Well, this vet has a history of being, shall we say, easily offended and slightly temperamental.
Generation Gap
Editor:
Dr. Ken Tudor is the one who needs to get real [
“Get Real, Dr. Khuly,” Letter to the Editor, April 2010].
Veterinary school debt is everyone’s problem. If it costs $200,000 to become a VMD/DVM, the new graduate needs a higher salary to pay that debt.
The “older generation” vets who complain about new grads and their salary requests are being very short-sighted. “Old farts” like Dr. Tudor desperately want to pass on their practices to the next generation, according to him. Someone in that much debt won’t be able to buy a practice.
Not whining about debt does not make it not exist. I’m not a new grad, but I’m still in debt. I knew I would be in debt before I applied to vet school, but I accepted that.
The entire profession needs to realize that astronomical costs for vet school will have great impacts on the profession—from good candidates deciding to choose other careers to the need to increase prices for services.
As far as mentoring goes, buying malpractice insurance and accepting mistakes is negligent advice. Because I have insurance it’s OK if I accidentally kill an animal? Vet school is abysmal at teaching surgery. Students have to fight with interns and residents to do surgery.
Expecting a new grad to be able to do surgery without mentoring is ridiculous.
As I tell people, vet school does not teach one how to be a vet but rather how to think like a vet. Becoming a vet takes time, practice and mentoring.
In regard to family responsibilities, allow me to be as politically incorrect (read: sexist) as Dr. Tudor was. “Old fart” vets are generally men who usually didn’t do as much raising children back in their day as the wife did. Asking your children how school was over the dinner your wife made after she cleaned the house is not quality time.
I am highly offended as a female and veterinarian in debt by his response, which only shows how out of touch some vets are.
Julie Stephenson, VMD
Mays Landing, N.J. Veterinary Practice News June 2010 Letters to the Editor