[latexr]

> Virtuous people become doctors

I remember when I was in high school knowing a bunch of people who wanted to be doctors (and had good grades). It was strange to me so many people wanted to be doctors so I asked why. The answer was one word: Money. In my adult life I have also heard of multiple people who demand to be called “doctor” in social situations.

“Virtuous” is not a word I’d associate at all with wanting to become a doctor. Veterinarians are a different matter, though.

[astura]

>“Virtuous” is not a word I’d associate at all with wanting to become a doctor. Veterinarians are a different matter, though.

For those that don't know, veterinarian education is just as rigorous, time consuming, and expensive as human medical education, yet the median annual wage for practicing veterinarians is $125,510.

[latexr]

And the work can be considerably harder. Human doctors tend to specialise on a certain area of a single species, and they can communicate with their patients. Veterinaries are expected to know every part of a huge range of species (though there are specialties as well) and have to be able to diagnose patients who not only can’t explain themselves in our language, they are usually terrified by being in a strange environment with a strange person and thus alter or hide their behaviour. Not to mention having to deal with the owners and regular euthanasias.

It’s an incredibly stressful job with a huge rate of suicide.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20231010-the-acute-suic...

[zozbot234]

That's a lot of money out in rural country, which is where veterinarians tend to be especially useful.

[latexr]

That’s also the money in the US, not everywhere, and not every veterinarian goes into it for the rural stuff. I know plenty of veterinarians who have zero interest in that, and being vegan don’t even approve of the industry.

[jimbokun]

But much less than most doctors make.