Estimated reading time: 19 minutes
Thanks to Steve for sharing his unique story of serving as an infantry officer, leaving the military, and then coming back in as an army veterinarian.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your military history?
I was born and raised in northeast Ohio. As the son of a physician and the grandson of a physician I felt like it was my responsibility to attend college and then Medical School to carry on the family tradition. My Grandmother was a nurse, my mom and Aunt were cytotechs, my sister was becoming a nurse, and my cousin was in med-school. So just about everyone in my family worked in the medical field.
I attended Ohio University where I majored in biochemistry and did everything necessary to get accepted into multiple medical schools. However, it was during some of my med-school interviews when they asked, “Why do you want to be a Physician?” that I started to question my decision. I fed them the BS answer they wanted to hear and I got accepted to multiple MD and DO programs. That’s when I started to actually ask myself that question.
I honestly did not know why I wanted to be a physician. I started to think about what I wanted to do and not what the family wanted me to do. I had always had some interest in the military and had thought about joining before for the sense of glory, honor, duty,and adventure. I thought long and hard about my decision and at the end of the day I didn’t want to be 90 years- old on my deathbed looking back on my life regretting the decisions I’ve made. I decided to join the army and do it while I was young and able. The way I looked at it, the worst case scenario was that I would serve for 4 years and get out and be proud of that portion of my life. I preferred that over never having served and regretting that when I’m older and unable to serve.
I made the official decision to join the army and turned down my med-school acceptances and remaining interviews. I started working with a recruiter and put together an OCS packet. I attended Basic Training at Ft. Benning in 2011 and it was there that I spent pretty much the first year and a half of my Army life. After Basic I went over to Officer Candidate School and got commissioned as an Infantry Officer.
My first assignment was with 1-32 IN, 3 BCT, 10th MTN where I served as a Rifle PL. I worked hard and was one of those lucky guys you hear about that gets to ride the PL train for the entirety of his Lieutenant time; never spent a single day on Staff and got a platoon my first day in the unit . My second position was as a Mortar Platoon Leader, during which time I deployed to Afghanistan to RC East (Wardak Province) in 2013-2014.
Then I got out, thinking I was done with the Army.
I came back on active duty as a Veterinary Corps Officer (VCO) in 2018. I had to repeat BOLC (thanks for that green weenie, HRC). Pretty shortly after that I went to CCC. I’m currently serving in my first position as a VCO at Ft. Leavenworth, KS. My unit is Public Health Activity – Fort Carson. (Vet units are small and spread out quite a bit. Think of a PHA as kind of like a BN level unit, it has a couple Branches (Companies) underneath it and each Branch has 2-3 Clinics underneath them. I’m technically in an excess slot at the moment and not even supposed to be with my unit (Thanks again, HRC). But on evals and paperwork I have the title of Veterinary Treatment Facility OIC (aka the Clinic OIC).
What prompted you to leave active duty?
At the time I made my decision to leave active duty I wasn’t really happy with my job. I was proud as hell, but I guess I wasn’t really happy and didn’t see myself as an Infantry Officer for 20 years. I wanted a change in lifestyle. I had some failed relationships like everyone does, and I was disgruntled with “The Good Idea Fairy.” Just because it’s the way we’ve always done it doesn’t mean we need to keep doing it that way because that way is stupid. That was my sentiment.
I was smart enough to realize the inefficiencies in a lot of the Army and wanted to do things my way but couldn’t because I was just a Lieutenant. I think we’ve all seen where the majority of the strong, good leaders tend to get out early because they have the potential to succeed outside the Army. That tends to leave a lot of the weaker leaders in the Army to rise the ranks and perpetuate the cycle of creating an environment that frustrates the young good leaders to the point they leave the organization. (I know the hypocrisy of my statement here since I came back to the Army, but I’m hoping to be one of those few good leaders that does remain in the Army).
So ultimately the decision to get out was to gain some freedom back, be a little more independent, have a change in lifestyle (family, wife, kids, etc. Mark- Remember when we drank all her whiskey in Alaska that one day? Yeah she wasn’t happy haha), and to get away from toxic leadership.
Mark’s Note: I accept no responsibility for secondary causes brought on by too much whiskey.
What drove you into wanting to practice veterinary medicine?
When I decided to get out of the Army I faced the same question we all do when we get out… “What the hell am I going to do now?” I had a background in science and medicine and almost went to med-school once so I thought about doing that again, but I turned it down once already and didn’t want to have to do med-school plus a residency and not have a real job until I was 35.
I liked animals and knew Vet School was an option that could combine my background in science and medicine with my affinity for animals. Plus it’s only 4 years and doesn’t require a residency program to practice so I could get a job at 30! So I called up one of my best friends from college who was finishing up Vet School at the time. He said I’d be a good fit so I went and shadowed at a vet clinic and I enjoyed it. I Started shadowing more and working on my application. All of this was happening during my 3rd year in the Army, too. I finished up my application just as I deployed. I had to perform an admissions interview via Skype while I was deployed.
What are the requirements for applying to veterinary school?
I recommend that you check out the specific requirements for every veterinary school that you plan to apply to because they are all slightly different. For the most part they all require hard science classes (chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, physiology, anatomy, genetics, etc.). The difference between programs is in the smaller classes some require and others don’t. Plan to take a statistics class because a lot of programs require that. That was a class I neve did in undergrad so I had to take an online class through University of Phoenix to meet that requirement before I applied.
Some may also require an animal nutrition course. Also expect to take all those extra liberal arts classes that make you a “well rounded individual” even though knowing the artistic style of Greek Columns has absolutely no basis on your ability to practice medicine.
Your hard science classes usually have to have been completed within the last 10 years too. Any older than that and you’ll need to retake them. The admissions committee is also going to look at your GPA and your GRE/MCAT scores. They’re going to want to see veterinary/animal/health sciences experience… research, working at vet clinics, shadowing, taking care of animals, etc. Extracurricular activities and community service, essays, and letters of recommendation also come into play.
If you pass the paper round of applications expect to have an interview. This means being able to confidently speak with proper social etiquette. I was a Student Ambassador for the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and helped out with the admissions process during interviews. I straight up No-Go’d one kid because he wasn’t able to keep eye contact and kept slightly spinning his office chair left and right during the interview. I marked a big “X” on the block that said “Do not admit.” If you can’t have a conversation with me, how can I expect you to have a conversation with a client and properly educate/guide them through their animals medical care.
I had another kid come in at the end of the interview day; since he had been waiting the entire day me and the faculty member interviewing him stated the typical opening line of, “This is just a conversation, we’re not here to grill you. So go ahead and make yourself comfortable and we’ll begin.” The kid straight up made himself comfortable by taking his jacket off and loosening his tie and proceeded to answer all of his questions with confidence while holding himself up high with good posture and eye contact. (He may have even taken his watch off too, and definitely leaned back slightly in his chair. I marked “Recruit immediately” which means he was getting his acceptance before everyone else and offered a scholarship. All because he was confident.
I also had a faculty member look to me for advice when we discussed “Leadership” with the applicants and asked them questions on that topic. She had never really been in a formal position of leadership so she didn’t know what it truly was to be a leader. So she looked to me as a former Army Officer for advice. It just goes to show that you bring a lot to the table as a Military Veteran. Stuff that is not typically found in the civilian world, and these educational programs want that experience.
Which test did you take and how did you study for it?
Most people applying to Vet School take the GRE, but most programs will also accept the MCAT. Since I have a very unique background and have applied and been accepted to both Med and Vet School, I have taken both of these tests. When I took the MCAT I was in between my sophomore and junior year of college. I took the summer off from work and did nothing but study for that test. I had just finished my hard science classes sophomore year that are the basis of the MCAT so everything was fresh in my mind. I studied a lot for that test and took every practice test I could. If memory serves me right there were about 7 free tests you could take at the time, or I may have paid for them. I also used Kaplan for studying for the MCAT. The hours of studying every day for weeks paid off. I got a 33 on the test which I think at the time was about 95th percentile.
For Vet School I took the GRE since my MCAT score was old and on the verge of not being accepted due to how long ago I took it. For that I bought a study book and some flash cards. I started out studying fairly well but got bored with it pretty quickly. I thought it was an easier test than the MCAT, which it is, so I thought I didn’t need to study as much. I ended up not doing so well on the GRE in comparison to how I did on the MCAT. I think I got in the 80th-85th percentile on the GRE which at the time was the average score for people accepted to vet school [at OSU].
(Mark’s Note: I 10/10 recommend using the Princeton Review’s Self-Paced Online Course. I tried a few other services and none came close to theirs in helping me with the GRE. It raised my score 10 points and was likely a huge factor in getting me into some top schools. Follow this link to access and support the site.)
What challenges did you experience as a military veteran at veterinary school?
I went from being a deployed Infantryman surrounded by 100% dudes who were hard-charging type-A personality guys with the overwhelming majority of them aligning with the right and having conervative backgrounds, to being a civilian in the United States in Veterinary school which is 80% women and very liberal over the course of 2.5 months. I came back from deployment on Memorial Day Weekend 2014 and started Vet school mid-August 2014.
It was a fast and furious transition and one that was kind of weird. But that kind of weird that doesn’t hit you until well later cause you’re so excited about getting your DD-214 and having freedom again that you’re stuck in the honeymoon phase. When that wears off like your intoxication after a party and you sober up wondering just how the hell you got there. Kind of like the night me and [NAME REDACTED] woke up in Atlantic City after starting out drinking in Philadelphia.
It was difficult finding people that I could fit in with. Like I said, 80% are liberal women (my class statistics were 162 total, 131 women, 31 men). The sense of humor you find in the Infantry and the vernacular you find there and throughout the military are not present in Veterinary School. If you say, “What’s up Fucker?” to someone in vet school they take offense to that. My jaded view of the world and dark sense of humor wasn’t well appreciated by most. But once I broke down barriers and people realized I was actually a good dude I started to make friends.
OSU also seemed to accept 1-2 token veterans every year as part of their diversity program so it helped to talk with those guys as well. I started a tradition where we all went out every Veteran’s Day for our free lunch and some beers. We also would see each other every so often at the routine vet school hangouts and Buckeye tailgates which was nice. Luckily the guy in the class below me was also an Infantryman so we got along great.
What advice would you offer someone thinking of veterinary medicine as a career path?
To the typical person I say, “Don’t do it!” because I’m a very honest and straightforward. To the point I’m brutally honest. The return on the investment is not there. You spend just as much time and effort studying and working to become a veterinarian as a Physician or Dentist does, yet you make a fraction of what they do. The average Vet Student leaves school with a debt of about $170,000 and a starting salary of about $70,000. Not to mention you won’t have a life for four years. The only way it makes it worth it is if you have a Sugar Daddy, the GI Bill, or a Government/Military contract to pay for it. If you have that, which most of you should since you’re a military veteran, then it may be worth it.
I ask you to think very deeply about your decision to do it though. Talk to veterinarians, talk to me, shadow at clinics. Think it through big time before you commit. Expect to spend 8 hours in the class most days, then studying 3-4 hours a night while simultaneously trying to keep your sanity and perform all the adulting things you have to do like grocerying, cooking, and laundry. Your life for four years is going to be class, study, test. Class, study, test. Class, study, test….rinse and repeat. Your year(s) on clinical rotations are going to be long as well; you are free labor and veterinary patients can’t go to the bathroom by themselves. So guess who gets to take them out at 9-10pm every night and then 6-7am the next morning.
Most people who get into veterinary medicine are the people who knew since they were 5 that they wanted to be a vet. They have a deep passion for it and that’s what drives them. You probably don’t fall into that category because you’re a military veteran and have worked in a different job field and are still trying to figure out just what to do in life. But maybe you do; maybe you’re the guy who joined to get the GI Bill and pay for college. If that’s you and your passion all along was animals, then maybe Vet School might be for you.
Towards the end of my second year of Vet school I really questioned my decision to be there. I thought about leaving and going back to the Army. But all I’d be left with is a failed endeavor and some debt with no way of paying it off. I shoved those thoughts down deep and drowned them in whiskey. I figured I better finish vet school so that way at least I have a job and a way to pay off the debt I just collected. I’ve talked to other professionals and most of them have had similar thoughts during their second year. Second year sucks. It also took me a while in life to figure out that the Army was actually a good fit for me and I enjoy being an Officer. In hindsight I probably should have just stayed in, but perhaps switched branches for the change in lifestyle.
I didn’t know about the following program at the time I was deciding to get out of the Army, but I do now thanks to my fiancee. If you’re interested in being a medical professional, yet you like the Army you should probably consider the Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP). It’s the military’s school that produces all of our PA’s. It’s also a nationally ranked PA school (think top 10). If you get accepted into the program it’s completely free for you to attend the school and you get your full salary during that time.
You can also do it through the National Guard. My fiancee is in the National Guard, so she’s getting them to pay for her to go to IPAP… so at the end of the day she will leave the program as a PA in the civilian sector making 6 figures starting out and will be completely debt free. She’s actually getting paid to go to school and only owes five years of service which is like 20 days or something like that. The program is also only 2.5 years long which is a big plus for those of us who are military veterans and have already spent some of our adult years working in a different job field and are transitioning to a new one.
What was the process like to get back into the army after you had left?
It wasn’t too hard. A lot of the same stuff you do the first time around like going to MEPS and working with a recruiter. I was coming back on Active Duty through the Direct Commission route, so I had to work with a medical recruiter and put together a large packet that went before a paper board. Luckily the board selected me and I got to come back. Typically they select about 7 vet students a year this way. On graduation day I wore my ASU’s and the medical recruiting station commander was there to swear me in. Shortly after that I left for initial entry training. If you are an enlisted member coming in as a medical professional you will have to go to the Direct Commission Course (DCC) which is essentially a month long course that teaches you how to wear the uniform and do some basic drill and ceremony type stuff. It’s geared towards those individuals who have never spent a single day in the Army. If you’re a prior Officer you get to skip this step.
The majority of Army Veterinarians come in through the Health Professions Scholarship Program. You apply for this during your first year of Vet School (or other professional school). If you get selected you get the remaining three years of vet school paid for (pretty sure dental and med school students get all four years paid for). You also get immediately commissioned as a 2LT and will get BAH and a stipend (during summer months when school isn’t in session). Talk with your recruiter on this one.
What challenges did you face during your transition from active duty?
I already mentioned the “differentness” of going from deployed Infantryman to vet school student very suddenly. But honestly, I don’t think I struggled early on with my transition from active duty. That whole first year out I was pretty good. My struggles came a little later on. But not sure if that was because I was a veteran having separation struggles or was that simply because I was a normal human being who experiences difficulties in life and depression.
After a while I started to feel nostalgia for the Army and missed it and the dudes I served with. That all started about a year after I got out. At first, it was just that – nostalgia. But that nostalgia grew a bit to a desire or a want to get that back in my life. I started thinking about joining the Reserves/Guard but knew that wasn’t feasible with vet school so I just put that thought off. Then as time went on even more I had a moment of clarity in life.
I was working as a veterinary assistant during school for some extra cash and experience. The job sucked and wasn’t enjoyable. It was at that moment in time that I realized, “Holy shit, working sucks!” You’re not going to enjoy jobs and working the majority of the time in my opinion. So you might as well get one that has good benefits and allows you to do some cool shit during that minority period you actually enjoy.
It was at then that I noticed the grass wasn’t greener on the other side of the fence; it was just more fucking grass. I decided at that point in time to rejoin the Army for the great benefits (retirement pension, student loans repayment, medical, 4-day weekends, 30 days of leave a year, etc.) and that slim chance to do some cool shit with my job even though the majority isn’t cool.
So was this whole situation just me figuring myself out and coming to the realization that money is a huge motivator in my life and I wanted a job with good benefits and the ability to do some cool things every now and then? Or was it me having wrongfully developed my entire personality as a military officer & veteran and feeling lost without it as many veterans do when they transition out? Or was it me trying to save my life and return it to the last thing I knew and understood and felt comfortable with after having gone through an alcoholism induced suicidal depression after sabotaging and failing an engagement and calling off my wedding? In reality, it’s probably a little bit of everything. All I know is that I’m happy now and that the Army is a good fit. That’s why I’m back in.
My advice for you before you transition out is to really think about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it; cause the grass ain’t greener on the other side of the fence… it’s just more fucking grass.
Most importantly, where’s the best chow hall?
Definitely not the chow hall for 2-47 IN (Basic Training) at Ft. Benning. I remember silently side-stepping through line staring directly at the wall about 1 foot in front of my face as I watched a cockroach run across the wall.
I also vividly remember the first day I was back at our BN FOB (FOB Airborne) after we shut our Company COP (COP Sultan Khel) down during Retrograde OPs in Afghanistan. We had been stuck out on our COP for the entirety of our deployment and were completed isolated except by air. Eating garbage food and ramen noodles at the very end cause we shut the MKT down. So I get back to the FOB and the first night they had crab legs and steak. I was like, “This is how you guys have fucken been eating this whole goddamn time?!!!”
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