Human Medicine Compared to Animal Medicine
Communication:
One of the major differences between human medicine and animal medicine is communication. As you have experienced, when you go to the doctor he/she will ask you to explain your symptoms. In veterinary medicine the vet can not simply ask how the animal is feeling, unless of course he is Dr. Doolittle. For this reason, the vet has to find other ways to determine the animal's symptoms. The vet starts by asking the owner if they have noticed any abnormal behavior. This is usually a good start to diagnosing but most of the time the information the owner provides isn't enough. To supplement the owners observations, the vet will examine the animal, feeling around and moving joints in search for anything abnormal. As the vet does this he/she must be aware of the animal's reactions. If the animal jerks or whimpers while you move its knee, that is a indication that its knee is in pain. It is not as simple as just saying, "my leg hurts." Animals do not speak English so the vet must look for other forms of communication. When referring to humans we call this non-verbal communication, but there is some verbal communication the vet can look for, such as the whimper. Though, determining symptoms is different in human and veterinary medicine, it is essential to be observant in both professions. Looking for non-verbal communication is helpful in both cases, the main difference is that in vet medicine there is no English verbal communication.
Team Work:
In human medicine you rely heavily on a team to get the job done. So much of what you do is based on trusting others. The doctor is dependent on the work of the nurse, the patient, the patient's family, the receptionist, and his/her assistants to accomplish his/her goals. Also, the primary care physician often sends a patient to a specialist to have a second opinion or to get x-rays. Of course, there is some team work involved in vet medicine too. However, for the most part the vet does it all. At least this is what I have seen working with Kurt Krusen DVM at his small practice. On the other hand, I recently had the opportunity to observe how a large vet practice is run. Like I imagined the jobs are more divided and many of the tasks are given to the technicians. This practice was run more formally and was based more heavily on a team, due to the large number of patients. So team work is an important aspect of medicine in both fields especially at larger practices. However, in veterinary medicine, I think it is safe to say, there is much less specialization.
Reason For Care:
What is the ultimate reason for a patient to spend time and money on a doctor's care? The first answer that comes to mind is the obvious, to foster a healthy and comfortable life for the patient. this reason is the first to come to mind because it is the core reason for treating humans or pets. However, Depending on the situation there can be different underlying reasons for seeking medical attention. In large animal veterinary medicine many times the animals that are being treated are more than just pets. A farmer's cattle is his/her source of income. Keeping the cattle healthy is essential in making money. In this case the owner is seeking care because he wants the animal to be healthy, but the underlying reason is because it is his/her job. This may be a small difference between human and animal medicine, but has implications on the attitudes toward the care. In veterinary medicine many of the decisions that are made are based on the value of the animal. So, farm animals are treated with the attitude that they are only worth what they can pay back in products. On the other hand, a pet is more than just money, its a friend, so its worth is much higher than its monetary value. For example if the care for a farm animal gets too pricey, a farmer may opt to have it slaughtered to save money. But if a pet dog is sick, the owner will often spend money on it with no expectations of money in return. This also, brings up the issue of money in medicine. The type of care that is administered is largely based on money. In both human and veterinary medicine some patients that need care simply can not afford it. Even if the person has insurance they may not want to pay the deductible if they don't think they can afford it. The payer once again has to way the cost of the medicine with the value of the patient.
Euthanasia:
Another major difference between vet medicine and human medicine is euthanasia. Many people find this to be one of the hardest aspects of animal medicine. The end of a life for both humans and animals can be a very sad time for everyone. Watching a loved one suffer is sad and draining for the sufferer, the loved one, and the care taker. When an animal is nearing death and is suffering, there comes a point when there is no hope of improving the animal's health. At this point the vet and the owner will decide to put the animal down in order to end its discomfort. In human medicine there is never a time when you must choose whether the suffering is too great because it is not legal to end a human life. So, there is always a strive to increase a persons health or to at least decrease pain until death occurs naturally. The tough choice to end a life is never placed in the hands of a loved one when dealing with humans. However, though euthanasia is never an easy thing to do it can be a relief to the pet and the owner. It is hard for an owner to watch the animal they love in pain. So, putting an animal down can be a relief to the owner, knowing that their animal is no longer in pain. It can also be a financial relief. Trying to administer medicine to a sick patient that has no hope of getting better and is awaiting death is costly. The legality of this issue determines the differences in the decisions that vets and human doctors must make.
Variety: Variety is something that I really enjoy about veterinary medicine. In human medicine there are primary care physicians and then there are consulting physician who are specialists. I could see myself taking on either occupation, but something I enjoy about veterinary medicine is the wide range of services that are provided. For one patient the vet might give simple vaccinations and for another he/she might go into surgery. A vet is responsible for everything involving the animals health. As a vet I would serve as a primary care doctor, dentist, nutritionist, dermatologist, surgeon, anesthesiologist, pharmacologist etc. In my opinion this keeps the job interesting. Even though there are some parts of the job that aren't so fun (like draining anal glands) there will always be something interesting to deal with.
