterinary clinic afloat does differ whether you are in a rural area or a large city. We aren’t ripping you off when the big city vet costs twice as the rural vet- we are just trying to pay our staff, keep the lights on, and also make a living ourselves.

Speaking of making a living for ourselves, we shouldn’t have to feel bad if we do have a nice car, or a large house, or a beautiful engagement ring. Most of the time those nice things aren’t because of our wages but most likely the wages of our significant other. You see us veterinarians make very little and graduate with large amounts of debt. Most of us are paying 2000-3500k per month in student loans. Due to this we usually are driving old cars, renting our houses, and buying ramen noodles to survive.  If we do make a little extra because we kicked butt during a specific month and we get some bonus money, why can’t we celebrate that accomplishment without clients thinking we are “all about the money?”

It is truly a catch 22-type situation. We are proud of what we do, just like our human counterparts, but we are constantly told we just want money to pay for our expensive lifestyle and veterinary practice.  The misconceptions are many and when we try to explain the reality we are shut down.  Honestly though, do you think it’s okay to make the comments stated above towards anyone at their place of work?  Maybe that is a whole other subject entirely….

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Finances, Life With Clients

Don’t Give Up! Tips For Aspiring Vets From the Other Side of the Fence

March 16, 2016 by Nicole Palumbo, DVM

You have decided to go to veterinary school. Maybe you are still in high school or have gotten to that point in undergrad where you are applying our wondrous world. Because the market is changing, many veterinarians are discouraging students from joining the veterinary workforce. They are being blunt and taking their own experiences and projecting them onto students who are just wanting to pursue their dreams. If you are like me, that type of advice is just going to make you want to prove others wrong and work extra hard to obtain your goals. For those aspiring veterinarians here is some advice to make your veterinary adventure more profitable in happiness and success.

1 – Gain as much experience at veterinary clinics before applying to vet school.

Some clinics will hire high school students to work kennels but unfortunately, some may not. Finding a clinic that will let you volunteer or job shadow will greatly improve your knowledge of how a veterinary clinic runs and will give you insight into the challenges that veterinarians face daily. Start young- it helps!

2 – Take advantage of volunteer programs, spay/neuter days, and summer jobs during veterinary school.

I learned so much volunteering my time at the school’s wildlife clinic and still use a lot of those skills today. A summer job can help you gain some extra money while still having a social life. I was able to work a few summers at the ASPCA Poison Control Center and it was an amazing experience. As far as surgery, in veterinary school, you might only get a few spays/neuters before going out into practice but if you volunteer at spay/neuter clinics you can gain a lot more experience and feel more comfortable your first year out.

Cute Dog Looking Up

3 – Face facts and know you aren’t going to be making a ton of money.

The veterinary field is trying to change and compensation for our time/work is gradually improving, but it’s going to take time before we see major improvements. Most of us are aware of this fact but it hits us hard when we get out of veterinary school. Be prepared to have a plan for finances.

4 – Be careful with your student loans!

Unfortunately due to a shift in how student loans are shelled out, the student now has a huge burden when they graduate. Many of us are graduating with 200,000-400,000k worth of student loans from veterinary school alone. One thing I can advise is if you have the choice between in-state tuition and choosing to go out of state, always choose in state. Your education is going to be almost exactly the same and it can save you 20-60k per year in student loan debt.

5 – Value yourself but don’t push for more money based on your student debt.

A lot of newer grads are feeling the burn when they graduate and start paying back those student loans. When you are job hunting, find a job that is fair in their evaluation of you and what you are worth to the clinic. You may have to put in some grunt work, do on-call hours, etc- but a good clinic will give you the opportunity for a raise within 6-12 months if you are doing a good job.

6 – Find a good financial advisor that understands what type of debt you have.

My first financial advisor told me to treat my loans like a mortgage and pay them off as soon as possible. This is not the way to go if you want to save for retirement, buy a house, buy into a clinic, etc. Take advantage of the Income-Based Repayment Plans or Pay As You Earn. They are helpful at creating a lower payment and giving you more wiggle room with your paycheck.

Two dogs run happily on the beach together

7 – Find your hobby and don’t let it go.

Veterinarians tend to get wrapped up in their work and it hits us hard emotionally and physically. We stop making time for the things we love and it can cripple our spirit. Always remember to find time to do the things you fancy and to take your mind off your stressful day.

8 – Accept the fact that you will never be able to save every animal and you will make mistakes.

We all walk out of vet school thinking we know everything and the first year hits us extra hard. But once we realize we will make mistakes, we still have to deal with the fact that our patients will die eventually. The best advice I can give is to continue to practice high-quality medicine and accept that fact that some cases will decompensate despite your best efforts… and that is normal and okay. Don’t let that aspect of the job deter your dream. Keep pushing forward and don’t back down.

Veterinary school isn’t for everyone, but it can be a rewarding experience once you obtain that doctorate. Don’t let the grumpy veterinarians bring you down when it comes to your dreams but remember to be realistic.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Thinking of vet school? Take these tips from a recent #VetSchool grad.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Finances

Is It Your Vet’s Job to Keep the Cost of Care Down?

July 11, 2013 by Andy Roark DVM MS

“Veterinarians are in it for the money. If it was just about caring for pets, they wouldn’t charge so much.”

This is one of the most common misperceptions I’ve heard from pet owners. And let me tell you, it hurts.

Grey Kitten Waking Up

Personally, I’m not in this career for the cash. Like most of my colleagues, I do it because I love it, and I chose veterinary medicine over other careers that might have been more lucrative. But I completely understand why frustrated pet owners say such things sometimes. As consumers, we’ve all been there — feeling as if all anyone cares about is getting money from us. That feels even worse when we are under stress and finances are tight. It’s no wonder these emotions frequently bubble up for pet owners caring for sick or injured loved ones.

Whenever I look at a cost estimate for a pricey surgical procedure, diagnostic test or medical therapy, I can’t help cringing. It’s not because I don’t understand why the cost is what it is — medicine is a sophisticated and technology-based field — it’s because I worry about how it will affect possibly cash-strapped owners and their pet-in-need.

But what should my role be, as a veterinarian, in keeping costs low? I wonder about that often, and I’ve never seen or heard an answer. It certainly wasn’t a topic covered in veterinary school.

Continue reading…

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Finances, Life With Clients

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