Sheesh, Pam, if it were up to you all the recent vet school graduates would be dead in the water with all those references you want! (just kidding -- I know you probably didn't think of me or any other potential new grad interested in ferrets). But seriously, although we may be a bit green on the experience, we *do* have the benefit of coming from a place where all the newest stuff tends to be taught. And usually people like me who are interested in a particular species go out of their way to get as much experience in that species before they graduate (ex: I'll be doing an externship with Dr. Susan Brown and have already spent a summer with Dr. Tom Kawasaki). We may not have years of experience, but we have to start *somewhere*, so please don't forget about us in searches for a ferret vet -- there are more and more of us graduating with that specific interest (I'd say there's at least one or two in most classes at every school now). Also, I'm afraid I have to comment on the prices you mentioned -- in my experience if people go looking for those they're going to think everyone around them grossly overcharges! $9.50 for an exam? Wow!! Either your vet was already independently wealthy when s/he started or the costs come somewhere else, like lab tests or certain surgeries. Although some vets charge no exam for routine vaccinations, for anything else it's usually around $20 or more, and a vaccine is usually around $10-15, I thought. I'm glad your vet is so reasonable, but I don't know many who could make ends meet at those prices. Also, ferrets may not be wild, but they *are* exotic in the veterinary definition (i.e. just about anything but a cat, dog, horse, or food animal is `exotic'). That doesn't mean the vet has to charge more. But s/he may if s/he feels his/her expertise in exotics is worth it, and rightfully so, within reason. I don't believe in exorbatant fees in the name of `exotic' medicine, but ferrets *aren't* small cats and dogs and a vet may well charge just a smidge more for knowing how to deal with that. God forbid veterinary medicine should ever become as ridiculously over-priced as it's human counterpart, but vets *do* have to make a living (and pay some hefty school loans, too! :) ). Laura [Posted in FML issue 1155]