Is veterinary science really harder the m.d. program?

I read this on the Dl, I'm shocked that veterinary science is that much harder. Do you make better money, is that why?

• No.

• Yes, a well run practice for baby lions (aka kitties) and dogs and misc other critters is more profitable than being an MD. There is little in the way of insurance for pets, so it's a cash gold mine. It's a bit harder to establish a veterinary practice in the metro areas, but once you do, it become profitable much more quickly than a human practice. If you have a specialty for one or more of the four legged critters, you will think you've purchased a printing press for money. All of this should be denied if asked in public, but here on DL, the truth is often OK since no matter what one prints, most of us will refuse to believe it.

• ^R2, that's incredible do you think it's possible for one to major in veterinary science and the md program. Is there a combined program out there like that? I really appreciate you telling me that. Thanks :)

• One of my roommates couldn't get into vet school so he ended up going to med school instead.

• My amazing vet is big on bringing in minority vet students (and pre-vet) to work in his practice. It always shocks me how many kids of all backgrounds wait until their senior year of HS to look for local vets to sponsor/mentor them. They have no clue how competitive vet school admissions are.

• {quote] They have no clue how competitive vet school admissions are. The reason Vet schools are so competitive compared to Medical schools (which are also super competitive, but not as much as vet schools) is because there are only 28 Veterinary schools in the U.S. There are 141 Medical Schools and 28 Osteopathy Schools in the U.S And Veterinarians do not make more than Medical Doctors.

• r3, it might be possible to be both a vet and an md, doing it at the same time would be very difficult. The courses and schools would be impossible to combine at this time. There is no reason I can think of for one to be both an MD and DVM, but that does not make it an impossibility. The payback would after graduation would be a matter of one degree blocking or limiting the use of your other degree. I can't imagine why one would like to be both an MD and DVM. I don't think there has ever been one to date, but I haven't googled the premise. Just remember, it is going to be more and more difficult for medical doctors to make big money as medicine becomes nationalized. It will be a long time, as in never, for veterinary medicine to become nationalized.

• R7, I just found a guy with a md and a dvm:

  http://labmed.ucsf.edu/about/faculty/pathology-abollen.html

• R7, I just found another. I wonder how they did it. Did they take 2 master's?

  http://main.uab.edu/Sites/neurosurgery/faculty/41438/

• Interesting that both of r8/9's links were to doctors involved with brain tumors. Perhaps a company like Pfizer involved in drug trials for both human and animal drugs would pay huge money to someone qualified to oversee both trials?

• I guess if you lived in a REALLY small, remote town (with a one-room schoolhouse), you could be both the people doctor and the animal doctor.

• r7, here's another one. And like r10 said, for some reason they are all brain tumour docs.

  http://healthcare.utah.edu/fad/mddetail.php%3FphysicianID%3Du0221786

• The insight one medical realm brings to other might be intensely informative, I honestly, just don't know anyone who has taken this route. I'm not surprised it's been done already, but...

• Veterinarian : Fireman MD : Cop

• The reason Veterinary medicine is more difficult is because it crosses many species. However I will say this, a Veterinarian probably wouldn't have many problems also obtaining and M.D. The systems are pretty much all the same across the Mammalian species which includes monkeys, chimps, humans, dogs, cats, gerbils, mice, hamsters and the whole gamut.

• I don't know if the curriculum itself is harder or more extensive, but vet schools are much, much harder to get into than med schools.