18/06/2025
Mababang Uri ng Doktor?"
Why Vets Are Being Degraded — and Why That Needs to End
By Dr. Geoff Carullo, DVM, Dip., PCCP, Dip., PCVS
Let’s not sugarcoat this.
In many circles, when you say you're a veterinarian, you don’t get the same respect as a human doctor.
You get a polite smile. A joke. Or worse — a dismissive shrug.
"Ay, sa hayop lang pala."
"Baka hindi ka pumasa sa med kaya napunta ka sa vet."
"So, parang doktor-doktoran?"
And just like that, years of education, sleepless nights, and surgical miracles are reduced to a punchline.
Let’s talk about that. Let’s dissect — point by point — why society treats vets like we’re the "mababang uri ng doktor."
And why this thinking is not just wrong — it’s dangerous.
1. We Don’t Treat Humans, So We’re Seen as Less Important
People measure importance by how directly it benefits them.
So if you don’t treat their child, their parent, or themselves — you’re instantly ranked lower.
But here’s the kicker:
We treat the very beings they call “anak,” “bunso,” “baby.”
We keep those family members alive — the ones they sleep beside, cry with, and celebrate birthdays for.
But still, they call us “just” vets.
As if we don’t carry the same weight of life and death decisions in our hands.
2. Because Animals “Don’t Talk,” They Think Our Work Is Easier
Oh, if only that were true.
They think diagnosing animals is like playing fetch and giving vitamins.
But in reality?
We deal with creatures who cannot describe their pain, who cannot say where it hurts — and yet we’re expected to find the problem, solve it, and explain it to the owner in under 15 minutes.
We don’t just use stethoscopes — we use our intuition, experience, and sometimes miracles.
3. We’re the Punchline in Jokes, Not the Heroes in Stories
When media shows a human doctor, they’re saviors.
When media shows a vet, it’s usually cartoons, animals in bandages, or "Dr. Dolittle" with talking pets.
They romanticize physicians.
They infantilize us.
But what they don’t show are the all-nighters spent in surgery, the euthanasia tears we swallow, or the rabid animals we risk our lives to contain.
We’re real doctors. Not comic relief.
4. Because They Think Vet Med Is the "Back-Up Plan"
"Bakit hindi ka nag-MD?"
"Sayang naman, matalino ka pa naman."
These are the phrases hurled at us like we're failed medical students.
But here’s the truth they don’t see:
Most vets chose this path. Passionately.
Because we love animals. Because we believe in a calling higher than just a salary.
Because we treat lives that others can’t — and won’t — understand.
5. They See Our Clinics as Pet Shops, Not Medical Institutions
Walk into a vet clinic and you might see treats, shampoos, and cute puppies.
And because of that, some people assume we're just glorified groomers.
But behind the glass walls are surgeries, X-rays, diagnostics, and life-saving interventions.
We are a hospital.
Not a boutique.
And we wear lab coats for a reason.
6. Even Some Doctors Don’t See Us as Peers
Let’s call it out.
Some MDs see us as below them — not because we know less, but because our patients don’t talk back.
But ask them to do a C-section on a dog in dystocia, identify Ehrlichia on a smear, or handle a collapsing Shih Tzu with congestive heart failure — and watch them back away.
We’re not trying to compete.
We’re just tired of being belittled by people who couldn’t last a day in our shoes.
7. We Get the Blame, But Not the Gratitude
When we save a life, it’s expected.
When we lose a patient, it’s a scandal.
Our work is constantly under scrutiny — but rarely under praise.
They forget we do this with half the tools, less of the recognition, and none of the glory.
Final Word:
Veterinarians are not “doktor ng hayop lang.”
We are scientists. Surgeons. Public health defenders. Frontliners.
And we do all of it with the humility of being treated like we’re second best.
But here’s what they don’t realize:
When the world stops valuing those who care for the voiceless — it has truly lost its humanity.
And until the day they treat us with the respect we’ve always earned, we will continue doing what we do best:
Saving lives. Quietly. Fiercely. Without needing their applause.
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