How many days do vets work?

That is a difficult question to answer specifically. I depends on where you work (Country, state) and what kind of medicine you practice (food animal, equine, small animal). I can answer this question from the perspective of a small animal vet working in Northern California.

I would say, in general, vets work long hours and are relatively underpaid considering the amount of schooling they need to finish (and debt). Not to mention, you need to be somewhat of a competitive/hard-working person to finish the necessary requirements of school.

To broadly generalize, I see three kinds of vets.

1) The 'fresh vet', often recently out of school. You found a great employer and happy to be making a living and willing to work hard. You go out of your way for clients. You work 10+ hours a day 5-6 days per week. You are well-liked by clients, your boss loves you, you practice the best medicine you can and making good money. This is a transient situation. You graduate to either:

2) The 'content vet': Working 4 days per week with benefits. You are likely starting a family and have realized that you did not spend 20 years in school to let life pass you by. You develop a base of clients who are loyal and continue working for someone else or a corporation and keep stability and balance in your life.

3) The 'driven vet': You realize you are working hard for someone else and you do not need the comfort of a boss/employer to succeed. You open your own practice and micro-manage it to the hilt. You work 5-6 days per week and 10+ hour days. Your clients absolutely love you. You work hard and the financial rewards follow.

Bottom line, you are in control of how many hours you work. But it's easy to get caught up in your work and you need to make an effort to balance yourself.