r/veterinaryprofession

hey all, hope all is well. I’m looking for some advice. I’m 19 and work as a veterinary assistant. my end goal is to be a veterinarian but want to know all I should do to make it easier, I’m in America if that helps. Like I’ve been told to take only required classes or start looking at online internships or something. My vet is old school and I love her and her methods but it’s the common problem of everyone having to walk on egg shells around her and not knowing what would set her off, like if I have a question on a diagnosis or procedure I just search up my questions later. so I can’t ask her these question. Im starting college this fall semester majoring in zoology(pre-vet). what are things I can start doing now, and down the road, and what are things I shouldn’t do? I want to be a great Vet, like mine kind of is, she is pretty prestigious some parts of the animal world, but don’t wanna reveal too much info. I also want to learn more of the old veterinary practice instead of the new ways. Sorry if it’s a lot yall (:

I just want help and advice lol , thanks in advance

In the last 2 years I’ve had my first two patients die from post-spay complications and it haunts me everyday to the point where I dread spaying now. I spayed a dog who afterwards has been running a high temperature (not pyrexia yet) for about a week but still eating and drinking fine, no abdo pain and on US no free fluid in abdomen. I panicked and put her on ABs anyway. I’m now paralysed in my bed, unable to get out of it in fear it will all happen again; the patients slow suffering, the client abuse and dealing with their grief. It’s bad enough to make me want to quit the industry. I don’t know how to deal with this emotionally, physically and mentally.

About to move to a practice that is this software. I’m a specialist. I’ve only heard bad things from other specialists about how difficult it is to use this software for specialty medicine. Anyone out there like it or have found ways to use it efficiently for Internal Medicine?

I’m about a year out into practice as a DVM and have been at my current clinic a little over 6 months.

It may be my generation, or neurodivergence, but I really don’t like overworking myself and do not live to work. Forty hour work weeks is already a lot to me and likely at the upper end of my limit or past it for my ideal working time to be efficient and not burnt out.

I see on average probably 15-18 cases a day. I’m drowning in paperwork constantly, can’t keep up with callbacks on labs very well, have given up entirely on check in callbacks in the majority of my cases because I just don’t have the time, work through most of my lunch on paperwork, and have to work at home a lot. We have AI note software which helps but is not enough. I’m ADHD and live in a constant state of anxiety that I’m forgetting something because I almost always am. Also am slower and have more trouble than others at switching tasks or going back and forth so I’m probably less productive. My patience is extremely low for entitled clients that call last minute for things and demand service now and expect me to drop everything. We have a lot of older clientele and this is a trend I notice with them.

I also get intense dread and anxiety when I’m contacted outside of work for work related things. I need to set a boundary but don’t expect it to be taken very well. I appreciate and like my colleagues a lot and their reasons for reaching out are valid but seriously ruin my day when I’m trying to disconnect.

Realistically, I need better boundaries, lower case load and more time on the clock to do notes but that cuts into clinic production so I’m not sure how to propose it to management. In my ideal workplace, I would have no notes or comms to do outside of work hours and could actually completely disconnect during my lunch. Is this unrealistic? How do I make this my reality before deciding I’m not cut out to be a full-time DVM?

Hello. Last week, I had an a sit down interview in person at a hospital to be a vet assistant. They invited me back this upcoming Tuesday for what the practice manager called a “observational interview”. Backstory, I currently work full-time as a doctors assistant at a GP. The current environment is pretty toxic and I’m afraid to get fired for speaking up but main reason i’m finding a new job is because there’s not a lot of opportunity for growth and eventually I would love to become an RVT.

Anyways, I’m going to this observational interview on Tuesday, which will be two hours and they told me to wear scrubs. I’m assuming I’m going to be helping restrain and things of that matter, but also watch surgery. I’m very nervous because this clinic doesn’t just take dogs and cats like my current one. They also have exotics. even though I do have experience hands on at my current job. I don’t know how to do blood draws or catheters or surgery, but I do know how it’s administer vaccines and restrain, cytologies and rads.

Basically, just asking some advice on how I could stand out to the clinic but also not seeing like I’m useless lol. I really love the hospital that I am interviewing at. It’s super big, prime location, there’s so much opportunity to learn and learn exotics, etc. and they have lots of nice staff and they’re always fully booked. I don’t want to mess it up. lol help!!

Sorry this was so long lol. Thanks in advance!!

So I’m supposed to start vet school in a month. I’m just getting really overwhelmed thinking of costs and debt to income ratio. Is it even worth it to become a veterinarian at this point? I’ll be going out of state and plan on being close to 200,000 in debt. I don’t even know how to comprehend that much money in my life. I still am very passionate about the work I just don’t want to ruin my life with this decision. Is there a recent vet grad that I could talk to?

I work at a wildlife rehab center as an unpaid intern and it’s really great experience because I want to go into vet school. However, I’ve noticed a lot of the paid workers are really rude to interns, talking about us behind our backs, starting rumors and such. It’s gotten to a point where I just don’t want to go to work because I feel under appreciated by the people I work with when I’m working really hard and trying to do my best. I make mistakes yes, I’m 19 and it’s my first real experience in a place like this so I feel like that shouldn’t be wildly unexpected and I accept criticism but I don’t appreciate rumors and bullying. I’ve worked jobs before and have never experienced this at another place, I would like to continue because it would give me good experience but I really hate this atmosphere. I hope that vet clinics aren’t like this as well because I might want to switch my professional goals then. I would appreciate any advice. I don’t think management would do anything about it because most paid employee have been there a long time and probably have been doing this with other interns as well, (manager seems really biased towards them as well)

I’m a veterinary student and will soon be entering my final year of studies. Lately I’ve been feeling increasingly anxious about graduating, and I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar.

I feel like my university hasn’t provided a well rounded education. I completely understand that a lot of learning is self-directed in veterinary medicine, and I’m happy to study outside of class. However, I feel that some fundamental subjects, like parasitology and pharmacology, were not taught properly. Lectures often felt rushed, and asking questions was discouraged. There were times when lecturers became frustrated with students simply for asking for clarification.
Clinical rotations have been another source of frustration. Some veterinarians are fantastic teachers, but many seem too busy or simply uninterested in teaching students. When we ask questions, we’re often told, “You’re in your 5th you should know this already.” But it’s difficult to know something when you haven’t been taught it, and your questions have gone unanswered for years.

We also don’t have access to the hospital database, so we can’t review cases in our own time. We aren’t allowed to read patient records, take photos of case notes, or print them to study later. It feels like we’re expected to learn from clinical cases, but we’re not given the resources to do so.
Recently, during an externship, a veterinarian pointed out that I have gaps in my knowledge and said it’s important that I work on them. I completely agree with that feedback, but instead of motivating me, it made me panic. In less than a year, I’ll be responsible for treating animals, and I honestly don’t feel ready. I know no new graduate knows everything, but I worry that my education has left me with bigger gaps than it should have.

Because of this, I’m starting to question whether clinical practice is the right fit for me. I’ve been looking into alternative veterinary careers, such as diagnostic laboratories, histopathology, research, or the pharmaceutical industry. I’m not particularly interested in teaching or academia, but I don’t really know how people transition into these other fields. Our university focuses almost exclusively on clinical practice and doesn’t discuss alternative career paths.

Has anyone else felt this way before graduating? Did you feel unprepared but eventually gain confidence once you started working? And for those who chose non-clinical careers, how did you get into them?

I’d really appreciate any advice or hearing about your experiences.

Hey so im from germany and id want to become a vet but theres one problem: you need to do internships in different sectors like hygiene, agraculture and the meat industry.

So id need to do an Intership at a slaughterhouse or something similar- and as someone that wants to help /heal animals and spare them from misery i just have a HUGE distaste for the meat industry and i happen to be a really empathic person.

So does anybody know an alternative where i could do it instead or something that is "not as bad" or a way to avoid it?

Does anybody know any examples where else i could do one?

I'm looking for honest feedback from other veterinarians, especially those in ER or leadership positions.

I've been practicing ER medicine for about five years, but I'm relatively new at my current hospital. Recently, I've received feedback that my communication style has been an issue, and I'm having a hard time understanding what I'm missing.

I don't think of myself as someone who is rude or disrespectful. I'm definitely not the bubbly, outgoing type, but I try to be kind, professional, and respectful. When I become more direct, it's usually because something important hasn't been done yet or I'm concerned about patient care.

After receiving the initial feedback, I made a conscious effort to change how I communicate. I explain why I'm asking for things, I'm more mindful of my wording, and honestly, I've started holding back more because I don't want to come across the wrong way.

The problem is that now I feel like I'm constantly second-guessing myself. Instead of just practicing medicine, I find myself wondering whether everything I say will be interpreted negatively. I'm now scheduled for another feedback meeting, which surprised me because I genuinely thought I had been improving.

This has been difficult because I've worked in the ER for years and have never had communication become such a recurring issue. It makes me wonder whether there's something about my communication that I'm genuinely blind to, or whether this may simply be a poor culture fit.

I'm trying to approach this with an open mind because if there's something I'm doing that I'm unaware of, I genuinely want to improve.

For those of you with more experience, especially medical directors or hospital owners:

• Have you ever had a similar experience after joining a new hospital?
• Were there communication habits you didn't realize you had until someone pointed them out?
• How do you balance advocating for patients while maintaining good relationships with technicians and support staff?
• How do you tell the difference between needing to improve your communication and simply not fitting the culture of a particular hospital?

I'm honestly looking for objective feedback. If you think I'm missing something, I'd like to hear it. If you've experienced something similar and it turned out to be a culture-fit issue, I'd also appreciate hearing about it.

EDIT: Since a few people asked for examples, I'll keep them intentionally vague. It's mostly situations where I follow up on something I felt was important but hadn't been done yet, ask whether we can prioritize one thing over another, or ask more questions if I feel like I'm missing important patient history at intake. I've also been told that in some of these situations I came across as "snapping," whereas from my perspective I felt I was just being firmer because I thought the situation was time-sensitive. My goal isn't to criticize anyone; I'm just trying to take care of the patient. I'm honestly wondering if the way I'm communicating in those moments is coming across differently than I realize.

Just wondering how other clinics handle these scenarios - Australian clinic so we dont have techs.

Scenario is client comes in and sees Vet A for a urinary issue, start tx but recommend O to catch a sample at home for UA. Vet A just bills the consult and medication.

2 days later O bring in urine sample. Vet A is off this day, so Vet B does the UA and bills it under their name.

In this scenario, who at your clinic is responsible for ringing the client and communicating the UA results?

Is anyone getting Heartland Veterinary Partners to take negative accrual out? I’m so frustrated. This clinic is otherwise perfect and their PTO policy is better then anything else I’ve been offered. But that’s kind of a deal breaker and we are stuck in the negotiation phase now

Heyy,

becoming a Veterinarian has always been my absolute dream but it's impossible to achieve it where I live due to multipule reasons. So Europe is my best option to study Vet Med (English taught). I would like to know which European countries are affordable, good & recognized, I'm doing a lot of research but I still need help in some things.

As a 26 years old international (non EU) student who just got back to school, what are the best options for me?

I know I would eventually need to learn the language of the country & of course I will but the programme needs to be taught in English. What are steps I need to take. Also, I would like to know your experience in the country: is it safe, are majority of people friendly, what's the social life like etc. You can message me if you don't want to comment about it~

I really appreciate your advice.

Thank you !

For context, I am 3 years out of school making decent money as a corporate ER DVM. However, the realities of the corporate world have become soul-crushing. I feel like I don't have passion for my job anymore in the face of stagnant wages, constant pressure to increase ACTs and to meet impossible benchmarks, prices that rise every 6 months, being forced to market these third-party "payment plans" that just put people into debt/bankruptcy, and very shitty management overall.

My job is 60% marketing and sales, 20% managing a dysregulated team, 10% teaching, and 10% actual veterinary medicine. I hate that I feel like a used car salesman. I hate that we have corporate meetings on best strategies to talk people into doing more with less. I hate that I constantly have to present estimates that no one in their right mind could afford, especially considering cost of living issues and current gas/grocery prices. I have been working a brutal overnights-only shift schedule for the entirety of the 3yrs I've been with this job. I am taking longer to recover after my shifts and switching my sleep cycle back and forth has become very hard. I have brought countless concerns to management, taken FMLA previously for suicidal ideation, and nothing changes. There's so much pretty corporate talk of "taking ownership" and "flipping the switch", but nothing actually happens.

I am considering other options in the field as well as potentially leaving the field. I have considered stepping away from ER, but it feels like a personal failure on my part, especially because I do enjoy it (and surgery) when I actually get to do it. I am also mulling over relief work, but I am the primary earner in the household and all expenses/healthcare benefits are on me.

Has anyone else experienced this? Am I too soft for the industry? Do I just need a different job? Do all veterinary jobs come with the ACT bullshit and constant drive to do more for no additional pay? Is there a way out of this that doesn't involve taking a dive off a highway overpass??

I feel so overwhelmed by decision-fatigue that I can't even think straight. My therapist is worried and so is my husband. I feel like I need someone to hold my hand and talk me through it like I'm 5yrs old :(

Hello everyone. I hope it’s okay I just come here to share my feelings.

I’ve been working in veterinary medicine for five years. I turned 30 earlier this year. Today, I was consumed with sorrow and regret over choosing this as a career. For years, I always thought veterinary school was my end goal. But I’m realizing that working in-practice is killing me inside. I constantly feel undervalued, demeaned, and degraded. No matter where I go. I’m in my fourth semester of my A.A.S program in Veterinary Technology with Penn Foster College, and I cried in my bed after my 10 hour shift today because I fear I have wasted my life. Worse, I feel so trapped, because how can any of these skills I spent years building transfer into a new industry?

I know this is ultimately all my fault. I should have made different choices so I didn’t find myself trapped in a career that offers me poverty wages and S.I. at best. I just don’t know what to do.

Sometimes, I see a light in the darkness. Today, I had a client compliment my professionalism and my energy. I had a successful week in-clinic last week, making strides in surgery and doing well with sales. But it always comes back to this. I don’t know what to do anymore. I feel so lost. I feel like the worst technician in the world and the biggest loser. I work ten days straight, and somehow, I feel like I can never catch up. I’m barely surviving.

I don’t know what to do. I know I’ll still finish my A.A.S. But from there, who even knows? 💔

Maybe I’m just having a bad day. Maybe tomorrow I’ll wake up and feel lighter and less stressed. I just hate that these feelings always come back.

Hi friends! I feel like this is the best place to ask this as I feel too awkward to ask my vet team in person :'). I would love to go into vet med, but I don't want to be a vet tech. Nothing wrong with vet tech in my book, I just have more of a passion for specialties!

I am currently a pet cremator and memorial artist, and I have just become so fond of the industry. I've been through mortuary school and came out with a big interest for pathology and abnormal medical cases. I also think it would be awesome to be an end of life pet care provider, but I know all of the providers I work with are DVMs. The school I graduated from has a vet tech course, but I just don't know if that's what I should be looking for if I don't want to be a tech!

If anyone has any advice I'd love to listen!

I am a 30F with 5 years of experience working in the uk. I moved here just after i graduated the uni in the middle of the pandemic. My first job was great up until the coroprate decided we're not meeting the goals. So they made multiple people redundant, blamed the clinical director that it's her fault and changed the clinical manager to the most evil person possible. I wokred hard and i worked a lot of overtime with writing my notes, referrrals and callbacks at home. I managed to escape to a different place which is independent, it's much busier with way more staff, but this place does it's own out of hours as an on call duty. I hate it. I cannot sleep even when i'm not called in, i struggle massively. I am not a surgical vet, meaning i don't like surgery and i don't want to do it, i'm scared of doing it and i'm not very good at it, but i know i have to do it to stay in my job (yes i've tried spay clinincs- did more bad than good for me), but it gives me a lot of anxiety. I feel as a person who's not confident in their skills i cannot expect anything from my employer, so i worry that if i request to be out of the on call dairy i will get fired.

My first plan was to spend some time in practice then try to do an internship and residency and do a non surgical specialty, but i've lost all of my will to learn and educate myself about new things or becoming a better vet. I don't feel like i care anymore.

This job made me dislike animals and triggers me every time i see pet videos online as i'm trying to look for what's wrong with them, also some people claiming that they're vets on social media sometimes say some really stupid things and it triggers me a lot.

I really want to quit the job, but my life in this country depends on it. I have tier 2 working visa and no other degrees or experience. I do not want to do anything connected with pets or animals overall, i do not want to touch any animals, no matter if pets or livestock. I feel stuck and i don't know what to do. I've looked through the " stay, go, diversify" group, but i cannot post there as some of my work colleagues are there and posts on the feed seem irrelevant to my situation.

I tried speaking to vetlife and i am in their counselling programme, but still sometimes i still feel like i should get rid of myself.

An established vet in our community is looking to add a second vet to her private practice in the hopes of retiring in the next decade or so. Apparently this has been a super hard sell and I'm trying to help problem solve. What are your thoughts?

I was able to find another place of work and left the place I was at, but I feel like I’m mentally all messed up from my last place.

I was treated so badly there by management and left on very bad terms because of it. I did my best to leave professionally even though I was sobbing. I must have done ok considering my supervisor who was always kind to me told me what a good job I did.

I just don’t know how to move to the other clinic without being anxious and scared. I’m worried that the dr or management of my previous practice will say nasty things about me to my new clinic. More than that I am anxious that this is just the industry and that this new clinic will be just as bad.. idk what to do.

If you’ve experienced this kind of thing (or if you haven’t lol) what would you do from here?.. how did you or would you move on to new beginnings without thinking of the past looming over you.