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What's it really like to be a veterinarian? Get career insights.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

HI, my name is Jonathan and I am doing a research paper for my school. Can you answer a couple of questions for me? What do you like most about your career? What advice would you give someone who is considering being a Veterinarian? What would you say was the most difficult for you to become a Veterinarian? What would you say are personal characteristics required to become a successful veterinarian? I really hope you can help. Thank you.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on November 13th, 2017

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! What I like the most about my career is being able to help pets in need and support owners through that process. Veterinary medicine is very interesting because of how broad the field is and how much you learn on a daily basis. Anyone interested in becoming a veterinarian should start by getting more experience in the profession by shadowing a veterinarian and also studying very hard and making an effort to learn and get good grades. The most difficult aspect of becoming a veterinarian is continuing to do well in schools which can be quite hard and also being able to balance life outside of school with school work. Also, it is also very costly which puts some pressure on you as a veterinary student as well. Personal characteristics required for this profession include being compassionate, intelligent, curious, motivated and above all caring. Good luck with your project! I hope you get an A!

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    Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on

    Hi Jonathan. I am happy to help! I love the relationships that I have with my clients and their animals. That is probably what I love most about my job. Advice for becoming a veterinarian- I could go on for days. Short answer- “it is not the desire to win but the willingness to prepare to win that will lead to success.” I believe this goes for school, volunteer work, applications and continues through vetschool and definitely into my daily work. The application process was hard. It took me 5 years to be accepted to veterinary school. 5 years is a long time of continued work and disappointments before that acceptance letter came. Personal characteristics needed would be grit, compassion, and resilience. It is a very hard job with little room for error or your own emotional recovery. You have to be a very hard worker and be able to move on from a devastating case to a new puppy exam without skipping a beat. I hope these answers help! Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach!

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