Too Old To Be A Vet?

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Beans&Toast

Beans&Toast

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I thought I'd put this here just to hopeful get some honest opinions.

I'm 24 at the moment (25 in May)
I absolutely adore all animals and the one and only thing I've ever wanted to do since I was around 4 was to be a vet.
The reason(s) I didn't go right to uni after highschool and do it are as follows:
1. I went to uni at 18 to study Psychology (I went for this course because I stupidly convinced myself that I wasn't clever enough to be a vet) and after a year I realised the course and university wasn't for me at that time. I felt I was too young (too immature) to fully take it on so dropped out.
2. I had many other things I wanted to do before I committed to a career, travel, work/live abroad etc.
3. I just didn't take things seriously enough (major regret)

I've now travelled and lived abroad, so I'm ready to start a career and I'm now mature enough to take it seriously this time.

The only thing that's putting me off is the fact that I'll be 26 by time I actually start the course (I've missed the deadline for aplications this year) and I'm not sure if that's too old?
By time I finished the course I'd be 30... is that too old to be starting a new career?
Being a vet/vet nurse (haven't quite decided which one yet) is all I've ever wanted to do but I don't know if I've left it too late in life to start?

Any input would be great.. I'm not sure what to do for the best now :(
 
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Too old ! NEVER .... You are still young ! you know now what you want in life so GO FOR IT ! x
 
You'll never know if you don't try! I've not got round to going to uni yet and i'm 26. You've got decades after 30, you can either spend them as a vet or as something you're not as passionate about wondering 'what if'
Don't regret not trying :) Go for it!
 
To be honest I think most people are older when they qualify for a vet. Most people work at a vet nurse for a number of years before they decided to do there vet exams and qualifications.

I'm at VNA and to be honest I think that vet nursing is such a more rewarding job than being a vet. Vets see clients, do ops and go home (mostly). Vet nurses are there all through after care, they get the added benefit of caring for an having cuddles with any animals that are in for surgery or possibly looking for homes etc. The vet I use to work with use to say, she wished she'd stayed at a vet nurse because she misses the amount of time you actually get to spend with the animals. She use to come in early to have cuddles and just be with the animals that were in, but of course that wasn't her job it was purely out of choice.

I don't think your ever to old to follow your dream, like I said most vets are around 25-30 to be honest with you! :)


P.s so sorry about my lack of English there, I can't speak today, I'd go back and recorrect but I'd probably just end up in a pickle anyway.
 
I turn 28 in a month and I am beginning to look into how I could become a vet nurse too! I completed a degree in media straight after secondary school and since then I've worked mainly in customer research oriented jobs, but it's not what I see myself doing the rest of my life. In December I decided to take a short career break to try and figure things out, I started volunteering at a local animal shelter, and it sort of clicked together that I would love a career caring for animals. Not sure if I'll be able to break into the profession, I would be aiming to complete a C&G diploma instead of another degree, but need to have a placement in a vet sorted first (how do you do that with no qualifications in the field/limited experience?!)

Anyway, no, it's not too late if it's what you really want. Fingers crossed for both of us!
 
AmyAnn said:
I turn 28 in a month and I am beginning to look into how I could become a vet nurse too! I completed a degree in media straight after secondary school and since then I've worked mainly in customer research oriented jobs, but it's not what I see myself doing the rest of my life. In December I decided to take a short career break to try and figure things out, I started volunteering at a local animal shelter, and it sort of clicked together that I would love a career caring for animals. Not sure if I'll be able to break into the profession, I would be aiming to complete a C&G diploma instead of another degree, but need to have a placement in a vet sorted first (how do you do that with no qualifications in the field/limited experience?!)

Anyway, no, it's not too late if it's what you really want. Fingers crossed for both of us!
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Ring vets local or ones your willing to travel too and ask for work experience. After that you tell them your looking at doing a C&G and would you be able to stay on while you complete your studies? Or even ask for some voluntary placement even if it starts off on just a Saturday or a couple of times a week :) most vets are more than happy to take work exp and volunteers!
 
Thanks everyone.
It's definitely what I want to do I just wanted to know what people thought of going back to uni and starting from scratch at this age, but like everyone has said it's never too late really.
I'd be better spending my life doing a job I love than not doing it just because I thought I was too old..

And @AmyAnn I just asked my local vets if they take on any work experience/volunteers. Luckily my local vets is very good and cavy savy so I'm happy to be apart of it. I'm going to arrange something with them as soon as my little Toast is better and off her antibiotics
 
Critter said:
Go for it :) Absolutely :)
You're still young and believe me, the age of thirty upon qualifying is still very young!
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Is it the kind of career where you're kind of "looked down upon" the older you are? If that makes sense..
I know some jobs/careers they like their staff to be 18, 19, just out of school or uni..
 
I think the general opinion seems to be "go for it" and I couldn't agree more. I think age is irrelevant - if you are passionate about this and prepared to change your way of life for the next few years, then yes: most definitely. Good luck.
 
I would go for it, although I was pretty sure to train to be a vet was 6/7 years, longer than becoming a doctor, unless that's changed :) I always said it's better to see a vet than the doctor lol :D You're never too old to do anything, follow your dream! :)
 
Poppy'sMum said:
I would go for it, although I was pretty sure to train to be a vet was 6/7 years, longer than becoming a doctor, unless that's changed :) I always said it's better to see a vet than the doctor lol :D You're never too old to do anything, follow your dream! :)
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I said 4 years that was the vet nurse course, which, the more I think about it, it's that route I want to go for instead of a vet. Thank you :)
 
You are never too old to change careers, Ali completely changed his when he was 40 through choice and still says he is much more happy for it.. :nod:

Lisa & Ali.. x
 
Thanks everyone.
I've had a few "friends" tell me it's probably too late and I should just settle in the job I'm in and focus on having kids...

I'd much rather have kids when I'm settled in a good career and can fully support them
The job I'm in just now I can bearly support myself never mind children :lol!:
 
lisaali said:
You are never too old to change careers, Ali completely changed his when he was 40 through choice and still says he is much more happy for it.. :nod:

Lisa & Ali.. x
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You're absolutely right.
When I went to uni the first time a lot of the people in my class were in their late 30s, 40s. They all did far better than me, a silly 18 year old who had no clue what to do with her life!
 
I changed my career and went back to uni when I was 27. I had been doing admin/pa/HR work up until then since completing a law degree straight from school (hated it). I qualified as a midwife when I was 30. It's never too late to change!
 
I'm 26 this year and in my final year studying nursing. (people, not animals!) and I'm one of the oldest in my class that isn't just upgrading their qualification. Most of my classmates are 19, and when I go out on placements my preceptors are often younger than me! But I just think that I have more experience than my classmates. I worked in pharmacy for 7 years before going to uni and getting my degree. That means my drug knowledge is superior and I'll make a better nurse because of it! You're never too old, and life experience is often looked upon favourably.
 
In my job (midwife) I was the youngest in our cohort (19, just out of school), most of the others were in their 30's, the eldest was 43. It is a profession where it is very common to have a good mix of students with life experience and so it wouldn't cross my mind to look down upon a mature student. My Mum had a career change at 50 to become a probation officer.

So my views are - if you want to do something then make it happen. Nothing worse than looking back at "I wish I had been brave enough to try x,y,z". So what if you were the oldest anyway, you'd be there on merit and would crack on and get it done! And you know what, if you are 30 when you qualify, you will have probably the best part of 40 years left in you in terms of retirement age the way it is moving up, so I think that is PLENTY time to get settled into it ;)

Be cautious of listening to friends being pessimistic, often this kind of thing shakes up their feelings and they project their "but but but" onto you. And are a bit jealous, because what if you get all high falutin' and don't want to hang out with us anymore, or have time for us round study etc etc etc.

My only cautionary note would be investigating financing the course in terms of entitlments to grants/loans whatever it is you need now.

Nothing to stop you but you on this one.
 
Tigermoth said:
In my job (midwife) I was the youngest in our cohort (19, just out of school), most of the others were in their 30's, the eldest was 43. It is a profession where it is very common to have a good mix of students with life experience and so it wouldn't cross my mind to look down upon a mature student. My Mum had a career change at 50 to become a probation officer.

So my views are - if you want to do something then make it happen. Nothing worse than looking back at "I wish I had been brave enough to try x,y,z". So what if you were the oldest anyway, you'd be there on merit and would crack on and get it done! And you know what, if you are 30 when you qualify, you will have probably the best part of 40 years left in you in terms of retirement age the way it is moving up, so I think that is PLENTY time to get settled into it ;)

Be cautious of listening to friends being pessimistic, often this kind of thing shakes up their feelings and they project their "but but but" onto you. And are a bit jealous, because what if you get all high falutin' and don't want to hang out with us anymore, or have time for us round study etc etc etc.

My only cautionary note would be investigating financing the course in terms of entitlments to grants/loans whatever it is you need now.

Nothing to stop you but you on this one.
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You should be a motivational speaker! :P I'm so determined to do it, thank you :nod:
 
You are certainly not too old AT ALL!

I followed a similar path to you in that I went straight to Uni after high school and lasted 1 year. I was just too young and too vague about what I wanted to do with my life, and went to Uni because it seemed easier than finding a job.

Then I left, and traveled and worked a few jobs, and traveled some more, and THEN went back to Uni to study something completely different, because I finally knew what I wanted to do.
I started my degree when I was 25, loved every minute (because I really wanted to be there), and did very well.
When I started applying second time around I was pleasantly surprised to fin a lot of Uni's actually welcome mature students because they are often more focused and less likely to drop out.

So I would say go for it :nod:
 
Like you, I dropped out of uni first time round hated it. Worked for a pharma company and they sponsered me to try again. I was 28 when I graduated with BSc Biology. Complete career chage later when I trained and qualified as a teacher aged 50! The kids assume ive been teaching FOREVER and so must be really experienced. Lol

Two of my A level students have offers for vetting currenly. AAB (A level grades) for vet science at Surrey and BBC for a vet nurseing degree at hemel. Pre requisites for mature students are often different tho.

Its never too late. Education is wasted on the young imo. :-)
 
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