4 answers
Chad
Student
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Questions
Asked
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What are the key differences between treating animal patients and human patients, and is it possible to be both a human doctor and a veterinarian at the same time ?
My friend is really interested in both human and animal medicine, and they’ve been wondering about the differences between treating animal patients and human patients. They’re also curious if it’s possible to pursue both fields, or if the skills and knowledge required are so distinct that practicing both at the same time would be challenging.
I have never heard of it so i don't know if that is actually a thing or not 😅 so i am curious!
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4 answers
Rita Chuang
Physician
259
Answers
Henderson, Nevada
Updated
Rita’s Answer
Most people do not pursue both fields. They are different. I heard vet school was more difficult then medical school. I had several patients who were vets and they were not happy. I'm not sure how many doctors are happy either. I thought dentists had the highest suicide rate but they told me it's now vets.
If you pursue medical school, you are dealing with people and ask questions (except pediatricians, you need to deal with the parents). With animals, it's like peds because you ask the owner what's going on. You need to be able to deal with different types of animals.
I would try to volunteer in both fields and see which is more interesting and speak with the vet/doctors.
If you pursue medical school, you are dealing with people and ask questions (except pediatricians, you need to deal with the parents). With animals, it's like peds because you ask the owner what's going on. You need to be able to deal with different types of animals.
I would try to volunteer in both fields and see which is more interesting and speak with the vet/doctors.
Bright Komor
Nurse
260
Answers
Accra, Greater Accra Region, Ghana
Updated
Bright’s Answer
Hello this should do
### Key Differences Between Treating Animal and Human Patients:
1. **Communication**:
- **Humans**: Doctors can directly communicate with patients to understand symptoms, preferences, and concerns.
- **Animals**: Veterinarians rely on physical exams, tests, and behavior to diagnose, as animals can't communicate symptoms directly.
2. **Treatment Approach**:
- **Humans**: Treatment is often more complex, with the ability to consider psychological, social, and emotional factors alongside physical symptoms.
- **Animals**: Treatment is more focused on physical health, though some animals may experience stress or anxiety, requiring specific management techniques.
3. **Medical History**:
- **Humans**: Patients have detailed medical histories, which are critical for diagnosis and treatment.
- **Animals**: Veterinarians rely on owners for the animal’s health history, which can sometimes be less complete.
4. **Species-Specific Knowledge**:
- **Humans**: Treatment protocols are standardized for human physiology.
- **Animals**: Veterinary care requires knowledge of various species, as each animal species has different anatomy, diseases, and treatment needs.
### Is It Possible to Be Both a Human Doctor and a Veterinarian?
- **Dual Training**: While it is theoretically possible to pursue both careers, it would require **extensive training** and **dual degrees**—one in **medicine** (MD) and one in **veterinary medicine** (DVM/VMD).
- **Time and Commitment**: Both fields require years of study and specialized training, making it **highly demanding** and time-consuming to pursue both at the same time.
- **Practicality**: Most people choose one career path due to the time commitment, but some professionals may work in specialized fields like **zoonotic diseases** (diseases that can spread between animals and humans), which bridge both areas of expertise.
In summary, treating animal and human patients requires different approaches due to communication, medical history, and species-specific factors, and while pursuing both careers is possible, it’s extremely challenging due to the extensive training required for each.
### Key Differences Between Treating Animal and Human Patients:
1. **Communication**:
- **Humans**: Doctors can directly communicate with patients to understand symptoms, preferences, and concerns.
- **Animals**: Veterinarians rely on physical exams, tests, and behavior to diagnose, as animals can't communicate symptoms directly.
2. **Treatment Approach**:
- **Humans**: Treatment is often more complex, with the ability to consider psychological, social, and emotional factors alongside physical symptoms.
- **Animals**: Treatment is more focused on physical health, though some animals may experience stress or anxiety, requiring specific management techniques.
3. **Medical History**:
- **Humans**: Patients have detailed medical histories, which are critical for diagnosis and treatment.
- **Animals**: Veterinarians rely on owners for the animal’s health history, which can sometimes be less complete.
4. **Species-Specific Knowledge**:
- **Humans**: Treatment protocols are standardized for human physiology.
- **Animals**: Veterinary care requires knowledge of various species, as each animal species has different anatomy, diseases, and treatment needs.
### Is It Possible to Be Both a Human Doctor and a Veterinarian?
- **Dual Training**: While it is theoretically possible to pursue both careers, it would require **extensive training** and **dual degrees**—one in **medicine** (MD) and one in **veterinary medicine** (DVM/VMD).
- **Time and Commitment**: Both fields require years of study and specialized training, making it **highly demanding** and time-consuming to pursue both at the same time.
- **Practicality**: Most people choose one career path due to the time commitment, but some professionals may work in specialized fields like **zoonotic diseases** (diseases that can spread between animals and humans), which bridge both areas of expertise.
In summary, treating animal and human patients requires different approaches due to communication, medical history, and species-specific factors, and while pursuing both careers is possible, it’s extremely challenging due to the extensive training required for each.
I appreciate you taking the time to answer this.
Chad
Dr H
Dr. H's Research
1464
Answers
Australia
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Hey Chad,
Great question! Treating humans and animals is kind of like playing two different levels of the same video game—both require medical skills, but the characters (or patients) come in wildly different shapes, sizes, and attitudes.
Key Differences Between Treating Humans and Animals:
1. Communication Barriers
Human doctors: "Where does it hurt?"
Veterinarians: "Okay, so this dog just ate an entire sock, the cat refuses to come out from under the couch, and the parrot keeps swearing at me. Let’s figure this out."
Winner: Human doctors, because patients can (mostly) explain their symptoms.
2. Number of Species
Human doctors: One species, one anatomy.
Veterinarians: Hundreds of species, from hamsters to horses. Imagine memorizing the anatomy of every single Pokémon—except they exist in real life.
Winner: Vets, because they have to be walking encyclopedias of animal biology.
3. Treatment Plans
Human doctors: "Take this pill twice a day with food."
Veterinarians: "Good luck getting a cat to take this pill. You might lose a finger in the process."
Winner: Tie—human patients complain, but animal patients bite.
4. Patients' Reactions to Medical Care
Humans: "I don’t like needles, but okay."
Animals: "I WILL FIGHT YOU FOR EVEN THINKING ABOUT THIS NEEDLE."
Winner: Human doctors (barely).
Can Someone Be Both a Human Doctor and a Veterinarian?
Yes, but it’s incredibly rare! A few people have earned both MD (human medicine) and DVM (veterinary medicine) degrees, but practicing both is a massive challenge. The time, cost, and specialization needed for each field make it difficult. However, some doctors work in comparative medicine, studying diseases that affect both humans and animals (like viruses that jump between species—looking at you, COVID).
So, while it’s possible, your friend might need the energy of a caffeinated cheetah to pull it off. But hey, if they love both fields, they can choose one and still collaborate with the other—like working in zoonotic disease research, biomedical science, or even space medicine for animals (yes, that’s a thing).
If your friend really wants to do both, tell them to prepare for many, many years of studying—but hey, at least their patients won’t be able to leave bad Yelp reviews.
Let me know if you need anything else!
Hope my humor killed a spot hit!
Great question! Treating humans and animals is kind of like playing two different levels of the same video game—both require medical skills, but the characters (or patients) come in wildly different shapes, sizes, and attitudes.
Key Differences Between Treating Humans and Animals:
1. Communication Barriers
Human doctors: "Where does it hurt?"
Veterinarians: "Okay, so this dog just ate an entire sock, the cat refuses to come out from under the couch, and the parrot keeps swearing at me. Let’s figure this out."
Winner: Human doctors, because patients can (mostly) explain their symptoms.
2. Number of Species
Human doctors: One species, one anatomy.
Veterinarians: Hundreds of species, from hamsters to horses. Imagine memorizing the anatomy of every single Pokémon—except they exist in real life.
Winner: Vets, because they have to be walking encyclopedias of animal biology.
3. Treatment Plans
Human doctors: "Take this pill twice a day with food."
Veterinarians: "Good luck getting a cat to take this pill. You might lose a finger in the process."
Winner: Tie—human patients complain, but animal patients bite.
4. Patients' Reactions to Medical Care
Humans: "I don’t like needles, but okay."
Animals: "I WILL FIGHT YOU FOR EVEN THINKING ABOUT THIS NEEDLE."
Winner: Human doctors (barely).
Can Someone Be Both a Human Doctor and a Veterinarian?
Yes, but it’s incredibly rare! A few people have earned both MD (human medicine) and DVM (veterinary medicine) degrees, but practicing both is a massive challenge. The time, cost, and specialization needed for each field make it difficult. However, some doctors work in comparative medicine, studying diseases that affect both humans and animals (like viruses that jump between species—looking at you, COVID).
So, while it’s possible, your friend might need the energy of a caffeinated cheetah to pull it off. But hey, if they love both fields, they can choose one and still collaborate with the other—like working in zoonotic disease research, biomedical science, or even space medicine for animals (yes, that’s a thing).
If your friend really wants to do both, tell them to prepare for many, many years of studying—but hey, at least their patients won’t be able to leave bad Yelp reviews.
Let me know if you need anything else!
Hope my humor killed a spot hit!
Aimee Turcotte, PharmD, BCGP, CMWA
Pharmacist
8
Answers
Baxter, Minnesota
Updated
Aimee’s Answer
One potential career option is pharmacy. I studied human pharmacy in school and then worked as a veterinary pharmacist for almost 10 years. There are now more career opportunities for veterinary pharmacists than before and some Colleges/Universities even had veterinary pharmacy courses.
I was in the same situation as your friend—I wanted to be both a veterinarian and a pharmacist, but I wasn’t fond of blood, so I chose pharmacy. If your friend lives near a College of Veterinary Medicine, they may be able to reach out to see if there’s a pharmacist they could shadow.
I was in the same situation as your friend—I wanted to be both a veterinarian and a pharmacist, but I wasn’t fond of blood, so I chose pharmacy. If your friend lives near a College of Veterinary Medicine, they may be able to reach out to see if there’s a pharmacist they could shadow.
Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Chad