Unschooling to Vet School?
dgreens1
I am not technically unschooling, but ecclectic. My dd says she wants
to be a vet.
Until what grade does one unschool-
How does one unschool-
Or can one unschool and get into vet school?
Thanks,
Deborah :-)
to be a vet.
Until what grade does one unschool-
How does one unschool-
Or can one unschool and get into vet school?
Thanks,
Deborah :-)
Melissa
I am new so it may be too soon for me to jump in here but I don't
think unschooling is no books or can't even be formal. It is learning
the way that child feels she needs or wants to. So if she wants to be
a Vet, you can show her how to investigate or investigate with her all
the things she needs to know and skills she needs to aquire in order to
reach her goal of becoming a Vet. She then can decide how best to
learn those skills and just be there to answer her questions or help
her if she needs you
think unschooling is no books or can't even be formal. It is learning
the way that child feels she needs or wants to. So if she wants to be
a Vet, you can show her how to investigate or investigate with her all
the things she needs to know and skills she needs to aquire in order to
reach her goal of becoming a Vet. She then can decide how best to
learn those skills and just be there to answer her questions or help
her if she needs you
Pamela Sorooshian
On Nov 9, 2007, at 11:36 AM, dgreens1 wrote:
Vet school doesn't happen until after college, it has nothing to do
with k-12 education.
How old is your daughter?
-pam
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> I am not technically unschooling, but ecclectic. My dd says she wantsOne can unschool and get into vet school. Yes.
> to be a vet.
> Until what grade does one unschool-
> How does one unschool-
> Or can one unschool and get into vet school?
Vet school doesn't happen until after college, it has nothing to do
with k-12 education.
How old is your daughter?
-pam
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Joyce Fetteroll
On Nov 9, 2007, at 2:36 PM, dgreens1 wrote:
animals (vets, shelters, groomers and so on).
Get to know the naturalists at area Audubon sanctuaries and other
places offering animal programs.
Get involved with 4H.
Pets.
I'm sure there are plenty more when you start thinking outside the box!
She'll not only be absorbing real information about animals in
context, but she'll be using the skills they only teach in theory in
school (math, science, communicating (written and oral) and improving
them as a side effect of needing them.
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> Or can one unschool and get into vet school?Find opportunities for her to volunteer with people who take care of
animals (vets, shelters, groomers and so on).
Get to know the naturalists at area Audubon sanctuaries and other
places offering animal programs.
Get involved with 4H.
Pets.
I'm sure there are plenty more when you start thinking outside the box!
She'll not only be absorbing real information about animals in
context, but she'll be using the skills they only teach in theory in
school (math, science, communicating (written and oral) and improving
them as a side effect of needing them.
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Momma
There are programs out there for young people looking to get into this field.
A very good friend of ours has a 15 year old daughter that has always unschooled. She is seriously considering a field in vet science. They found a great 4-H program that takes about 5 years to complete (book learning/volunteer work). When all is said and done she will be a certified vet tech.
Aubrey
A very good friend of ours has a 15 year old daughter that has always unschooled. She is seriously considering a field in vet science. They found a great 4-H program that takes about 5 years to complete (book learning/volunteer work). When all is said and done she will be a certified vet tech.
Aubrey
----- Original Message -----
From: dgreens1
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 1:36 PM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Unschooling to Vet School?
I am not technically unschooling, but ecclectic. My dd says she wants
to be a vet.
Until what grade does one unschool-
How does one unschool-
Or can one unschool and get into vet school?
Thanks,
Deborah :-)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: dgreens1 <dgreens1@...>
I am not technically unschooling, but ecclectic. My dd says she wants
to be a vet.
Until what grade does one unschool-
-=-=-=-=-
Grades are for meat and eggs, not children. We don't "do" grades.
Unschooling is lifelong because learning never stops.
The Truly Educated Never Graduate ---I have the bumper sticker. <g>
-=-=-=-=-=-
How does one unschool-
-=-=-=-
By seeing everything as "educational"---by living a rich life and
learning all the time.
-=-=-=-
Or can one unschool and get into vet school?
-=-=-=-=-
Of course.
Vet schools have become *very* selective. Being an interesting
undergrad with a lot of work experience will make you more appealing to
vet schools.
How old is your daughter?
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
________________________________________________________________________
Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! -
http://mail.aol.com
From: dgreens1 <dgreens1@...>
I am not technically unschooling, but ecclectic. My dd says she wants
to be a vet.
Until what grade does one unschool-
-=-=-=-=-
Grades are for meat and eggs, not children. We don't "do" grades.
Unschooling is lifelong because learning never stops.
The Truly Educated Never Graduate ---I have the bumper sticker. <g>
-=-=-=-=-=-
How does one unschool-
-=-=-=-
By seeing everything as "educational"---by living a rich life and
learning all the time.
-=-=-=-
Or can one unschool and get into vet school?
-=-=-=-=-
Of course.
Vet schools have become *very* selective. Being an interesting
undergrad with a lot of work experience will make you more appealing to
vet schools.
How old is your daughter?
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
________________________________________________________________________
Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! -
http://mail.aol.com
Deborah Greenspan
My dd is 13 this week. She doesn't seem as motivated as my other dd, who has
set a goal and is pursuing it in college after being homeschooled.
My younger dd likes to watch TV and pet animals-that's about it. She says
she wants to be a vet-I tell her she needs to learn Algebra if that is the
case, as science depends on math.
All the best,
Deborah
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
set a goal and is pursuing it in college after being homeschooled.
My younger dd likes to watch TV and pet animals-that's about it. She says
she wants to be a vet-I tell her she needs to learn Algebra if that is the
case, as science depends on math.
All the best,
Deborah
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Deborah Greenspan
That sounds great about the 4H program. Do you know who I would contact for
that? What's the name of the program? Do the vet tech credits transfer into
the college for vet medicine?
All the best,
Deborah
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
that? What's the name of the program? Do the vet tech credits transfer into
the college for vet medicine?
All the best,
Deborah
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Karen Swanay
Jumping in here. I was a vet tech and I was in college to be a vet. I
MUST get her volunteering NOW in shelters. All vet schools want to see
actual experience around animals and no pets don't count. I began by
volunteering at an animal shelter, then with that xp I got a job as a kennel
worker at a vet's office, then worked as an assistant. And that begat
everything else. Additionally, some kids have this idea that working as a
vet is all hugging puppies and it's not. It's putting down the otherwise
healthy dog because the idiot owners let it bite someone's kid and YOU KNOW
it's their fault but the dog pays. It's picking up the kitten your client
just threw at the wall because it was his kid's cat and he didn't want to
pay the bill. It's trying to sew up a dog who was cut open *for fun* over
Thanksgiving by some lovely children and left to die but did not. It's
having clients refuse to pay thinking you should do all this out of the
goodness of your heart, and as much as you want to, you have school loans to
pay and you can't. It's telling owners their dog is suffering and needs
tests and meds and having them tell you a bullet is cheaper. It can be
rewarding but with the general downward trend in the quality of people and
the depth of their compassion, it's harder and harder to find good owners.
This is why I am not a vet. Because I simply lack the restraint and would
have physically assaulted at least one client by now. As a tech I spent Sat
afternoons euthanizing the puppy mill puppies from the local pet store that
were too sick to sell. 5 week old puppies, and I had to pick them up, and
kill them. Week after week. There is more to this job than playing with
kittens. She needs to know that. Too many kids think it's all fun.
I've been chewed on by snakes and alligators. I've had a wicked staph
infection from an iguana scratch. I had an iguana tail whip me so hard
around my stomach that I still have the scar. I had a cat, high on
ketamine, deliver over 200 bite and scratch puncture wounds to my whole body
including my head. There isn't a part of me that isn't scarred. She has to
have the dedication to be able to reach into a carrier knowing she's going
to get bit and remove the animal. She can't be scared of blood nor of
feces. She can't be scared of or so upset by death that she can't perform
her job. She can't cry. (Crying is for after you do what you have to do.)
It's not for everyone. Just like Drs have to do with their patients, vets
and techs often have to inflict pain on animals. Many people can not do
that.
I hope this helps you to think more about what kind of discussions to have
with her. Feel her out. Find out why she wants to be a vet. If she can't
come up with anything more than "I like animals." It's not likely the job
for her. Additionally, (and we all hear this often) some people think if
they are vets they won't have to deal with people. UNTRUE. You have to be
good with people to be a successful vet. I do not like people. I am not a
vet. I started on that path but found a better road for me to walk. There
are many ways to help animals that do not include being a vet. But they all
start with xp and pets DO NOT COUNT. "Well I always had a dog." doesn't
demonstrate anything legitimate to anyone.
HTH
Karen
"Family isn't about whose blood you have. It's about who you care about."
LOI 1/26/07
PA 3/22/07
DTC 8/10/07
LOA 11/9/07
TA ?
Disclaimer: Any errors in spelling, tact, or fact are transmission errors.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> have worked with animals since I was 12 in many ways, volunteer, tech,Back to the kid. If she thinks that being a vet is what she wants to do YOU
> kennel help, groomer, receptionist, obedience trainer, zookeeper, and
> behaviorist. RE: unschooling to vet school I've no idea. RE: vet tech to
> veterinarian not likely. There may be some credits that transfer but it's
> not like she would cut years off her time in vet school. Might up her
> chances to get in though. Think RN to DR. RNs don't get to cut in line or
> do less schooling, save for perhaps some basics. 4-H to certified vet
> tech?? My first thought was no freaking way. My second thought is "Better
> not be." Being a vet tech is a REAL job. It's not a volunteer thing that
> you learn by reading a couple of books and raising a lamb for slaughter.
> There is chemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, radiology and surgery
> techniques to learn. All of it available in books but you actually have to
> go to school. Saying it can be learned by going to an after school club is
> insulting. (Not directed at the poster btw, just at the concept.) It's like
> saying "Be a hospital volunteer and read a couple of books on blood pressure
> and be an RN. NO FREAKING WAY is that possible and if it is, I want to know
> about it so they can be sued and the program stopped. NOW, that being said,
> a veterinary ASSISTANT is a very different job (and the difference in pay is
> dramatic) and does not require a college degree. Only hands on training.
> So maybe we are having a terminology problem here.
>
MUST get her volunteering NOW in shelters. All vet schools want to see
actual experience around animals and no pets don't count. I began by
volunteering at an animal shelter, then with that xp I got a job as a kennel
worker at a vet's office, then worked as an assistant. And that begat
everything else. Additionally, some kids have this idea that working as a
vet is all hugging puppies and it's not. It's putting down the otherwise
healthy dog because the idiot owners let it bite someone's kid and YOU KNOW
it's their fault but the dog pays. It's picking up the kitten your client
just threw at the wall because it was his kid's cat and he didn't want to
pay the bill. It's trying to sew up a dog who was cut open *for fun* over
Thanksgiving by some lovely children and left to die but did not. It's
having clients refuse to pay thinking you should do all this out of the
goodness of your heart, and as much as you want to, you have school loans to
pay and you can't. It's telling owners their dog is suffering and needs
tests and meds and having them tell you a bullet is cheaper. It can be
rewarding but with the general downward trend in the quality of people and
the depth of their compassion, it's harder and harder to find good owners.
This is why I am not a vet. Because I simply lack the restraint and would
have physically assaulted at least one client by now. As a tech I spent Sat
afternoons euthanizing the puppy mill puppies from the local pet store that
were too sick to sell. 5 week old puppies, and I had to pick them up, and
kill them. Week after week. There is more to this job than playing with
kittens. She needs to know that. Too many kids think it's all fun.
I've been chewed on by snakes and alligators. I've had a wicked staph
infection from an iguana scratch. I had an iguana tail whip me so hard
around my stomach that I still have the scar. I had a cat, high on
ketamine, deliver over 200 bite and scratch puncture wounds to my whole body
including my head. There isn't a part of me that isn't scarred. She has to
have the dedication to be able to reach into a carrier knowing she's going
to get bit and remove the animal. She can't be scared of blood nor of
feces. She can't be scared of or so upset by death that she can't perform
her job. She can't cry. (Crying is for after you do what you have to do.)
It's not for everyone. Just like Drs have to do with their patients, vets
and techs often have to inflict pain on animals. Many people can not do
that.
I hope this helps you to think more about what kind of discussions to have
with her. Feel her out. Find out why she wants to be a vet. If she can't
come up with anything more than "I like animals." It's not likely the job
for her. Additionally, (and we all hear this often) some people think if
they are vets they won't have to deal with people. UNTRUE. You have to be
good with people to be a successful vet. I do not like people. I am not a
vet. I started on that path but found a better road for me to walk. There
are many ways to help animals that do not include being a vet. But they all
start with xp and pets DO NOT COUNT. "Well I always had a dog." doesn't
demonstrate anything legitimate to anyone.
HTH
Karen
>--
>
"Family isn't about whose blood you have. It's about who you care about."
LOI 1/26/07
PA 3/22/07
DTC 8/10/07
LOA 11/9/07
TA ?
Disclaimer: Any errors in spelling, tact, or fact are transmission errors.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
ENSEMBLE S-WAYNFORTH
When I was 12 my mom went to Chicago for a few months to do some research at Northwestern University and in her spare time she hit all the used bookstores near her little apartment to find books to send home to me. I think she was worried about my apparent lack of focus and me just drifting through life. Anyhow, she found a bunch of Jane Goodall books (which I would absolutely recommend to a 13 year old girl excited about animals) and sent those home to me and I read them from cover to cover completely rapt. I decided there and then that I wanted to grow up to be a primatologist and when I spoke to my mom about the idea, she told me I didn't have the right kind of mind to be a scientist. She told me that there weren't enough jobs within primatology for me to be able to make a living as a primatologist. She told me that it wasn't a realistic goal. And she told me (this wasn't all at once, but over the course of a few conversations) that I would have to
study lots of math to become a primatologist.
She was absolutely wrong. But I didn't know that. If I had decided, or if I decided today, which I could do, that I wanted to become a primatologist that love, that excitement would have helped me to overcome the obstacles that she envisioned between me and working with the chimpanzees in Gombe National Park. If I had wanted to make it my life's work to study and learn and protect the wild chimpanzee all the other pieces would have come together, statistics, mathematical modelling, algebra, geometry, biology, all of the things that my mom saw as insurmountable hurdles, would have just been pieces of a puzzle that I was playing with. Instead her words made it seem too difficult, too hard, not worth the effort. Every female primatologist I know, and I know a few, is working. It isn't that hard of a field to work in, particularly as a woman. But rather than helping me to fulfill that dream, she decided that it was too scary, too iffy, too unreasonable.
Don't do what my mom did to me. Don't tell your daughter that she must suffer through algebra worksheets to become a vet. If she really wants to be a vet, see if she would be interested in talking to a local vet, or Humane association to do volunteer work there, or see if you and she can collect and freeze some road kill and dissect it (I had a friend whose dad used to do that with her). There is a vet who lives across the road from us, I imagine if Linnaea or Simon were keen I could probably talk to her about letting them hang out with her for a day or two. Although the UK is pretty rule-bound about letting children do volunteer work before the age of 16.
Simon wants to be a marine biologist and I can remember when he told me. I had fantasies about being a marine biologist as well, which my mom boosted with books, but squashed with words. So when Simon told me of his dream I had to bite back all the words of hard work and limitations and difficult employment. I had to stop my voice from speaking her words. I've found local dive classes for children and adults which we are planning to sign up for next year (when David and the car are around more regularly) and we watch and read quite a bit about marine life. He knows so much about the life cycle of squid and sharks. Yesterday we spent a lot of time talking about what "the bends" were and how you have to come up slowly from a deep dive. Linnaea is worried that he will die like Steve Irwin if he becomes a marine biologist, and I can appreciate that fear, but I can't be led by it. I also figure if he never becomes a marine biologist, if that is a dream that
he lets go of when other dreams overshadow that one, he will know that it was his choice and not my fears or doubts or obstacles that defined his dreams.
Oh, and science doesn't depend on math nearly as much as it depends on curiousity and a willingness to ask questions and to look for answers. If you stifle those things with your fears, no amount of mathematical proficiency will substitute for them.
Schuyler
www.waynforth.blogspot.com
========================
My dd is 13 this week. She doesn't seem as motivated as my other dd, who has
set a goal and is pursuing it in college after being homeschooled.
My younger dd likes to watch TV and pet animals-that's about it. She says
she wants to be a vet-I tell her she needs to learn Algebra if that is the
case, as science depends on math.
All the best,
Deborah
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
study lots of math to become a primatologist.
She was absolutely wrong. But I didn't know that. If I had decided, or if I decided today, which I could do, that I wanted to become a primatologist that love, that excitement would have helped me to overcome the obstacles that she envisioned between me and working with the chimpanzees in Gombe National Park. If I had wanted to make it my life's work to study and learn and protect the wild chimpanzee all the other pieces would have come together, statistics, mathematical modelling, algebra, geometry, biology, all of the things that my mom saw as insurmountable hurdles, would have just been pieces of a puzzle that I was playing with. Instead her words made it seem too difficult, too hard, not worth the effort. Every female primatologist I know, and I know a few, is working. It isn't that hard of a field to work in, particularly as a woman. But rather than helping me to fulfill that dream, she decided that it was too scary, too iffy, too unreasonable.
Don't do what my mom did to me. Don't tell your daughter that she must suffer through algebra worksheets to become a vet. If she really wants to be a vet, see if she would be interested in talking to a local vet, or Humane association to do volunteer work there, or see if you and she can collect and freeze some road kill and dissect it (I had a friend whose dad used to do that with her). There is a vet who lives across the road from us, I imagine if Linnaea or Simon were keen I could probably talk to her about letting them hang out with her for a day or two. Although the UK is pretty rule-bound about letting children do volunteer work before the age of 16.
Simon wants to be a marine biologist and I can remember when he told me. I had fantasies about being a marine biologist as well, which my mom boosted with books, but squashed with words. So when Simon told me of his dream I had to bite back all the words of hard work and limitations and difficult employment. I had to stop my voice from speaking her words. I've found local dive classes for children and adults which we are planning to sign up for next year (when David and the car are around more regularly) and we watch and read quite a bit about marine life. He knows so much about the life cycle of squid and sharks. Yesterday we spent a lot of time talking about what "the bends" were and how you have to come up slowly from a deep dive. Linnaea is worried that he will die like Steve Irwin if he becomes a marine biologist, and I can appreciate that fear, but I can't be led by it. I also figure if he never becomes a marine biologist, if that is a dream that
he lets go of when other dreams overshadow that one, he will know that it was his choice and not my fears or doubts or obstacles that defined his dreams.
Oh, and science doesn't depend on math nearly as much as it depends on curiousity and a willingness to ask questions and to look for answers. If you stifle those things with your fears, no amount of mathematical proficiency will substitute for them.
Schuyler
www.waynforth.blogspot.com
========================
My dd is 13 this week. She doesn't seem as motivated as my other dd, who has
set a goal and is pursuing it in college after being homeschooled.
My younger dd likes to watch TV and pet animals-that's about it. She says
she wants to be a vet-I tell her she needs to learn Algebra if that is the
case, as science depends on math.
All the best,
Deborah
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Joyce Fetteroll
On Nov 20, 2007, at 7:06 PM, Deborah Greenspan wrote:
It hurts both of them.
And don't see focus as motivation. They are both equally motivated to
live life. The forms those will take will be different because
they're different people.
Instead of looking at what your 13 yo is not doing, look at what she
is doing. Look at the enjoyment she gets from the things she likes.
How would it make your life better and enhance your relationship if,
as you were enjoying your life, you found out your husband was
thinking "My wife isn't as motivated as my old girl friend. My girl
friend had set herself a goal and was pursuing it." Wouldn't it make
you feel yucky? Wouldn't you think of him differently?
See her for who she is rather than who you think she should be.
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> My dd is 13 this week. She doesn't seem as motivated as my otherDon't compare. Seriously.
> dd, who has
> set a goal and is pursuing it in college after being homeschooled.
It hurts both of them.
And don't see focus as motivation. They are both equally motivated to
live life. The forms those will take will be different because
they're different people.
Instead of looking at what your 13 yo is not doing, look at what she
is doing. Look at the enjoyment she gets from the things she likes.
How would it make your life better and enhance your relationship if,
as you were enjoying your life, you found out your husband was
thinking "My wife isn't as motivated as my old girl friend. My girl
friend had set herself a goal and was pursuing it." Wouldn't it make
you feel yucky? Wouldn't you think of him differently?
See her for who she is rather than who you think she should be.
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Debra Rossing
>My dd is 13 this week. She doesn't seem as motivated as my other dd,who has set a goal and is pursuing it in college after being
>homeschooled.says she wants to be a vet-I tell her she needs to learn Algebra if
>My younger dd likes to watch TV and pet animals-that's about it. She
>that is the case, as science depends on math.Okay if your DD is 13, she does NOT need to be learning algebra right
now - she doesn't need to learn it until she needs it, which is anywhere
from 5 years to whenever from now - she may choose NOT to go to college
at 18. She may/will likely change her goal a dozen times between now and
then. My sister thought about being a vet - but the thought of dealing
with the animals' pain and having to euthanize seriously injured animals
and all like that was too much for her. Instead, she got her degree in
graphic design, is now doing work with a non-profit organization (she
works from home mostly so she can be involved with her two DDs' schools
and sports and such) and she has channeled her love of animals into
training her Aussie shepherd to be a therapy dog - she takes the dog
into nursing homes, hospitals, and schools. Her DD (who is now almost
11) was a runner up in a humane society Be Kind to Animals program
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_lifestyle_animal/2006/05/great
_kids_win_.html (Amanda was 9 at the time).
To be a vet tech, you don't have to be great with algebra. To be a pet
sitter you don't need to be great with algebra. To raise/breed/train
dogs/cats/horses/pigeons/whatever you don't need to be great with
algebra. To be a professional groomer you don't need to be great with
algebra. There are way more options than being a vet for someone who
loves animals. Maybe instead of pushing her about algebra, help her
explore all the many ways she might be involved with animals, both now
and in the future.
Deb
**********************************************************************
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify
the system manager.
This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by
MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses.
CNC Software, Inc.
www.mastercam.com
**********************************************************************
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: Deborah Greenspan <dgreens1@...>
That sounds great about the 4H program. Do you know who I would contact
for
that? What's the name of the program? Do the vet tech credits transfer
into
the college for vet medicine?
-=-=--=-=-=-
I'd contact the local 4-H chapter for more info on 4-H.
Veterinary medicine is a graduate course. AFTER college. Very rarely
what is accomplished in "high school" is transferable to college
(pre-vet) work. It can help tremendously in *understanding* and
*applying* what you're learning in college because you already have
some hands-on exposure.
I truly think that you're putting the cart before the mule though.
Just because she "loves animals" doesn't make her veterinary material.
In fact, that can make her a *less* likely candidate. The passion needs
to be for *medicine*.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
________________________________________________________________________
Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! -
http://mail.aol.com
From: Deborah Greenspan <dgreens1@...>
That sounds great about the 4H program. Do you know who I would contact
for
that? What's the name of the program? Do the vet tech credits transfer
into
the college for vet medicine?
-=-=--=-=-=-
I'd contact the local 4-H chapter for more info on 4-H.
Veterinary medicine is a graduate course. AFTER college. Very rarely
what is accomplished in "high school" is transferable to college
(pre-vet) work. It can help tremendously in *understanding* and
*applying* what you're learning in college because you already have
some hands-on exposure.
I truly think that you're putting the cart before the mule though.
Just because she "loves animals" doesn't make her veterinary material.
In fact, that can make her a *less* likely candidate. The passion needs
to be for *medicine*.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
________________________________________________________________________
Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! -
http://mail.aol.com
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: Deborah Greenspan <dgreens1@...>
My dd is 13 this week. She doesn't seem as motivated as my other dd,
who has
set a goal and is pursuing it in college after being homeschooled.
-=-=-
Please don't compare.
-=-=-=-=-
My younger dd likes to watch TV and pet animals-that's about it. She
says
she wants to be a vet-I tell her she needs to learn Algebra if that is
the
case, as science depends on math.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Can we not think about what she'll be when she grows up? But instead
think about Who She Is Now?
If all the little girls who wanted to be vets beCAME vets, there would
be no more animals to be treated---each one would have its own private,
personal veterinarian.
She loves animals, so the first thing strangers and grandparents will
say is, "So you're going to be a vet?" Like that's the only occupation
for animal lovers.
It's absurd.
I was a vet-to-be. From five years old. Wasn't until college, when I
realized I cannot balance a chemical equation if my life depended on
it, that I decided to look at other opportunities.
I groom dogs now and specialize in hand-stripping terriers. I had
several show clients until they finished their championships or stopped
campaigning. Big bucks. Low overhead. No stress. Cool. <g> Mostly I
have pampered pets on a regular basis---that's my gardening $$. <G> I
really like working with animals in that way---they come dirty and
ratty and leave clean and pretty. GREAT job satisfaction.
I've worked for vets and have several friends who are vets. I'm so glad
I didn't choose that profession now. Get to see ugly, sick dogs all day
whose owners don't want to pay? All that overhead and staff to pay? All
that bookwork?
Back to my original point....
Let her do what she wants to do TODAY. She may never become a vet. If
she really wants to, she will start doing things that are important to
reach that goal. Otherwise, just indulge her love of animals now.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
________________________________________________________________________
Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! -
http://mail.aol.com
From: Deborah Greenspan <dgreens1@...>
My dd is 13 this week. She doesn't seem as motivated as my other dd,
who has
set a goal and is pursuing it in college after being homeschooled.
-=-=-
Please don't compare.
-=-=-=-=-
My younger dd likes to watch TV and pet animals-that's about it. She
says
she wants to be a vet-I tell her she needs to learn Algebra if that is
the
case, as science depends on math.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Can we not think about what she'll be when she grows up? But instead
think about Who She Is Now?
If all the little girls who wanted to be vets beCAME vets, there would
be no more animals to be treated---each one would have its own private,
personal veterinarian.
She loves animals, so the first thing strangers and grandparents will
say is, "So you're going to be a vet?" Like that's the only occupation
for animal lovers.
It's absurd.
I was a vet-to-be. From five years old. Wasn't until college, when I
realized I cannot balance a chemical equation if my life depended on
it, that I decided to look at other opportunities.
I groom dogs now and specialize in hand-stripping terriers. I had
several show clients until they finished their championships or stopped
campaigning. Big bucks. Low overhead. No stress. Cool. <g> Mostly I
have pampered pets on a regular basis---that's my gardening $$. <G> I
really like working with animals in that way---they come dirty and
ratty and leave clean and pretty. GREAT job satisfaction.
I've worked for vets and have several friends who are vets. I'm so glad
I didn't choose that profession now. Get to see ugly, sick dogs all day
whose owners don't want to pay? All that overhead and staff to pay? All
that bookwork?
Back to my original point....
Let her do what she wants to do TODAY. She may never become a vet. If
she really wants to, she will start doing things that are important to
reach that goal. Otherwise, just indulge her love of animals now.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
________________________________________________________________________
Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! -
http://mail.aol.com
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: Karen Swanay <luvbullbreeds@...>
Being a vet tech is a REAL job. It's not a volunteer thing that
All those things *can* indeed be learned outSIDE a school. But those
aren't things you would ever learn in high school anyway. Most of those
things are taught at the college and grad school levels. But don't
think they can't be learned outside a school. It's just not common.
Having a dedicated mentor would be the way to go.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Back to the kid. If she thinks that being a vet is what she wants to
do YOU
MUST get her volunteering NOW in shelters.
-=-=-=-=-
Doesn't have to be in shelters. There are a zillion possibiliities.
Dairy farm, dog showing, horse farms. Pretty much any kind of high end
breeding operation or performance training.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Additionally, some kids have this idea that working as a
vet is all hugging puppies and it's not. It's putting down the otherwise
healthy dog because the idiot owners let it bite someone's kid and YOU
KNOW
it's their fault but the dog pays. It's picking up the kitten your
client
just threw at the wall because it was his kid's cat and he didn't want
to
pay the bill. It's trying to sew up a dog who was cut open *for fun*
over
Thanksgiving by some lovely children and left to die but did not. It's
having clients refuse to pay thinking you should do all this out of the
goodness of your heart, and as much as you want to, you have school
loans to
pay and you can't. It's telling owners their dog is suffering and needs
tests and meds and having them tell you a bullet is cheaper. It can be
rewarding but with the general downward trend in the quality of people
and
the depth of their compassion, it's harder and harder to find good
owners.
This is why I am not a vet. Because I simply lack the restraint and
would
have physically assaulted at least one client by now. As a tech I
spent Sat
afternoons euthanizing the puppy mill puppies from the local pet store
that
were too sick to sell. 5 week old puppies, and I had to pick them up,
and
kill them. Week after week. There is more to this job than playing
with
kittens. She needs to know that. Too many kids think it's all fun.
I've been chewed on by snakes and alligators. I've had a wicked staph
infection from an iguana scratch. I had an iguana tail whip me so hard
around my stomach that I still have the scar. I had a cat, high on
ketamine, deliver over 200 bite and scratch puncture wounds to my whole
body
including my head. There isn't a part of me that isn't scarred. She
has to
have the dedication to be able to reach into a carrier knowing she's
going
to get bit and remove the animal. She can't be scared of blood nor of
feces. She can't be scared of or so upset by death that she can't
perform
her job. She can't cry. (Crying is for after you do what you have to
do.)
It's not for everyone. Just like Drs have to do with their patients,
vets
and techs often have to inflict pain on animals. Many people can not do
that.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I think this is the best write-up of vetmed I've seen in a while! <G>
ANd why I say that "I love animals" is a crappy reason to get into
vetmed---or any animal-related field.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I hope this helps you to think more about what kind of discussions to
have
with her. Feel her out. Find out why she wants to be a vet. If she
can't
come up with anything more than "I like animals." It's not likely the
job
for her. Additionally, (and we all hear this often) some people think
if
they are vets they won't have to deal with people. UNTRUE. You have
to be
good with people to be a successful vet. I do not like people. I am
not a
vet. I started on that path but found a better road for me to walk.
There
are many ways to help animals that do not include being a vet. But
they all
start with xp and pets DO NOT COUNT. "Well I always had a dog." doesn't
demonstrate anything legitimate to anyone.
-=-=-=-=-
I so agree. It's not for those who are unwilling to get their hands
dirty---really dirty!
Make sure she has animals in her life to love. If she is cut out for
vetmed, she'll make that effort. If she's not, maybe she'll just be a
vet's dream client and care for her own pets really well.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
________________________________________________________________________
Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! -
http://mail.aol.com
From: Karen Swanay <luvbullbreeds@...>
Being a vet tech is a REAL job. It's not a volunteer thing that
> you learn by reading a couple of books and raising a lamb forslaughter.
> There is chemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, radiology and surgeryhave to
> techniques to learn. All of it available in books but you actually
> go to school.-=-=-=-=-
All those things *can* indeed be learned outSIDE a school. But those
aren't things you would ever learn in high school anyway. Most of those
things are taught at the college and grad school levels. But don't
think they can't be learned outside a school. It's just not common.
Having a dedicated mentor would be the way to go.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Back to the kid. If she thinks that being a vet is what she wants to
do YOU
MUST get her volunteering NOW in shelters.
-=-=-=-=-
Doesn't have to be in shelters. There are a zillion possibiliities.
Dairy farm, dog showing, horse farms. Pretty much any kind of high end
breeding operation or performance training.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Additionally, some kids have this idea that working as a
vet is all hugging puppies and it's not. It's putting down the otherwise
healthy dog because the idiot owners let it bite someone's kid and YOU
KNOW
it's their fault but the dog pays. It's picking up the kitten your
client
just threw at the wall because it was his kid's cat and he didn't want
to
pay the bill. It's trying to sew up a dog who was cut open *for fun*
over
Thanksgiving by some lovely children and left to die but did not. It's
having clients refuse to pay thinking you should do all this out of the
goodness of your heart, and as much as you want to, you have school
loans to
pay and you can't. It's telling owners their dog is suffering and needs
tests and meds and having them tell you a bullet is cheaper. It can be
rewarding but with the general downward trend in the quality of people
and
the depth of their compassion, it's harder and harder to find good
owners.
This is why I am not a vet. Because I simply lack the restraint and
would
have physically assaulted at least one client by now. As a tech I
spent Sat
afternoons euthanizing the puppy mill puppies from the local pet store
that
were too sick to sell. 5 week old puppies, and I had to pick them up,
and
kill them. Week after week. There is more to this job than playing
with
kittens. She needs to know that. Too many kids think it's all fun.
I've been chewed on by snakes and alligators. I've had a wicked staph
infection from an iguana scratch. I had an iguana tail whip me so hard
around my stomach that I still have the scar. I had a cat, high on
ketamine, deliver over 200 bite and scratch puncture wounds to my whole
body
including my head. There isn't a part of me that isn't scarred. She
has to
have the dedication to be able to reach into a carrier knowing she's
going
to get bit and remove the animal. She can't be scared of blood nor of
feces. She can't be scared of or so upset by death that she can't
perform
her job. She can't cry. (Crying is for after you do what you have to
do.)
It's not for everyone. Just like Drs have to do with their patients,
vets
and techs often have to inflict pain on animals. Many people can not do
that.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I think this is the best write-up of vetmed I've seen in a while! <G>
ANd why I say that "I love animals" is a crappy reason to get into
vetmed---or any animal-related field.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I hope this helps you to think more about what kind of discussions to
have
with her. Feel her out. Find out why she wants to be a vet. If she
can't
come up with anything more than "I like animals." It's not likely the
job
for her. Additionally, (and we all hear this often) some people think
if
they are vets they won't have to deal with people. UNTRUE. You have
to be
good with people to be a successful vet. I do not like people. I am
not a
vet. I started on that path but found a better road for me to walk.
There
are many ways to help animals that do not include being a vet. But
they all
start with xp and pets DO NOT COUNT. "Well I always had a dog." doesn't
demonstrate anything legitimate to anyone.
-=-=-=-=-
I so agree. It's not for those who are unwilling to get their hands
dirty---really dirty!
Make sure she has animals in her life to love. If she is cut out for
vetmed, she'll make that effort. If she's not, maybe she'll just be a
vet's dream client and care for her own pets really well.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
________________________________________________________________________
Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! -
http://mail.aol.com
Malinda Mills
Karen wrote:
<<Find out why she wants to be a vet. If she can't come up with anything more than "I like animals." It's not likely the job for her. Additionally, (and we all hear this often) some people think if they are vets they won't have to deal with people. UNTRUE. You have to be good with people to be a successful vet. I do not like people. I am not a vet. >>
I whole heartedly agree with what Karen wrote. Growing up I wanted to be a vet. That was it, end of story. No one could change my mind; that is until I started to work for a vet. During high school my first job was at a vet clinic. I cleaned cages, walked the dogs, and assisted the vet when they got into a bind (if the vet tech was busy, etc.).
We had a few emergency cases come in fairly late at night - when I was still at the clinic and but vet techs had already gone home for the night. Working side by side with the vet during those life or death situations I learned VERY quickly I was not cut out for the job. The stress, the quick decision making, and dealing with the hysterical owners - all while keeping a cool and level head.
As for animal related jobs - as a teen I also worked at a horse stable. I took riding/jumping lessons, and their primary stable person was leaving for college. They couldn't afford to pay me so I received my lessons for free in return. I didn't own a horse of my own (used the stable's "school" horses) so it afforded me more time to do what I loved.
Malinda
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
<<Find out why she wants to be a vet. If she can't come up with anything more than "I like animals." It's not likely the job for her. Additionally, (and we all hear this often) some people think if they are vets they won't have to deal with people. UNTRUE. You have to be good with people to be a successful vet. I do not like people. I am not a vet. >>
I whole heartedly agree with what Karen wrote. Growing up I wanted to be a vet. That was it, end of story. No one could change my mind; that is until I started to work for a vet. During high school my first job was at a vet clinic. I cleaned cages, walked the dogs, and assisted the vet when they got into a bind (if the vet tech was busy, etc.).
We had a few emergency cases come in fairly late at night - when I was still at the clinic and but vet techs had already gone home for the night. Working side by side with the vet during those life or death situations I learned VERY quickly I was not cut out for the job. The stress, the quick decision making, and dealing with the hysterical owners - all while keeping a cool and level head.
As for animal related jobs - as a teen I also worked at a horse stable. I took riding/jumping lessons, and their primary stable person was leaving for college. They couldn't afford to pay me so I received my lessons for free in return. I didn't own a horse of my own (used the stable's "school" horses) so it afforded me more time to do what I loved.
Malinda
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]