1. Desire to make a difference in animals’ lives.
There is really not much explanation for this. It’s like asking why do you love your favorite food so much? Everything that it is.
For some, it could be a life-changing experience that changed their feelings towards animals such as a therapy dog helping them overcome social anxieties. For others, it could be based on personal experiences and interactions that made them grow their love towards animals. For me, it is the latter.
My love for animals developed over time as I grew up with a myriad of animals. My dad loves all sorts of animals too, including insects. When I was a child, he would stop my sisters and I from killing many types of insects and small reptiles such as ants, spiders, flies and lizards (all of them regarded as pests by many). He would explain to us that they are innocent creatures which mean no harm. My dad will also come home with animals which he found on the streets that were injured, lost or abandoned such as chameleons, birds and kittens. I would nurse them back to health and release them to where they belong. Sometimes, I would fall in love with them so much that I would convince my parents to allow them to stay in our home as their forever home. However, there were times when they couldn’t make it and I would feel really guilty for their lost lives. I made a promise to myself that I would be a veterinarian in the future and be better at saving animals’ lives.
I also enjoyed farm visits as a child. I would visit Hay Dairies(goat farm), The Animal Resort(bird, rabbits and horse resort) and fish farms just to be up close with numerous animals. I just loved to be around animals — their goofiness, cheerfulness, innocence and loveliness — that’s what I call “cute”. I was also intrigued by their unique features and personalities.
2. Making a difference in people’s lives.
Yes, you did not read it wrongly. To many people’s surprise, being a veterinarian actually involves communicating and working with people. 70% of the time or more is spent with people (at least for most vet professions).
Initially, the reason for wanting to be a veterinarian was only to help animals. Yes, I did not like helping people. I used to think communicating with people was difficult. I didn’t want to bother and worry about people being cunning, unappreciative and mean. Whereas animals are always so forgiving, loving and carefree. When I was younger I told myself that since I don’t like helping people and I love animals then being a veterinarian would be the perfect profession for me.
My love for helping people only gradually developed as I volunteered with people more often. This reason only further emphasized why I want to be a veterinarian. Over the years, I realized that being a veterinarian is more than just being with animals. Luckily, in junior college at age 17, I had opportunities to volunteer with special needs, the elderly and children. I realized I find helping people equally rewarding. Knowing that I’ve helped a person in need and made their day a little better really motivated me to continue wanting to make a positive impact on people’s life. It has only strengthened my desire to be a veterinarian. Since I love helping both people and animals then being a veterinarian fulfils both desires.
Working for over a year in 2 different clinics as a veterinary nurse, I have seen the bad and the good. There have been days when clients would blame me and raise their voice at me for something innocuous. There have also been days when clients show their appreciation to us even when they are at their lowest. I have learned how to overcome the bad days and appreciate the good days. Though I am still learning how to manage those bad days, I try my best to always improve on client communication to prevent as many negative client experiences as possible. My experiences have only further strengthened my love for the profession and my desire to use my skills to improve the lives of animals and people.
3. Math and sciences stimulate my mind.
Since primary school, at the age of 7 when I first learnt math, I loved numbers, calculations, problem-solving and appreciated how direct it is. It is either a right or wrong answer. When I first learnt science in primary 3 at the age of 9, I was super fascinated by it. I was amazed at how we are surrounded by science. I was especially enthusiastic when it came to memorizing human and plant basic anatomy. I remembered how I would ask my parents to buy assessment books and papers for me. I would spend hours in the library when I was 11 and 12 years old to complete these extra practices I gave myself. I had the motivation to do well and always performed really well at mathematics and science. Together with my love for animals, I told myself I want to be a vet when I grow up.
My desire to be a veterinarian has been the driving force for me to have the motivation to do well in math and sciences in secondary school. It led me to take up 3 pure science subjects (chemistry, biology and physics) and double math subjects (elementary and additional math) for O levels which I scored distinction for all.
A level was an odd experience when I had less motivation to study in general due to many stress factors (I would share more in the future) but I definitely had more motivation to study for math and sciences.
4. Every day is a challenge and surprise.
You would be surprised by what comes through the door. Working in a small animal practice, though we mostly see dogs and cats, I’ve seen all sorts of animals that surprise me, from a hyacinth macaw, alligator gar and terrapin to lovebird, tortoise and hamster. It is really animals of all shapes and sizes. They each have their own unique personalities too. Holding one labrador dog for blood draw can be very different from holding another labrador. One can be really affectionate and have really high energy that giving cuddles and scratches would be the best distraction. Whereas the other can be really nervous that being slow and easy would be reassuring to it. The same goes to holding a terrapin for X-rays. We have to be creative with how we hold any animal, and that’s what makes our work so enjoyable.
You would also be mentally stimulated with the different cases encountered. It could be a terrapin that fell from a height, a cat with a blocked bladder, a dog with fluids in its lungs and many more. Some days the team could deal with a few emergencies or critical cases, such as a dog with pyometra, a seizuring animal, an emergency foreign body removal surgery and an emergency cesarean surgery. Being part of the team in saving the life of an animal can be particularly rewarding, knowing that you have made a positive difference in the lives of animals and their beloved owners. There are also instances when the animals’ lives cannot be saved and you have to relay the news to their already distraught owners. It can be emotionally draining but knowing that the team has tried their best to ease the animal’s suffering, it can be rewarding too. The most important thing is to always reflect and come back to your purpose — why you are doing what you are doing.
I have to admit, I once did not look forward to going to work because it was getting mundane. I was placed to do receptionist work on most of my working days. Due to the lack of manpower, we had to refer many emergency or critical cases out. Thus, most of the cases that we saw were routine procedures and consults.
If any of you who is in this field feels that many days are mundane then there could be an underlying reason as to why you are feeling this way. It could be that your work environment is not the right one for you. Find one that appreciates you for the work that you do, supports your journey to be a better professional, listens to your inputs, cares about your life and welfare. It could be that you are losing focus and motivation in the veterinary field and found something else that interests you. Reflect weekly and create goals that you intend to achieve by the next week or month or year. Remind yourself why you are continuing on this journey or why you are intending to change your career path. Talk to people that care for you about your goals.
If you ever feel like you’ve hit the learning curve plateau, then something is probably not right. Find the reason. Look for opportunities to learn because there are a multitude of courses, roles, jobs, projects that you could take up to improve your skills and the lives of animals under your care. This brings me to my next point.
5. It is a never-ending cycle of learning.
If you are in this field of work, you are probably in it for your passion. Once you find your passion, none of your living days would feel like work. If you are passionate about something, learning would feel more like you are simply living your best life, it would not feel like a chore. This is why I choose to continue to go down this path of passion and learning. I cannot imagine myself being this motivated and passionate in another job.
There are so many ways that you could be learning. You can be learning from a mentor, someone who has years of experience with a range of animals. You can take up courses in ultrasonography or rehabilitation or emergency. You can also further your expertise by taking up rotations to attain memberships with boards. There are many books and research papers that you could be reading to gain a deeper understanding of diseases. The opportunities are limitless. Embrace any learning opportunities that come your way and it’ll definitely add value to your life.
6. The diverse job prospects are exciting.
There are a range of jobs available with a degree in veterinary medicine. There’re companion, exotics, aquatic, wildlife, equine, farm, lab research veterinarian and more. And within each, there are many species to work with.
There are also specific specialties that one can branch into such as ophthalmology, dermatology, internal medicine, surgery, dentistry and much more. It just opens up so many opportunities and if I ever lose interest in a specific area, I can always further my studies or gain experience in another area. The world is our oyster!
Other areas of work that many people are unaware of are regulatory medicine, public health and research. All these job prospects are hugely different, rewarding and exciting in their own ways.
Animal work/volunteer experience
- Worked as a full-time veterinary nurse in a busy small animal clinic (1.5 years)
- Volunteered at an animal clinic shadowing a vet (1 month)
- Volunteered at a cat shelter (6 months)
- Volunteered at horse stables (3 months)
Human volunteer experience
- Worked with special needs (1.5 years)
- Overseas volunteer program in Chiang Mai (1 month)
- Worked with a child with autism under Embrace Autism of Singapore (1 year)
- Volunteer experiences with elderly and less fortunate children (2 weeks)
General note:
My reasons for wanting to be a vet may potentially change in the future because of the different experiences I may face but I believe that these will be my main reasons which I can look back upon if I ever lose focus on my goal to be a vet. These will be the reasons that I’ll look back upon to remind myself why I decided to get myself into this profession in the first place and to keep myself grounded when I’m faced with any challenges. It will be an emotional, mental and physical rollercoaster everyday, faced with many challenges and rewarding experiences. Every day will be a learning experience. That’s what makes living worth it for me.