Would AS hinder one's goal to be a veterinarian?

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Specifically an exotic's specialist or zoo vet? Veternary medicine and becoming one are a special intrest of mine.

I really hope not! I want to become one myself. I have done some research, and it doesn't seems like it, however, the problem could be learning to deal with people, and how to talk to them. However, animals sure won't!

Also, Dr. Dawn Prince-Hughes worked with the gorillas at the Seattle Zoo before going to uni to study anthropology.

From my personal experience, it can make it hard. However, I did not know what I now suspect is my diagnosis, so keep that in mind, but I sincerely believe this was the driving factor in my withdrawing, despite being in the top 25% (at least), to pursue research.

I had always wanted to be a vet, since I was quite little. I loved animal science, veterinary medicine, and all things biology (take a crack at what my special interest was ^_~). I was massive over qualified by the time I applied, having worked for a subset of the vet school that taught supplemental instruction for pre-vet courses, finishing ~130 credits in science (for those of you who guessed zoology, you win!), and having a high GPA/honors etc. This is not just my opinion, I was informed of my over qualification by the admissions department, whom I worked with.

However, upon starting in a class of 113 people, my life quickly fell apart. Spending eight hours a day with that many people in a room was too much, I didn't fit in with many of them and was at a complete loss for the politics. These were mostly female students, so as you can imagine, the subtle politics were too much for my comprehension. Additionally, much of the material was a review from the courses I had before (understandable since it was first year and we were all from differing backgrounds), which drove me to skip every lecture. I instead hid in my research lab (behavioral neuroscience - two people total, lots of time to my self, quite).

I became depressed and sought counseling. That did not help. I was faced with telling my background to someone I didn't know, whom I didn't think understood, and I became more desperate. I alternated between trying to fit in and drowning my social awkwardness in wine. I tried to get people to go out, overcompensating for my awkwardness, but they just thought I wasn't serious and was a huge partier. The last straw occurred when I was passed up for a position in the wildlife ward because one of the two people there didn't like me (during my interview, which was terribly awkward, they kept telling me that if someone didn't get the position, it wasn't because they didn't think I was qualified, but because they didn't fit well with the team). This hurt and made me realize how ill equipt I was for competing for the few and far between exotics positions that would lead to my desired career. I wasn't going to risk not being able to pursue my interests because my inability to deal with needless politics.

I am not particularly proud of this point in my life. It was very difficult to tell my family why I was leaving. They still don't understand, but I am not close enough with them (or anyone, surprise) to tell them what I suspect is my diagnosis. My point in telling you this narrative is not to discourage you from pursuing the career. I hope knowing your diagnosis will help you overcome this issue, but I just want you to be aware of a couple of points you may end up having problems with:

1) social politics are ridiculous, everyone is hyper competitive.
2) you will be a bit of a disadvantage in getting the opportunities you need to pursue such a small field
3) it is very hard to be in a room with that many people all the time
4) a lot of the first year is a review, this is painful to many aspies, as I hear
5) your classmates will hold it against you for getting information faster and being aloof

I will end this "short" recant with a happy ending. I am currently finishing up a major master's project and will be attending a very well known research school for my PhD, ridiculously funded. I do conservation genetics and herpetology, very close to what I wanted to do. Sometimes, its better to branch out. I am MUCH happier.

Best of luck,
K

How can one be over qualifed? Someone probably really just had a grudge against you and used that as an excuse. I'm always hearing you can never be too qualified for vet school. I'm not going to vet school to make friends. I'll have my advocates vouch for me to be allowed to bring my service lizard. Stroking her prevents meltdowns and panick attacks. I suppose I could bring a stuffed animal but wouldn't that attract teasing and bullying? There's some sick people in this world.

Sorry what does hinder mean?

Anyway, I think you could be a veteranarian, if you wanted it looks like an awesome career, I would be one but it looks to hard. I like doing easy things.

I'd love to be one! Animals are not mean to other people.

I don't see how AS could hinder a person's chance of being anything that they want to be.

I'll second what Kallista said--vet school resembles high school waaaaay more than you'd think.

Even if you plan on specializing in something that won't require working with people a lot, you still have to make it through an intense four years before you start a residency. Sitting in a classroom with other people for 8 hours a day is bad enough, but when you get to clinics it gets much worse--crazy hours and a ridiculous amount of peer interaction all while trying to function in a noisy, chaotic situation. Just about everyone is overstressed and short on sleep and it only seems to make the petty politics worse.

But vet school is overwhelming for just about everyone and most classes lose at least a few students before the 4 years are up, for a lot of different reasons. AS isn't going to stop you from becoming a vet if you're determined and prepared, though. Exotics and zoo medicine internships/residencies are few and far between and extremely competitive, however--if you're serious about vet school it might be a good idea to check out other specialties that don't require working with people a lot. Ever consider radiology or pathology?

Aspies can certainly be vets. I know an Aspie vet; he owns a practise with his extroverted NT wife. She deals with their staff, he deals with the finances, and they both treat animals.

I am a veterinarian with Aspergers syndrome but I have a non clinical job and I work doing research into neuroscience. If you have Aspergers syndrome, it is hard to go to veterinarian school, and I discovered my diagnosis after I had graduated from vet school. This lead me into medical research and I have not regretted not doing any clinical work.

If you want to succeed in vet school, you should work to improve social skills, and you be able to extract the important information from a book you read for each course. I also think you should disclose information about being affected by aspergers as asperger traits are very easy to notice by other people.