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Vets look like they just left school!!

Is it just me or are vets getting younger? When I visit our vets now unless I have a complicated problem or what I believe to be a very serious one, I will opt for one of the new ones. They are mostly very keen and bouncing with enthusiasm but they tend to look between 12 and 14 years old. Our surgery has got so busy so much so that 15 odd years ago there were only three vets and generally two on duty and one visiting the outreach clinics, once a day. Now we have nine vets. We have a choice of open surgeries or appointments or emergencies that are 24 hours a day. It's great but sometimes you have to wonder how much they actually know. The receptionists are good and tend to match a vet on duty to what type of animal you have. I have been lucky so far as I have exotics. ie parrots, tortoise and rabbits. Our surgery tends to have post grads who are taking other disciplines and the 'small animal clinics' are very busy. Many more rabbits now actually being taken to the vet. That's good, isn't it? When I have a particularly worrying problem I try to get one of our more mature vets but am happy for the younger ones to see my buns if it's not so serious. I have been quite taken with the way some of the younger ones are actually handling my buns and they seem quite compassionate. Surprisingly, two years ago it was a very young girl who diagnosed my Ginny's stroke. I just thought she'd hurt her leg or back as she was limping and a bit disorientated. Has anyone else anything to add about young vets?
 
I've had one bad experience with a young vet who just didn't have the experience in practice to be confident. But in general I think they have more up to date knowledge so I'd probably trust them more than an older vet who doesnt embrace current advances
 
I left my last practice due to not having much confidence in the young and inexperienced vets, at first we were always seen by the practice manager (40 +) years experience, standards slipped and we didn't feel as though we were getting the best advice, so we changed!
I sometimes have to take people's pets to their vet as part of my job and agree with everything you have said.
 
It's funny but I would always do the opposite and choose an older vet with masses of hands-on experience. Whilst older vets aren't perfect, my experience of younger vets hasn't been fantastic.
 
I think everyone has something to add. I mean some vets ive met who are older can be a bit.. How to put.. Grouchy and lost people skills and ive suspected once or twice their enthusiasm for their work. Of course thats a minority. However my reptile vet has not only experience in clinic but had years of researching reptiles in field and is a vastly clever man.

As for younger vets i tend to find more likely to be energetic and excited about their work and many are extremely professional. As a personal experience ive not encountered a young one ive been wary of though i know my parents had their vet tell them not to listen to "young drs" telling them their dobermann was too big they stuck too rigidly to general rules. Whether true or not, i cant say.

Thiugh vets are scientists are heart ive never experienced one not embrace, challenge, be involved in or keep up to date with new advancements. New or old i dont think id be happy with them if they did discard new and updated knowledge. Biology is a ridicously dfast progressing science
 
I don't think age determines the skill of your vet! (From someone who works at a vets).
It's bit more difficult with exotic animals as vet school does not cover much of these species, including rabbits, so new grads may not have as much knowledge/experience.
 
I always find younger Vets far more likely to talk with me than to talk at me. IME many 'old timers' (rich coming from me, an almost 55 year old!!) are very much of the 'I'm the Vet, dont try to tell me how to do my job' attitude if they are questioned about any proposed treatment. Or heaven forbid if a client comes in armed with lots of knowledge about a condition and knows for a fact that what the Vet is saying is plain wrong.
 
I don't think the vet uniform helps sometimes - I think it makes them look even younger than they are!
 
I don't think age determines the skill of your vet! (From someone who works at a vets).
It's bit more difficult with exotic animals as vet school does not cover much of these species, including rabbits, so new grads may not have as much knowledge/experience.

I agree FloLo. Young vets are very willing, but lack experience. However, I would much prefer to work with someone who is open minded than someone who is set in their ways. A vet wiling to consider new approaches always gets my vote!

I remember many years ago when we began using penicillin regularly for rabbit abscesses and I had a lovely vet who supported me all the way. But a couple of years ago my trusted vet surgery refused penicillin on the basis that it would kill my rabbit! So you do have to be on the ball and it pays to do your own research ...
 
I'm going to be a young vet in about a year... Please don't think I'm too useless! I think it's really difficult because we get VERY little teaching on rabbits so it's a bit of a steep learning curve at first :)

Having Ferg has really helped me with bunny stuff so I am hoping I might be slightly less worried about doing rabbit stuff!
 
I'm going to be a young vet in about a year... Please don't think I'm too useless! I think it's really difficult because we get VERY little teaching on rabbits so it's a bit of a steep learning curve at first :)

Having Ferg has really helped me with bunny stuff so I am hoping I might be slightly less worried about doing rabbit stuff!

You've no worries:) I'd trust a vet that hung out on RU far far more than most. Go on the Rabbit CPD & then get a job in east lancs, please
 
I'm going to be a young vet in about a year... Please don't think I'm too useless! I think it's really difficult because we get VERY little teaching on rabbits so it's a bit of a steep learning curve at first :)

Having Ferg has really helped me with bunny stuff so I am hoping I might be slightly less worried about doing rabbit stuff!

I agree with joey&boo. I'd trust you too :wave:
 
Our rabbit vet looks ever so young (probably because I am in my 50s). She is very gentle with the rabbits (and guinea pigs) and takes the time to explain any treatment/advice.

I am seeing a different vet tomorrow (Mottle/poss. ec) so I hope they are as good.

I like most of the vets at our local practice. One (older man) was rather rough with Frosty when he went in with gut stais which I wasnt impressed by.
 
I don't have a problem with young vets - after all, they know a squillion more things than I do about treating animal illnesses and pet surgery etc. It's just my PERSONAL experience of young vets is not so good as my regular, more experienced vet. For example, years ago I took Bryn to the vet with a huge swelling on his inner thigh, together with bruising and bleeding. The young vet straight away started talking MRI scans and cancer, which freaked me out. I asked if it could simply be a torn muscle but he STILL went on about cancer etc. He eventually called in my regular and much more experienced vet who confirmed it was something he'd seen before and was just a torn muscle. So granted, the young vet now had experience of that particular injury but if I'd seen my regular vet first, I wouldn't have had the same heart-stopping moment. Given a choice, I would generally choose experience over youth.

But I guess it works both ways. I saw a truely awful middle-aged female vet, courtesy of a well known Out Of Hours vet service. I had the misfortune of seeing her twice on 2 separate occasions.
 
You've no worries:) I'd trust a vet that hung out on RU far far more than most. Go on the Rabbit CPD & then get a job in east lancs, please

RU is so helpful - I've learnt so much! I'm planning on getting a placement with a good rabbit specialist before my rotations finish so I have a little bit of experience but good rabbit CPD would be great! Think I'll be in greater Manchester area (hopefully!) though :)
 
I am a young vet (well 29 now) but I have been asked by clients when my A levels are! It is hard to take it as a compliment after studying for 5 years. I think the best vets are the ones that admit their limitations.
 
I am a young vet (well 29 now) but I have been asked by clients when my A levels are! It is hard to take it as a compliment after studying for 5 years. I think the best vets are the ones that admit their limitations.

Bionic Bunny, I agree with you :thumb:
 
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