1. Bulgaria: Beyond the Stereotyping, Prejudices and Clichés about veterinary profession ‘Pride and Prejudice- overcoming stereotypes’, Vocational High School of Veterinary medicine, Dobrich, Bulgaria

2. . Introduction:  Becoming a veterinarian may seem like a dream job to many at first glance, but it certainly is not all bliss. Why? There’re still a lot of stereotypes, prejudices, myths and clichés. Let’s investigate some of them:

3. Veterinary’s job is extremely stressful STRESSORS !!!  Communication  Death and dying  Working conditions  Business practices  Individual factors

4. Communication:  Excessively demanding clients;  Angry clients;  Critical clients;  Emotionally volatile clients;  Cients who do not pay their accounts;  Animals don't speak, so they can't tell you what is wrong;

5. Death and dying  Attending euthanasia of healthy animals,  Having an animal die a natural death  Suffering of their patients causes further emotionally demanding situations - sadness, relief, illness, depression, resignation and suicide

6.  Long hours  Not enough time off  Not enough time with family  Not enough time for recreation  The lack of available back up when they were ill, or wanted a much-needed holiday  Heavy physical labour  Most vets are employed in rural areas and work in the most remote areas. They work in the field in the most difficult of terrains Working conditions

7. Business practices  Veterinarians are almost famous for not being able to run a business successfully; their skills are in medicine, not clerical work. Bills have to be paid, staff needs salary checks regularly, supplies have to be ordered, employment laws, have to be followed. Vets don't have the time to see to this part of the business, they're seeing patients. So, you will make more money as a bookkeeper and office manager.

8. Veterinary’s job is extremely dangerous DANGERS !!!  Animals bite, and it hurts... a LOT  Risk of diseases transmitted to man from animals on a day to day basis

9. Animals bite, and it hurts... a LOT Some animals can be dangerous: - expect to be bitten - expect to be scratched - risk of injury from the patient by way of nasty kicks, butts, pecks They all don't want to be examined. Most of them don't want to be here and are very frightened or injured. So you have to be very careful for that. Vets who have been killed by and injured are examples

10. Veterinary’s job is too smelly SMELLY !!!  People may think you always smell like poop. You never get rid of pet hair.

11. Expect to go home smelling like death. You will be surrounded by sick, dying animals. Expect to be peed on, pooped on, vomited on, the pus and lots of blood. Veterinary’s job is too smelly

12. DIFFICULT !!! Vet‘s courses are extremely difficult  If you want to go to med school, the hard work starts now

13. Vet‘s courses are extremely difficult  Vet school courses are difficult, as they are very technical: vet students joke that unlike medical doctors, they are required to know more species than one.  In fact, the veterinarian curriculum is more diversified than human medicine because of the amount of different species and physiologies they have to study. Many veterinarians especially general practitioners take on many responsibilities as surgeons, pharmacists, diagnosticians, radiologists, behaviorists, dentists, orthopedic surgeon and provide comfort to both patient and owner.

14. Veterinary’s job isn’t as good paid as you think INADEQUATE PAYMENT !!!  The pay isn't great compared to the investment in time and money your education takes.

15.  People tend to think that veterinarians earn the same, if not more than human doctors. This could not be further from the truth. Salary range is reached after years of practice.  Salary is a big issue for veterinary technicians, since it is the general consensus that they are extremely underpaid. Part of this is because there is high turnover in the profession and little area for advancement. Pay is also low because vet techs are legally restricted from performing certain procedures that might allow them to offer more value to vets. Veterinary’s job isn’t as good paid as you think

16. Veterinary’s job isn’t for women Lady doctors !!!

17.  Lady doctors attend to patients and cases which involve huge amount of physical labour which even a male doctor find it difficult to handle.  Educated women are drawn to professions that are providing flexibility to combine work and careers,  Although there so many women veterinarians. Veterinary’s job isn’t for women

18. ‘This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.’