To learn more about what it's really like to be a veterinarian, we reached out to Dr. Julie Cappel, or the Veterinary Life Coach. When it comes to what Dr. Cappel loves most about being a vet, she told Bored Panda that it's the variety of tasks and challenges that she faces every day. "The people may be lovely or terrible, but in all cases they love their pets like family, and that makes our job so rewarding," she shared. "We get to serve the pet owning public in a way that is unmatched in any other profession. The relationship that we form with the pets and their families lasts a lifetime and we share the highs and the lowest lows. Veterinarians are unique and wonderful."

We were also curious if Dr. Cappel has any favorite patients or any particularly fond memories with them. "I love all of my patients - except the ones that try to bite me," she says. "In particular, I love the parrots because they interact in unique ways - they can talk. So sometimes they say funny things or just act out when they hear my voice. One of my parrot patients says, 'I'm scared' when I walk into the room with her. Another says, 'Pet the birdie! Don't eat the birdie'. I also am very fond of all the puppies and kittens. They always bring excitement to our hospital day because they are so cute and happy, and we get to watch them grow up and capture their families' hearts."

We also asked Dr. Cappel if she could share any funny stories from working in her clinic. "There are so many," she told Bored Panda. "I had a client show me her knee surgery scar by dropping her pants in the waiting room. I had a gentleman come in with pet sugar gliders that he released in the room and they were jumping and gliding all over our heads, in and out of our pockets, terrorizing the veterinary technician. There have been many pets left on our doorstep over the years, some with notes attached asking us to find them a home."

We then asked Dr. Cappel what she thinks the most important qualities of a wonderful vet are. "I think all veterinarians are great and uniquely special," she shared. "It takes a special kind of person to take on the responsibilities that veterinary medicine brings and also keep their sense of humor and curiosity."

"There is so much pressure put on us from the pet owning public, and our pay scale is much below that of our human medical counterparts," Dr. Cappel added. "We also are experiencing a severe shortage of veterinarians and technicians, which adds to the daily pressure and subtracts from our work/life balance. In order to be an excellent and healthy veterinarian, someone has to have a solid appreciation for themselves and have the ability to set boundaries in order to not allow the 'negative' clients bring them down. Veterinarians also need to design a life outside of veterinary medicine that includes strong family and friends, and mental health support."

"Veterinarians are incredible people, doing a very difficult job," Dr. Cappel added. "I would love for people to realize how the profession is struggling, so that they can appreciate what veterinarians do for them. Veterinarians are not only involved in caring for pets, but they care for farm animals, service animals, provide for healthy food production, and give emotional support to the pet owning public."

If you would like to learn more about what it's like to be a vet or hear more words of wisdom from Dr. Julie Cappel, be sure to check out her website, the Veterinary Life Coach, right here.

As Dr. Cappel noted, being a veterinarian is not easy. Just becoming one in the first place is often a long and arduous process. In the United States, for example, there are only 32 veterinary schools, and within each program, there are a limited number of spots available. Applicants have to compete against aspiring vets from all over the country to be accepted into these extremely competitive programs, and once they’ve been admitted, the challenges have just begun.

Similar to medical school, veterinary school requires a vast knowledge of math and science, but many people agree that veterinary school is even harder than medical school. Not because the work is less strenuous in medical school, both paths are comparable, but vet schools are even more selective and competitive than medical schools. And for vets who aim to earn a bachelor’s degree before applying for veterinary school, it takes about eight years to complete their education. This career path is certainly not for the faint of heart.