You don't have to know me well to know that I've always wanted to be a Veterinary Surgeon.
Key word,wanted.
Why?
1. High Barriers to Entry
SGD $500,000 to study over 5-6 years abroad in a foreign land. ie UK, New Zealand or Australia (US is post grad. There is one more uni in South Africa - reinforcing the high barriers to entry because how is an Asian going to blend in? School fees are very affordable though.)
2. Availability of local unis
Cost approximately SGD $30 000 unless you are in medicine, dentistry or law.
6% of overseas vet studies.
3. Comfort Zone
I always thought it'd be fun to be away from the parents! Yes, freedom is TOTALLY AWESOME!!! It's also achievable if you are in a local u like ntu or nus, like myself.
4.Practicality
Everyone has a misconception that vetd are very well paid. This is not true. It's the clinic owner or the major share holder that is well rewarded for their investments in the firm. Vet clinics are business enterprises with animal interests. They need to eat too. You will definitely earn but that's much later in your career when you have established a steady client base and become more skillful/specialized (although there aren't any official specialist vets in Singapore).
At the end of the day... most people may think I am super flaky. But I am happy where I am standing today. Adapting to hall life (or noise, haha!) and getting the cranium engine started for the next 4 years. It's pretty awesome being in NUS. Although there is a certain pressure to deal with.
I'm back home now, resting on my couch. If anything, hall life gives me the privacy I've always dreamed of! However, home is really where the heart is.
xx tania
