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What can I do to manage student loan debt and afford to work towards starting my own veterinary practice after graduation ?

I am looking for any advice on how someone already in the veterinary workforce pays for student loans or worked towards not having as much in student loans and was able to open their own practice right after graduation?

spring25 veterinarian veterinary veterinary-medicine student-loans veterinarymedicine debt-management
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Nirah’s Answer

I have never heard of anyone opening their own practice right after graduation, and would not recommend that you even consider this. You will not have the knowledge or experience to work on your own, let alone the funding or client base to start a brick and mortar veterinary practice. If they don't do a formal internship or residency, most vets go work in another practice for several years after vet school, and if they start their own practice, many buy an existing practice from a retiring vet. Four years of vet school is barely enough time to learn the medical basics. Running a practice is a whole additional skill set. You need to actually run a business- hire and train staff, do your billing, advertising, buying (and possibly reselling) drugs, client relations- and much more. You may get a little bit of info about this in vet school, but not enough to be a successful business owner on your first try. Trust me, you want to work in a large practice or hospital where you can consult with your more experienced colleagues about cases until you build up experience and knowledge. Unless you want to be on call 24/7, you do not want to be in a solo practice.
I am sure there are some exceptions, eg if you have a bachelor's from business school or prior significant experience as a vet tech that led to your being a practice manager, or you are considering an ambulatory euthanasia practice, but otherwise, starting a practice upon graduation is not the norm.
That said, you will eventually get there.
To save money, go to the least expensive schools (the most expensive schools will cost you hundreds of thousands more) . There used to be programs that would pay some of your tuition in exchange for military service or working ad s vet in underserved locations- with all the recent government cuts to science programs, I do not know if these programs still exist, but it is worth checking out.
Good luck!
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Emilio’s Answer

If you're feeling overwhelmed by loans, start by creating a budget. This will help you manage your expenses and pay off high-interest loans. A budget will give you a clear picture of your finances and guide you towards goals like opening your own veterinary practice in the future.
Thank you comment icon Thank you for taking the time to help. nicole
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