Review by Kathy Lyon 
(Click on stars for an explanation) |
This book is Out of Print. |
This is a rather extensive look into the directions one might take in pursuing a veterinary career. Granted, it is likely best read while a student, but the information is also useful for an established professional seeking a change of direction.
The choices are arranged in a logical flow, first the desired change, then the question of "can you" referring to the needs and sacrifices of that choice, and then the potential path. In this, the choices seem to be endless. There are a lot of yes/no choices that lead you to the next step.
The qualifications for each level of expertise are explained, how to get them and how the degree might be applied to real life. Pay scale comparisons are not mentioned, which I can understand as it that would seriously date the book, but it might be useful to mention that X job pays more/less than a general clinician, or (for example) "being a zoo veterinarian pays less than a business consultant veterinarian, but is a lot more interesting".
Organizations and schools are defined and their pluses and minuses explained. The book walks you through getting board certification, and what non-certification might mean in your future.
Once you get into this book, you will appreciate the time and perseverance it took to collect this information and keep it up-to-date until publication. I only found three things that I would have edited: First, AAV does not have "wet-labs", the have "Practical labs", and I would have removed the pet-shop jargon of calling small mammals "pocket pets". "Small Exotic Mammals" is more professional. Also, under Laboratory Animal Medicine, the author mentions that there are ethical considerations in using animal for research, but does not address the potential (however slight) of organized sabotage or attacks on researchers and facilities.
In each choice, there is a letter of recommendation from an individual who liked making that choice. It's all very positive. There are "Pros and Cons" in each area. The pros are positive, but the cons are more along the lines of pointing out aspects of the job that may not be what you expected, such as record-keeping, which may take the hands-on veterinarian away from his dealings with animals. There are no letters from people who thought that the job in question was a disappointment or a time-sucking waste. So, the reader will have to evaluate any possible downside based on his own likes or dislikes. The goal seems to be to allow the reader to evaluate the job before going for it, so that a critical level of disillusionment may never be reached.
It is an excellent book and certainly one to consider in any stage of the veterinary profession, from student to the 30-year veteran seeking a change of scenery. Just don't let your boss see you reading it.
Paper cover,Smith Veterinary Consulting, Peshastin WA, 2011.
279 pages,
ISBN: 9781885780171.