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Veterinary Nurses vs Veterinary Surgeons

Hi,
I'm an applicant to vet med at Glasgow, Edinburgh, RVC, and Nottingham and have come across this question/general idea in my interview prep: why do you want to be a veterinarian instead of a veterinary nurse?

I realized I don't really have a strong answer to this question. Would anyone be willing to share their general motivation for choosing either profession?

I would also really appreciate more info on what vet nurses do and how their job specifically differs from vets, as I worry that my knowledge of the difference here in America is not fully accurate in the UK.

Thanks in advance!

Reply 1

Blazeofredfiree

I think the vets are a bit more involved in the problem-solving side of the job, as they're the ones investigating the cases and making up treatment plans. I think are also a lot more career options other than clinical work after a veterinary degree (public health, research, independent specialist, etc). And, though nurse consults are becoming more common, vets generally face more people and deal with the public while nurses work behind the scenes.

Reply 2

sophieershaw

Original post by Blazeofredfiree

This is really helpful, thank you!

Reply 3

Anonymous9795

you want to learn vet med to the highest level, be a leader, problem solver, etc

Reply 4

patrxcja620

Original post by sophieershaw

Hi,
I'm an applicant to vet med at Glasgow, Edinburgh, RVC, and Nottingham and have come across this question/general idea in my interview prep: why do you want to be a veterinarian instead of a veterinary nurse?
I realized I don't really have a strong answer to this question. Would anyone be willing to share their general motivation for choosing either profession?
I would also really appreciate more info on what vet nurses do and how their job specifically differs from vets, as I worry that my knowledge of the difference here in America is not fully accurate in the UK.
Thanks in advance!

Hi,

from what I've seen on my work experience both sides are important. For example as much as vets can do blood tests etc it is normally the nurses who do that so that the vet can focus on the more problem solving (as mentioned earlier) area. Vet nurses are important for the monitoring side of surgeries because they keep an eye on the animal i.e. HR, O2 etc so they monitor the condition and let the vet know when something goes wrong. This lets the vet focus on the surgery itself. Vet nurses can also do consultations but it's normally limited to vaccinations/boosters/small health issues and vets take care of the more serious problems but also do the small things too.