MADONNA) // (CHILD

MADONNA) // (CHILD
So Strong; yet so calm: Mary's Choice.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

$$$: "Just wanted to make enough to own a nice home and a boat."

During elective surgeries such as spays, neuters, dewclaws, we tend to chat a lot; at least I do.  Pretty much doesn't require much concentration.  Same repetitive motions surgery after surgery.  Don't really ever recall going back and making sure everything was done correctly during breaks in the conversation. Pretty much trusted I would have that gut wrenching "typo" feeling you get when...well...typing.


Did have a lady once accuse me of not neutering her cat.  Of course it was another vet who diagnosed the reason the cat pissed on her couch.  Turned out, a different color cat too, according to the records we finally received from the other clinic.  She got her money back.
Wasn't worth the hassle for the amount of her refund.  She didn't even try to get a new couch.


Once, a receptionist with an interest in pursuing veterinary medicine was observing, asking questions. She asked me if I had any tips/advice on getting into veterinary school.

I told her, and I was being honest when I answered: "Still haven't figured out how...I... got in?!"


Went on to explain to her, that after three years at University of Arkansas, SO NAIVE STILL, when asked during a scored interview, an important part of being considered for admission to Louisiana State University-School of Veterinary Medicine: "How much income expected to make as a veterinarian?"


Was clueless how much veterinarians made. Really didn't care. Every veterinarian I knew,  not many really, really not even the one worked for one summer; they all seemed to do well, living comfortably.  That was okay with me.  Never occurred to me it was something I should be thinking about.


My answer: "Just wanted to make enough to own a nice home and a boat."


That was it.  Certainly wasn't a long interview.  Not even sure if it qualified for a short one.  They didn't even ask how big a boat.  Had they...assume they would have been even more impressed...on hearing how small.


Looking back, can't help but feel had a seat guaranteed before that interview because of my hearing impairment?  Money I have always been naive about.  But never my hearing impairment.


Getting in, thought I had done something right; rewarded for my effort.  But it was my first try. Really didn't know who or how many I was competing with or anyone who failed to gain admission.  Not until the first day of veterinary school did I learn there was no one I knew from University of Arkansas.  Nor was I expecting to see a familiar face.   Just took the classes I was suppose to take and did the best I could.


Looking back years later, and I mean really taking a hard, cold honest look at the facts; the math didn't add up right.   There were many people I've meet over the years, people who have tried year after year, far more deserving of an admission to a veterinary school; someone should having had my seat that LSU-SVM Class of 1987 instead.


The saying went: "C = DVM!" You entered as a class and you graduated as a class; minus those who made less than a C grade any class. Just took one "D" or "F".


There were some exceptions made; but those were the rules.  Assume threat of lawsuits where the exceptions.  Whatever, the bottom line always has something to do with money, even if disguised with words like "quotas', ethnic diversity, etc. Of the two black girls in my class, pretty obvious from the very start...one didn't deserve to be there. Wasn't there long; almost not at all.

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