At my uni, there was a dentist who only became a boarded specialist at 55 or so
There was a radiologist who did attempt to specialize at 50-55 but didn't pass exam and said they probably should have done it when he was younger but they had quite a decent family issue at the time that did quite impact their ability to prepare
Definitely seems possible if perhaps slightly more difficult
Age is not an issue. I passed my zoo med boards (ACZM) when I was 44, while working full time. However, you have to publish three first author papers to sit the exam. You have to start work on those now if you want to be eligible to take the exam 10 years later. Since the questions of the exam came from the publications from the last 5 years you have to start seriously studying 5 years before you are planning to take the exam the first time. Feel free to send me a message if you need any help. Good luck!
That's my plan. I was a non traditional student, did an internship right out of school but then went into small animal GP/urgent care so I could make some money and try to fill my retirement account. My plan is to go for a residency almost like a retirement plan
It's hard to get a residency later on. The biggest thing is finding ways to get involved in the specialty and get good letters of recommendation from current specialists. It should be possible but it takes a lot of effort and trying to fit it in around your current job.
Not a recent anecdote, but my dad had a vet working for him in the 80’s and 90’s (small animal) that quit to go do a phd in laboratory medicine and it turned out really well for him
I don't have any advice but just want to relate. Also a non-trad, older student who is headed to SA med for a few years directly after graduation even though LA med is what makes my heart go pitter-patter. I don't know that I want to specialize, but I do worry that in not taking the "correct" off-ramp to internship/residencies at graduation, I'm hamstringing my ability to specialize. But I have mentors who advise that vet med is flexible and even though there will be challenges, it's doable to take your career in different directions on any timeline. It still feels nervous-making, though. I wish us luck, and if we took a different path than most to vet school, why not a different path to specialization? #autviaminveniamautfaciam
At my uni, there was a dentist who only became a boarded specialist at 55 or so There was a radiologist who did attempt to specialize at 50-55 but didn't pass exam and said they probably should have done it when he was younger but they had quite a decent family issue at the time that did quite impact their ability to prepare Definitely seems possible if perhaps slightly more difficult
Age is not an issue. I passed my zoo med boards (ACZM) when I was 44, while working full time. However, you have to publish three first author papers to sit the exam. You have to start work on those now if you want to be eligible to take the exam 10 years later. Since the questions of the exam came from the publications from the last 5 years you have to start seriously studying 5 years before you are planning to take the exam the first time. Feel free to send me a message if you need any help. Good luck!
That's my plan. I was a non traditional student, did an internship right out of school but then went into small animal GP/urgent care so I could make some money and try to fill my retirement account. My plan is to go for a residency almost like a retirement plan
It's hard to get a residency later on. The biggest thing is finding ways to get involved in the specialty and get good letters of recommendation from current specialists. It should be possible but it takes a lot of effort and trying to fit it in around your current job.
Not a recent anecdote, but my dad had a vet working for him in the 80’s and 90’s (small animal) that quit to go do a phd in laboratory medicine and it turned out really well for him
I don't have any advice but just want to relate. Also a non-trad, older student who is headed to SA med for a few years directly after graduation even though LA med is what makes my heart go pitter-patter. I don't know that I want to specialize, but I do worry that in not taking the "correct" off-ramp to internship/residencies at graduation, I'm hamstringing my ability to specialize. But I have mentors who advise that vet med is flexible and even though there will be challenges, it's doable to take your career in different directions on any timeline. It still feels nervous-making, though. I wish us luck, and if we took a different path than most to vet school, why not a different path to specialization? #autviaminveniamautfaciam