'AITA for telling my friend that it's a horrible idea for them to go into vet tech?'
"AITA for telling my friend that it's a horrible idea for them to go into vet tech?"
So I was out for dinner with some friends over Thanksgiving break, and we were all talking about how the semester has been for us so far. I mentioned that I completed my transfer paperwork to change my major to Vet Tech, and that I'd be starting classes the next semester. My friend perked up and said "I love animals and I really think I'd be good at vet tech! Should I do it?"
And having known this friend for years, there are an assortment of reasons as to why I think they shouldn't. The main one being: they cannot stand the idea of coming into contact with things like blood, feces, urine, etc. And when I say can't stand I mean they start screaming and crying, have to put what they're doing down IMMEDIATELY to wash up.
That's not inherently a bad thing! But that doesn't really synergize too well with a career where you have to shove your whole arm up a cow's anus. Even if you're doing companion animals, they still require you to learn farm animals, and even practice on farm animals during school.
When I pointed this out (in a much less graphic fashion because we were eating and I'm not absolutely insane) all of my friends started saying that I was so mean for crushing her dreams. And the friend who asked is also upset at me for saying that. I'm confused that they're mad at me, not for pointing out that it can get gruesome while we were EATING, but they're mad at me for "crushing a lifelong dream."
What I said when they asked was "well its certainly not a career choice for those with a weak stomach, you will come in contact with gross situations."
So AITA for crushing my friends lifelong dream by telling them about vet tech?
Here's what people had to say to OP:
Sneaky_Clepshydra wrote:
NTA. Your friends should be able to take the truth when asking for it. If I met a 5 yr old who wanted to be the king of chocolate, I’d agree and wish them luck. But if my adult friend with claustrophobia wants to be an underwater welder, I’m going to shoot it down. We need to be able to hear that we’ve made a poor choice in our thinking and the friends we have chosen are the right people to do that.
Mamafen wrote:
NTA. Vet tech here, and yes, arm up the cow's southern end is just the beginning. Everyone wants "to be a vet and help all the cute puppies and kitties" until you realize how hard the work is, how long the school/training is, and how insane the emotional rollercoaster is.
Wait til she has to saw the head off a dog or cat and ship it out for rabies testing. Or pluck the maggots out of a Chow-Chow's infected and bleeding flanks while the dog is doing its best to rip her face off (and the owner is too busy posting selfies online to even pay attention to the matted fur and clumping fecal matter that caused the injury in the first place).
Or pull a dislocated limb back into place. It's not for the faint of heart and if she's SO offended by you "crushing her dreams" then she's gonna need a much thicker skin for when a grieving client is screaming at her "YOU K**LED MY BABY" when a surgery goes wrong.
Swimminginthesstorm wrote:
NTA I used to work at a country vet’s office. They were training me to be a vet tech, because you could get away with that in the area and time. Can she even take temperatures? And I spent easily 25% of my day following dogs around trying to catch their urine in a cup and scooping fecal samples out of their butts.
And there will be blood. Not to mention the euthanasia. That’s what got me in the end. Everyday I had to help put a sweet baby to sleep. Couldn’t do it anymore.
capable_echo_5396 wrote:
NTA. I’m not even reading your post. I have $60K in student loans because the CHEAPEST school I could find spent THREE DAYS of orientation showing us all this data that there are “SO MANY HIGH PAYING CAREERS “ that you can have as a vet technician.
I busted my AH and graduated near the top of my class. I had a job at my clinic of choice where I had my internship at (which I actually started working at before I even graduated). I wasn’t even making $18/hour.
And even after I passed my boards I was offered a $2/hour raise. This is VERY standard pay in the industry. For people who bust their ASS all day doing the jobs of MULTIPLE people. And the clients barely listen to you because your title isn’t “Veterinarian." I LOVE animals. I do not love being taken advantage of. I quit after three years and got a corporate desk job making $25/hour. Much less stressful.
Ohgirlyoh wrote:
NTA. My best friend was a vet tech and burned out after five years. She went to school to become a lab tech, processing laboratory tests for veterinary clinics. She said that it significantly changed her life for the better. Dealing with pet parents and their emotions and money issues was too much for her in the long run.
appropriate_map2685 wrote:
NTA. She seized on it as a possible career when you mentioned it at dinner? Doesn't sound like a "lifelong dream," more like a "passing fancy."
Significant-Arm-4199 wrote:
A friend of mine from high school wanted to be a vet tech. She applied for an OJT program and was sent to observe at a local clinic to see if the job was really for her. First day, they had to euthanize a kitten. She did not end up becoming a vet tech. NTA. Better for them to know early!