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  • Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 5

    Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 5

    Belief #5: Being a vet defines who you are

    “Oh, you’re a vet?!”

    Two things are happening in the head of the person you’ve just met:

    1. They’re thinking of a question to ask you – about their horse, their granny’s cat or their friend’s aunt’s designer cockadoodlepoopywhip.
    2. They’ve just labelled you. With that label comes a list of expectations they associate with the word “vet”. Animal lover, smart, trustworthy (or perhaps money-hungry!). Things they’ve learned to associate with “veterinarian” through past experience and the commonly held beliefs of society.

    The human brain likes to use labels to make sense of the world. We create shortcuts to avoid having to analyse from scratch the thousands of things we encounter every day. That would take much too long and waste valuable brainpower.

    We all do it – we apply labels to things; to other people, but also to ourselves.

    Self-labelling?

    What do you associate with the label of “veterinarian”? What expectations do you burden that word with?

    • Caring. Scientist. Healer.
    • Successful, or wasted potential?
    • Cow-doc, horse vet, surgeon, or jack of all trades?
    • A white coat and stethoscope?
    • Hard-working, stoic, short on money?
    • Unglamorous, self-sacrificing, pillar of the community?
    • Not quite a doctor? Better than a doctor?
    • Sixty-hour work weeks? Job over everything else?

    Most of us will identify strongly with at least some of these traits, but when we identify with our labels they can start to define us. We accept what the label says as the only truth and feel the need to live up to those expectations.

    So we work those 60-hour weeks, sacrifice our other passions and relationships, accept low salaries, and blindly follow the well-trodden paths – because “that’s just what vets do”.

    You are not a label

    The reality is that, while you can do any or all of those things, you ultimately are none of them. You are not your label. A label that defines you will limit your thinking.

    The happiest vets I know do not identify as being “a vet”. They are people with passion and curiosity, who happen to have the skills and training to diagnose and treat sick animals.

    “Veterinarian” is something they do, but it is not who they are. They spend time and energy on other interests, they’re involved with their communities and families, they pursue hobbies and often have multiple career interests – and when a problem arises in the “vet” part of their lives, it’s never an all-consuming problem because “vet” is not an all-consuming part of their lives. If you took it away from them, they’d still be them.

    Acceptable associations

    If we are going to associate anything with the label of “vet”, let it be this:

    It means you’re not stupid – that you have the capacity for grit, and an ability to work hard and practise at least some degree of self-discipline…

    It represents potential. What will you do with yours?

  • Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 4

    Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 4

    Belief #4: A career in veterinary science doesn’t pay well

    Compared to many other professions, veterinary science is not what you would call a high performer on the salary front. Depending on who you ask, vet wages fall somewhere between that of a plumber and a hat rack. But is this always true?

    Here’s a little secret: a lot of wealthy vets are out there. We’re talking fancy sports cars and boats, holiday houses in top-notch locations and early retirement.

    Many of these stories of above-average financial success contain healthy doses of good timing and luck, but I can tell you what none of them have in them: someone plugging away in a salaried position for 20 years, complaining about the fact they don’t get paid enough.

    So, what is the secret to going from wage slave to financially successful vet? Here are a few things that seem to be common trends among financially satisfied vets.

    Attitude

    They’re not embarrassed to expect to make a good income from their profession, and to actively pursue it.

    Many of the loudest complainers about low wages are also the first to accuse others of unethical behaviour, gouging and exploitation. Many vets probably err too far towards the side of the ethical. But I have seen time and time again it is possible to strike a sustainable balance.

    Adding value

    Vets who fall on the right side of the income bell curve never just do what is expected of them. They find ways to add value wherever they are – whether it’s as an employee in their workplace, or to their communities.

    It’s very simple: if you want to earn more, find a way to generate more.

    Note that “more” does not have to simply mean “more dollars”. You can add huge value to a business in ways that don’t directly equate to an immediate increased dollar income. It’s not all about billing more.

    Business ownership

    It is entirely possible, and likely mostly overlooked as an option, to create a profitable niche for yourself within an employed position. Having said that, most of the high-earning vets I know are business owners or partners.

    Maybe it’s a personality thing. Or perhaps it’s the increased feelings of autonomy, of being in charge of your own destiny, and the incentive of “work more, earn more” that causes business owners to invest more time and energy into work, which usually equates to higher earnings.

    Either way, owning your own business certainly seems to be the most common path towards more moolah.

    Hard work

    Our wealthy vets put in the work. We mentioned luck before, but even the luckiest ones put themselves in a position where they were ready to be the receiver of any good fortune by generous amounts of sacrifice and elbow grease.

    The good news is that, in most cases, these hard workers are also the ones who eventually end up with more free time after those initial periods of increased effort.

    Taking risks and extending themselves

    My favourite story that illustrates a willingness to take risks came from one of the MiniVetGuide Vet Vault podcast guests, who started his first practice when he was in his 20s with AUS$40,000 (£20,000) borrowed from his gran. It was pretty much everything she owned. No pressure, right?

    It’s that kind of measured risk-taking that paves the way to financial security. While the rest of us stick to our risk-free salaried positions where we haggle about pennies and sulk about how bad the pay is, the risk-takers are making decisions that could irrevocably alter their financial futures.

    Diversification

    It’s the eggs-in-one-basket theory: our fiscal achievers usually have many eggs in multiple baskets. They seldom depend on their income solely from their primary vocation.

    Some side gigs are hobbies that have the potential to generate income, while others have become a primary source of income. Whatever they are, it’s clear these vets do not live with blinkers, and are not scared to venture outside their traditional roles as “vet”.

    What’s great about our profession is that it can provide a stable, predictable and flexible income stream that allows you to keep your head above water while you dip your toes into the streams adjacent to the familiar clinical practice pond.

    So, what’s it going to be? Accept the conventional wisdom, do your work and grumble about your pay, or pull your head out and look for opportunities?

    The money is there for the making, but it’s not going to come looking for you.

  • Goals versus systems

    Goals versus systems

    Knowing what you want in life is a blessing, but getting there can often be a complicated journey.

    We strive to be the best versions of ourselves – and part of that process is setting and achieving our goals; we think of a successful outcome, then work backwards to develop the milestones we need to reach these goals.

    For many, the process of goal setting is effective, but for some it can be disheartening or even disempowering. But why?

    Fear of failure

    For some, goals can be too painful to set as we often don’t achieve them. A prime example is the New Year’s resolution – how many times have you set a resolution or goal and not achieved it?

    So, what can happen is that whenever you assess your progress compared to your goals, you may find you haven’t achieved them. Essentially, this can spiral into feeling like you’re in a constant state of failure.

    Old habits die hard

    Let’s say you, in fact, do achieve your goal. Often what happens is that you return to your prior mindset – and you find yourself back where you started.

    An example could be where you’ve achieved a weight-loss goal, but then fall back into hold habits and put it back on and end up back at square one. Too much emphasis on the goal itself can lead to either not achieving it or reaching your goal and falling back to where you started.

    This is where systems come into play…

    The road to success

    Systems are like processes or habits that we set up to help us achieve our goals. The power of systems is that they focus on the process and strategy, rather than the goal itself. When you master your system, you feel accomplished.

    With this mentality, more often than not, the more you roll out your system/strategy, the more likely you are to achieve success. The more successful and positive you feel – and the more consistently you practise your system – essentially paves the path to reaching your goals sooner.

    To infinity… and beyond!

    If that isn’t motivation enough, the other additional bonus with focusing on your system or process is that it enables you to evaluate and fine-tune your strategy on a daily basis. This enables to you further increase your chances of success.

    Finally, after you have achieved your goal, the systems, habits or processes you put in place will actually continue to help you push beyond your initial goal and allow you to reach higher levels.

    Systems in action

    Let’s put this into a scenario: you set a weight-loss goal of 10kg. You start with the system of exercising 4 days a week for 30 minutes per day. You also decide to eat healthy five days a week.

    If that doesn’t work, then simply adjust your system: you can, for example, change the amount or type of exercise, or change your diet – you create a system, evaluate it, adjust it, roll it out and repeat. Once you start to see the progress you want, you just focus on doing it on a daily, or more consistent, basis.

    Essentially, you’ll develop an achievable system, be consistent, evaluate progress and achieve your goals. One step at a time.

    Ask yourself:

    • What is a goal you have not been able to achieve?
    • What is a system you could start with to help you get there?
    • When do you want to evaluate?
    • What could you do to adjust your system?
  • Always learning

    Always learning

    Following the recent plea to the UK Government by the British Veterinary Association, I’ve seen several articles over the past month all addressing the welfare and ethical issues concerning the sale of rabbits by themselves.

    I’ll be honest, reading these articles has filled me with a mild sense of guilt as I myself had a single rabbit as my very first pet.

    What we consider normal

    I think rabbits are quite a common choice for first time pet owners as they give the impression of a very low-maintenance option when compared with a cat or a dog.

    However, the general public are sometimes under a misapprehension about what is normal for our pets, especially the small ones. The smaller the animal and the more different from ourselves, the harder it becomes to judge its behaviour and whether its needs are being met.

    That is why, for generations, people have been housing their goldfish in bowls and rabbits by themselves. In the same way all fish need a filter, a heat source and environmental stimulation, rabbits need companionship – just like us.

    The norm

    It makes perfect sense when you think about it: rabbits in the wild are social creatures that live in large colonies to help with rearing young and watching for predators. Primates are the same in that regard; our closest relatives enjoy the perks of group living. Both apes and humans have been seen to suffer from prolonged isolation – it makes us nervous, depressed and can have negative impacts on our health.

    Sadly, rabbit research has been a little thin on the ground until recent years, and nobody realised their loved and cherished fluffy friend was lonely or in any way deprived.

    Domesticated rabbits have been commonplace in the UK for a long while, although they were originally kept more for food than companionship. While this trend has changed dramatically, the way in which we house our rabbits has not.

    The blame game

    I loved the rabbit I had as a six-year-old – coming home to Flopsy (do forgive me for my lack of originality) was one of the favourite parts of my day. Neither I nor my parents knew any better than to keep him by himself, or indeed to feed him carrots like they were going out of fashion.

    Much like my six-year-old self, an alarming amount of the general public have no idea that carrots for rabbits are like chocolate for us. For such a small animal they are surprisingly high in sugars and since rabbits wouldn’t naturally eat root vegetables as part of their diet and like any good thing, eating too many can impact their health in the long run.

    With all of this in mind:

    • Who is to blame for all these common misunderstandings? Is it, in fact, the cartoon rabbit franchise with their carrot munching propaganda?
    • Is it the owner’s responsibility to research their animal before they bring it home, or is the role of the seller to ensure the buyer is making an informed purchase?
    • Does the vet have a duty to triple check the animal management of every pet they see – and is this truly feasible in an average 15-minute consult alongside the routine check-up and actual reason for the appointment?

    Collective responsibility

    When it comes to understanding our pets, I believe we’ve still got a long way to go – and I don’t think its fair to blame any one person or authority for misconceptions, myths or a general lack of education regarding animal husbandry.

    It’s probably best to say it’s down to everyone to do their bit towards making sure every animal is as content and cared for as legitimately as possible. Owners should certainly do their own research when it comes to pet ownership, but it is also the responsibility of every veterinary practitioner to be a willing source for this research.

    The pool of information we have on pet care is ever changing and expanding which can hopefully only mean good things for our furry friends.

  • Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 3

    Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 3

    Belief #3: Vet science is much harder than other jobs

    You’ve heard those conversations where vets pontificate about the injustice of their lot in life and their poor career choices.

    We love to share stories about old acquaintances who are invariably less talented and not nearly as smart as us (we’re vets after all – the cream of the intellectual cream), yet have magical careers where they do almost nothing all day, get paid squillions and have three-month holidays every year that they spend frolicking on their yachts; while we express anal glands for 27 hours a day and get paid less than the pot plants in the reception area at the dentist’s office…

    Interesting job

    Well, have you ever listened to a group of people from other professions complain about their jobs – especially when they’ve had a few drinks? The bitching!

    When was the last time you asked someone about the details of his or her job? About what they do on a day-to-day basis; about the politics, paperwork and bureaucracy – all the dirty nitty-gritty?

    But I bet many people have asked you about your job, because guess what – it’s interesting! People love hearing about we do, while poor Kevin from accounts probably never even has the chance to complain about his job because no one ever asks…

    Some individuals genuinely appear to have shimmering careers that they truly seem to love, but to me, the vast majority of other people’s jobs seem to fall somewhere on a spectrum between soul-crushing boredom and high stakes ulcer-causing, relationship-busting stress.

    Think about the positives

    Yes, our job has some very real challenges, but so does any career. What we tend to ignore are all the great things about a career in veterinary science – variety, autonomy, never-ending opportunities for continued learning and acquisition of new skills, the potential for leadership positions or business ownership…

    We can travel with our degree. We can work full-time, part-time or night time. We can choose to be generalists or push ourselves into challenging specialisms, or take a left turn into a completely different pathway, such as teaching, industry or government. We get to do a job that people swoon over on the media.

    Living the dream

    Do you have any idea how many people would give anything to have a veterinary degree? To have the privilege of actually getting paid to work with animals? True, they probably don’t fully understand what it actually involves to work with animals, but the reality is we get to do the thing many of us dreamed of doing as youngsters. How many other careers can put all of that on their CV?

    I’m all for striving to improve the profession and making it an even better career to be in, but sometimes we need to see the gift we have under our noses. Yes, sometimes it’s hard being a vet – sometimes work is hard. But this is not a unique feature of our profession.

    However, if your career really isn’t going the way you want it to, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate how you’ve used your veterinary degree so far, rather than the fact you chose to have one to begin with.

    “But the pay is so bad”, I hear you say. We’ll talk about that next time…

  • Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 2

    Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 2

    Belief #2: if you can’t afford to care for an animal then you shouldn’t have one

    You, young doctor or nurse – living in your privileged society of excess, with your years of study, working in an industry that exists largely to minimise animal suffering – have certain expectations of what “taking care of an animal” looks like.

    Of course, we should always strive to do the best we can for any animal in our care, but we need to learn to put judgement aside when an owner’s abilities don’t stretch to meet our expectations.

    Saying “if you can’t afford to care for a pet then you shouldn’t be allowed to own one” is a subjective and biased opinion.

    What defines an appropriate level of “caring for your animal” is based to a large degree on your background, prior experiences with animals and financial circumstances.

    Where is the line?

    Let’s agree that if someone takes an animal in your care, it is his or her responsibility to meet its basic needs – make sure it doesn’t starve, freeze or cook to death; don’t cause it unnecessary suffering through wilful abuse or neglect; and satisfy at least some basic emotional needs of connection, and freedom from fear and pain.

    Beyond that, where is the line?

    You could argue provision for core vaccinations should make the cut into what constitutes basic levels of care, but I can assure you many unvaccinated animals around the world live very happy lives.

    I’ve seen many colleagues spit venom about “careless owners” who “don’t deserve to own an animal” when a dog presents with a pyometra, so should we make neutering a minimum requirement of pet ownership?

    Should every pet owner have the means to pay for at least full bloods and an ultrasound? What about major life-saving surgery? An MRI? Chemotherapy? Specialist referral?

    If a line in the sand does exist, then it’s poorly defined – and, like the line between beach and ocean, it’s a line that will shift with every wave, tide, and storm.

    Collision course

    So, how does this belief hold you back?

    If you subscribe to this way of thinking, you’ll be on a constant collision course with a large part of the population. It’s a mindset that will set you up for daily antagonistic interactions with the people who present their animals to you, instead of creating those all-important relationships that were mentioned in part one.

    None of this will benefit your patients, your clients, or yourself. To put it simply: you’ll only make yourself resentful and miserable.

    Burden of care

    Where things do become complicated is when individuals expect a high level of veterinary care without being willing to pay for it.

    When the burden of care – and blame for lack of provision of its gold standard – are shifted solely on to the shoulders of the veterinary community, the relationship starts falling apart.

    This, of course, is rubbish – and should be treated as such.

    It’s a problem that vets who have the capacity to provide high levels of care will grapple with, and can be the topic of many more blogs.

    For the purpose of this post, let’s just say we should always aim to help – to the best of our abilities, and with a consistent level of caring and lack of judgement – any person who presents their animal into our care, despite their individual expectations and capacity of what constitutes a good level of care.

  • What’s the worst that could happen?

    What’s the worst that could happen?

    A few years ago, I noticed my family cat had a lump on her neck that seemed to be getting larger. We had it removed by the local vet who told us it was almost certainly benign, and that sending it off for testing would be overly expensive and potentially unhelpful, depending on the results.

    These were my pre-vet school years, but I could still appreciate the ethical minefield of chemotherapy in companion animals, as well as the “financial to practicality ratio” of diagnostic medicine.

    Although it’s always frustrating not to have a firm answer, we took her home in the hope that all was well.

    Worst case

    Upon returning home for a weekend recently, I happened upon another lump – much smaller, but in a similar place.

    To be honest, it was so long ago I couldn’t remember if the lump was even on the same side, let alone in the exact same location, but my mind immediately leapt to the worst-case scenarios – a myriad of potential diagnoses flashed through my head, along with the treatment plans, prognoses, clinical signs, etc.

    It took me a few seconds to slow my train of thought down long enough to remind myself of all the less severe – and also far more likely – causes.

    Knowing

    I’ve talked about the curse of knowledge before when it comes to working in any medical field – that once you embark on your veterinary training, you lose your ability to appreciate an animal in its own right. Every dog, for example, is no longer just an adorable bundle of fluff, but a walking, barking list of potential things that can go wrong.

    They say doctors and nurses make the worst patients – and from experience with friends and family on these courses, I wouldn’t argue otherwise. It probably doesn’t help that, to know how to make the body better, you must also learn everything that can possibly go wrong: a sneeze is no longer just a sneeze…

    On reflection I think it’s important to fight this instinct and to recognise that just because something can go wrong, doesn’t mean it will. It sounds nigh on impossible – and perhaps counterproductive, seeing as “planning for the worst-case scenario” and “expecting the unexpected” are all part and parcel of life in clinic.

    Sit back and relax?

    Nobody wants a vet that’s 100% laid back – it’s the capacity to plan and expect that causes such stress outside of practice, but is so valuable within it.

    Switching off is never easy. It’s been said that being a vet is more a lifestyle than a job, and, though I’m still years from graduating, I can already relate.

    That being said, I think it’s worth the try. It’s only through switching off that we are able to rest, recuperate and come back stronger. I believe we owe it to ourselves and our clients to try leaving the white coat at the office when we go home at the end of the day.

  • Interview questions

    Interview questions

    Whenever I meet veterinary students, I am often asked: “What questions should I ask in my job interview?”

    For the past eight years, I have sat on the interviewer side of the table and have been asked some great questions.

    Here are some I think – as long as it is relevant to your career goals – you could ask:

    How many new graduates have you taken on in this hospital?

    This is important if you are looking for a supportive practice that is accustomed to taking on inexperienced vets. You can extend this to ask: “How long do they generally stay for?”

    Do you have a support system in place?

    If the practice doesn’t, don’t go in there expecting it. If it does, it makes the practice accountable to what it says if the support structure is not in place.

    What concerns do you have about me?

    This is a great question I have used, but I have never been asked by someone I was interviewing.

    This opens the forum for the interviewer to voice his or her concerns (if he or she wants to) and allows you address them right then and there.

    Sometimes, it may just be a misunderstanding that stops someone from hiring you.

    What expectations do you have of me?

    The practice may have unrealistic expectations of you. It may expect you to take on too much with inadequate training, knowledge and resources.

    It is better to have a conversation and develop an understanding or solutions around those expectations before you start.

    What can I do that would make you feel that hiring me was a successful hire?

    It is important for you to know your employer‘s markers of success from the start. You want to know if you can achieve them and if you are engaged by them.

    What are the major roadblocks that you think I will come up against?

    The practice may have experience taking on new grads, and seen what works and what doesn’t. Therefore, it helps to know what interviewer thinks you can do to overcome them.

    Asking an interesting question – especially one that challenges the interviewer – is a really great way of being remembered.

  • Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 1

    Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 1

    Belief #1: clients are an obstacle to overcome

    “Clients are rude. They’re stupid. They don’t care enough about their animals, are inconsiderate, and have no empathy for us and the struggles we face. They’re demanding, unreasonable in their expectations and want everything for free…”

    When was the last time you thought – or said aloud – any of these things, or heard someone else say it?

    Make no mistake, you will come across people who are any or all of these things, but, in reality, most people are not. We’re just so damn good at ruminating about the handful of negative experiences we do have that we go totally blind to the examples of the best of human nature that we encounter on an almost daily basis as vets.

    Human

    Humanity can be so very cruel – just pick up any history book if you need to be reminded of our dark side.

    Yet, as vets, we consistently see people sacrifice their valuable time and resources to bring creatures of a different species to us, to help them care for these animals.

    They may bring them in later than you’d prefer and will often have limitations as to how much they are willing to spend, but what we tend to miss is the miracle that some human cared enough to do something to intervene in the suffering of an animal in their care.

    This really is no small thing.

    The good, the bad and the uninformed client

    And that’s just talking about our problem-clients. Many of our clients are caring, committed, self-sacrificing, grateful and generous. I’m often astounded at how far some people will go for an animal they love, and I’m moved on a daily basis by the depth of connection and emotion that this usually selfish species of ours can share with animals.

    Then, a significant percentage of clients fall somewhere in-between – people who have lives full of problems, and worry and duty, who are suddenly faced with the extra responsibility of an animal in need of veterinary care.

    We often attribute the aforementioned traits to this group, but the reality is usually much more benign. They are mostly just a mixed bag of worried, stressed, frustrated, uninformed, confused, time-poor, broke, scared, preoccupied… and then we take it personally that they’re not overjoyed to have to come see us.

    We perceive it as an insult and a belittling of our skills. We’ll react to them with moral superiority and a sense of injured pride – and in doing so we often push them from this middle group into the “bad client” group, whereas what we should be doing is simply acknowledge their concerns with empathy and address those concerns in a way that leads to the best possible outcome for that patient – that client – in that particular situation.

    Words to live by

    I keep a quote front of mind for when I find myself getting frustrated with clients:

    • Never assume malice when stupidity will suffice.
    • Never assume stupidity when ignorance will suffice.
    • Never assume ignorance when forgivable error will suffice.
    • Never assume error when information you haven’t adequately accounted for will suffice.

    In other words – everyone is not out to get you or ruin your day. They’re just dealing with their own lives to the best of their abilities. Help them if you can.

    But it’s about more than just finding ways to put up with clients. If that is your goal – simply to survive the clients until you get to work with animals – then you’re missing out.

    Most of the happiest vets I know will tell you it’s relationships that matter. That sustained fulfilment comes from connection. Those very interactions – with those troublesome people who cross our paths 100 times a week – hold the key to the source of the biggest and most lasting source of satisfaction in our job… if only we let them.

  • No strings on me

    No strings on me

    No one likes change – it’s a scary thing. And there’s perhaps nothing scarier than spending five long years on the course of your childhood dreams, graduating and emerging into general practice, only to find that this might not be for you after all.

    Obviously, I’m not speaking from personal experience, but, according to a two-hour seminar my year received from people who really have experienced this, it’s a lot more common than people might think.

    But it doesn’t have to be scary at all…

    No fear

    I think it’s fair to say no one really knows what to expect from vet school until they’re there, and I imagine it’s much the same in the transition from degree to profession.

    So far, I have loved every bit of my journey towards becoming a vet, and I’m still really looking forward to everything that’s yet to come. I hope, when I find myself in the real world, I’ll love it every bit as much as I think I will – but if that’s not the case, it’s nice to know so many other options are out there.

    After hearing from speakers from large veterinary conglomerates, pharmaceutical representatives and civil service workers, it became apparent that our degree can steer us in so many different directions.

    Different strokes

    Just because you don’t go in that same direction as most of your cohort, it doesn’t mean those five years of hard work were in vain; veterinarians make very strong candidates in a variety of job markets, and your experience will immediately help you stand out from the sea of other applicants.

    No one was lying to you when they said the vet course would teach you transferable skills. Vets are trained to work under pressure, both independently and as a unit, to problem solve and go the extra mile, as well as having a firm knowledge of biology, pharmacology, cytology… the list is nearly endless. Not to mention the extensive interpersonal communication skills that are drilled into us from day one.

    The take-home message from the seminar was this: do what makes you happy. Don’t let yourself be bullied by the majority or be swayed by the views of family, friends or cohorts.

    (im)Perfect fit

    Only you know if something is a perfect fit or if it’s just not working, and the latter is not a failure; it takes a lot of courage to go against the flow and make such a big life-changing decision, but it turns out the rewards can certainly be worth the risks.

    There are obviously benefits of having what some of our guest speakers referred to as a “real job”: regular hours, a more predictable work day and a more manageable work-life balance – although they all admitted they did miss working so closely with animals.

    I’m still not sure exactly which line of work I’ll settle into in the end. When I was first applying to vet school, I always saw myself as a farm vet, but over the past few years I’ve developed a large interest in exotic species and wildlife. But as long as I find myself in a job I can come home from at the end of the day feeling both happy and fulfilled, there’s nothing else I could really ask for.