I’m not really sure why I’m posting this, but I guess I’m hoping to hear from other vets who’ve felt something similar.

I’m 30, graduated several years ago, but my journey into clinical practice hasn’t been straightforward. I moved countries and went through the ECFVG pathway, which took a lot of time, studying and effort. Between exams, licensing and life in general, I missed out on years of continuous clinical experience.
I’m now working as a small animal vet, but my actual clinical experience is still quite limited compared to others who graduated around the same time.

And honestly, I constantly feel like I’m lagging behind.

I don’t think I’m depressed or anything. I genuinely enjoy veterinary medicine and want to become a good vet. I just feel like I don’t know what I’m doing half the time.

I second-guess so many of my decisions, even things that probably should be straightforward. I often come home thinking about cases, wondering whether I missed something or could have handled things differently.

What gets to me is that everyone else seems to know so much more. Other vets seem to connect the dots, come up with differentials, know what tests to run and what treatments to consider. Meanwhile, I sometimes struggle with things I feel I should already know.
I attended a CPD event recently, and after two back-to-back sessions, I just couldn’t concentrate anymore. My mind kept wandering even though I genuinely wanted to learn. I looked around and saw other vets engaged, asking questions and having discussions, while I was struggling to absorb anything.

It made me realise how much I still don’t know.

I feel like I have gaps in my foundational knowledge, and I don’t even know where to begin filling them. Every time I try to study, one topic leads to five more things I realise I don’t understand.

And being 30 makes it harder not to compare myself with others. I know everyone has a different journey, but sometimes I can’t help thinking I should be much further along by now.

The imposter syndrome is real. I worked so hard to get through the ECFVG process and reach this point, yet now that I’m actually practising, I often feel like I don’t belong among people who seem so much more knowledgeable and capable.

I’m trying to attend CPD, find mentorship and study outside work, but I don’t really know how to learn effectively anymore without getting overwhelmed.

Is it just me ???? Does it ever get better???

This is the only clinic I’ve ever worked at and I’ve been told this multiple times by co workers who have been there for a long time. Is it like this everywhere? I’m afraid to bring my cats to my work because I don’t want my cats to be uncomfortable, but at the same time I know that I’ll be the one restraining them and be able to be with them in the back for whatever they need. It’s not a stress free environment in the back and I don’t know if it’s like that everywhere. They scruff cats for everything at this clinic in the back. One time I saw a tech use hemostats to scruff a cat for x rays because he wasn’t being still. I don’t trust anybody with my cats anymore and have been putting off getting them established here.

I am a veterinarian and have been with my clinic for 3 years. I have accepted a new job offer with a plan to start in February. If I tell them next week that would be roughly 3 months notice. Is this an okay amount of notice? I never actually know what is normal in this industry as I know finding a replacement vet can be tough right now! I really don’t want to burn bridges with my clinic and the new clinic is a bit flexible with a start date.

Hi!
I completed my undergraduate degree in May of 2025, majoring in both chemistry and biology, separately. I had microbiology and immunology research xp during covid at a covid and influenza lab for 2 years before doing organic synthesis lab for 2 years after that, also worked a part-time a peer leadership job for the university for 2 years. I’ve worked since June after I graduated in 2025, so I’ve been working at the same mid-size pharmaceutical company doing chemistry for 16 months. I have a full-time job I have to work to pay bills etc, but my passion does not lie in chemistry, directly.

Anyways, the first step is getting animal hours, and idk where the best places to start are bc I don’t have animal experience, I have a full-time job, and I’m at the very beginning of this process… SO, I know the end-game is a massive emotional, time, etc commitment, but I’m just starting to try to see if this is actually what I want. I wanted to be a vet when I was a kid, and I did the pre-med route for a bit and didn’t like it hahah, but it wasn’t for lack of grades (i did organic chem as research lab). Honestly, I HATE insurance, and I don’t want to touch the kid of the first staph infection I’ve ever smelled. It’d be chill if an animal though. Ik you still have to deal w people.

Anyways — what are types of opportunities that you would suggest to start with? It can be hard to get certain opportunities, especially w a full-time job in a small city w a major college, but I’m very open to volunteering. I figure this is a years-long process before even applying. Any suggestions would be appreciated♥️

Hello! I’m currently pursuing a PhD in Biomedical Sciences and am interested in attending veterinary school after completing my degree.

Ideally, I’d like to minimize or avoid student debt and, if possible, receive a stipend while attending vet school. I know that combined DVM/PhD programs can offer a structure where students receive funding and a stipend, but since I’ll already have my PhD, I’m wondering if there’s an alternative route.

Would it be possible to arrange something similar through a postdoctoral position? For example, could someone hold a funded postdoc position while attending vet school, potentially with their research appointment covering tuition or providing a stipend? Or are there other arrangements, such as research assistantships, fellowships, or university-funded positions, that could make this possible?

Has anyone done something similar, or does anyone know of programs or institutions that might allow this kind of arrangement?

I’d appreciate any advice or firsthand experiences. Thank you!

Long time reader, first time poster. I’m struggling and feel lost right now so I’m hoping by posting here I can pick other people’s brains to see if there’s an option I haven’t considered yet.

The backstory: I graduated from vet school in 2018. After graduating, my husband and I continued to live in the city where I went to school due to my husband starting his own business here while I was in school that thrives in a college town, has minimal competition here, and at this point my husband has made a very good name for himself and his business here. Therefore moving to a different city is not an option for us. Initially I was working in GP one hour away from home but the 5 day a week grind got to be too much so I transitioned to a very advanced ER/CC practice (we have a scope, HBOT, HFNO2, CT machine, etc.) in a major city 2 hours away and have been doing that for the past 6 years. ECC is truly my passion and ultimately what I would like to do for the rest of my career. Initially when it was just my husband and I, I would travel up to work, work three 12’s while sleeping at the clinic between shifts and then travel home. However, we now have 2 kids (3y & 8m) so that logistically is no longer a feasible option. After maternity leave I went back to working there but only part time doing one shift a week (either Saturday or Sunday when my husband is off) and just driving up and back in the same day. Occasionally when my boss has openings in the schedule, l’ll work 2 shifts back to back (Sat & Sun). But for the most part I stay home with my kids while my husband works. This had been working well for us for a few years but within the last year or so it’s been getting more difficult to sustain our bills with just my husband‘s income and the small amount I make from one shift per week.

Bottom line is I need to work more hours/go back to full time but I am struggling with how to go about doing that from a logistics standpoint. I have actively looked for any GP job in the city we live in and have had zero success. I’ve emailed my CV to every local practice owner and had zero responses. Two years ago I met one clinic owner through a friend who was interested in having me relief for him but when I told him my relief rate ($70/hr which I thought was reasonable given my experience) he never reached back out. Last year I did one working interview at another clinic in town but when I realized they lied to me about their capabilities during my initial interview and saw the absolute substandard level of care they practiced (ex: hanging a dogs head down in the sink to do dental cleanings with just an ET tube in and no oxygen or gas anesthesia) I knew it wasn’t going to be a good fit. When there were 2 separate occasions of job postings for positions I qualified for in the city I live in, one at the university and one at a startup clinic, I interviewed for both but was rejected.

Looking outside of the city I live in, there are many GP positions available but they are all at least an hour drive away, 5 days a week, and typically are 8-6 work days. This would force me to be out of the house by 6am (because even though it’s only an hour away, morning traffic always adds an extra 30-45 minutes to the commute) and not get me back home until 7-730pm at the earliest so I would not be able to be home for dinner with my kids or bedtime for my youngest. And with my husband’s work schedule, he works 12 hour days so he is gone from 730/8am until 8-9pm so we would have to hire a nanny to do both the morning routine of getting our kids ready for school and evening routine of feeding, bathing and putting our kids to bed. Honestly the thought of paying someone to completely take care of our kids 5 days a week doesn’t sit well with either of us. I’ve looked at ER options to try and find the three 12 hr schedule that would be more ideal, but of the 2 other ER’s that are only an hour away, one told me they couldn’t afford to hire another doctor and the other is corporate and I’ve heard nothing but horror stories from both DVMs and LVTs that have worked there.

I’m honestly at a loss on what to do next. I’ve even considered pursuing a nursing degree so I can work at the hospital down the street but I realized I can’t afford to go back to school right now. If you were in my shoes would you:

-try to reach out to local GP practices again? Maybe if I just show up and hand hard copies of my CV to the receptionists I’ll get more responses?
-suck it up and apply to the horror story corporate ER and just grin and bear it? My biggest fear is getting locked into a contract somewhere I hate
-look into other side hustle options I can do when I’m with my kids like Instacart shopping and try and supplement my income with that?

I’m extremely disheartened at this point. I appreciate if you’ve read this far and look forward to hearing any advice you may have.

I’m comparing offers from VCA and Thrive as a small animal veterinarian. The total first year compensation is about the same, but the structure is different.
Thrive is offering a higher base, bonuses, and production commission. They have thirty minute appointments, and the schedule is four ten hour shifts, with every other Saturday included.
VCA has a lower base, sign on and longevity bonuses, and production pay after a quarterly threshold. The schedule includes rotating Saturdays, but I’m still clarifying whether those are part of the regular shifts.
I’m weighing team support, medical autonomy, workload, schedule, and company stability. I’ve heard about recent Thrive clinic closures, and I’m not sure how much to factor that in. For people who have worked at either company, which would you choose and why?

I am considering doing the course to get a certificate for Veterinary CSR. It’s not too costly and looks like it would be very manageable to complete alongside my current full time non-veterinary related job. Is this certificate viewed as "fluff", or would it hold any weight and help me switch into a veterinary office position? Thank you for your insights!

I work at a veterinary hospital where the managing doctor has taken very little responsibility for the management side of the practice. Despite this, her contract includes a management bonus, and she consistently makes sure she receives it.
She rarely helps with inventory, certifications, or other management responsibilities, and she seldom asks about the hospital’s financial performance unless it relates to how much revenue she has generated that day. We also have a major evaluation coming up for our recertification, and she is unwilling to adjust her schedule to be available that week.
As the hospital manager, I find this frustrating because I am the one handling the majority of the management responsibilities, yet she continues to receive a bonus for a role she is not actively fulfilling. It feels unfair and raises questions about accountability and how management compensation is being justified.
I have considered bringing this concern to upper management, but I know how corporate veterinary medicine often operates. Doctors are frequently prioritized because they directly generate revenue, while the behind-the-scenes work that keeps the hospital running can be overlooked. I want to address the situation professionally, but I also want to make sure the work I do and the responsibilities I carry are recognized and valued fairly.

I’m an American who has always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, and next year I’ll be starting my veterinary school prerequisites. I know my plans may change over time, but I want to get a realistic idea of what my future could look like in these three countries.

Ideally, I’d like to stay in the US, especially if things improve. However, if they don’t, I’m considering moving to Canada or the UK. My biggest concerns are the differences in salaries, taxes, cost of living, and how much debt I might have after veterinary school.

Canada seems like the more familiar option since I’ve visited many times growing up. Veterinary salaries appear relatively comparable to those in the US, but I’m concerned about the tax differences. For example, I’ve heard of people earning $100,000 a year in Canada but taking home only around $60,000 after taxes. I know Canada offers publicly funded healthcare, which is a major benefit, but I wonder how much of a difference it makes financially compared to living in the US.

Canada’s public transportation is also better than America’s overall, but compared to many other countries, it still seems relatively limited, and many places remain car-dependent.

The UK initially seemed like the more appealing option to me because of its walkability, public healthcare, and the ability to travel to other European countries more easily. I like the idea of experiencing different cultures without having to take long international flights. However, UK veterinary salaries seem considerably lower than American salaries. I recently saw a job listing offering £40,000 a year, and I genuinely struggled to imagine what my finances would look like on that salary after taxes, housing, and other expenses.

Ultimately, my biggest concern is balancing financial stability with quality of life. I want to be comfortable, afford my living expenses, enjoy my life, and still pay off my student debt without spending most of my adult life struggling financially. I’m worried that, with the debt involved in becoming a veterinarian, I might have to choose between paying off my loans and actually enjoying the benefits of living in another country.

For veterinarians currently working in the US, Canada, or the UK, what has your experience been like? How comfortable is your salary relative to your living expenses, and how manageable is veterinary school debt? If you’ve worked in more than one of these countries, how do they compare?

Hi, I'm an 18 year old senior looking for advice I have some posts on my page that I made a few days ago asking for college advice regarding veterinary school. Most people basically said that the path to becoming a vet leaves no time for a personal life or parter, and it is extremely rigorous and grueling. I already knew that it would be very challenging, I have been top 5 in my class throughout high school and kept a 4.0 while maintaining extracurricular activities, a demanding sport, and a 4.0 GPA. Is vet school truly that miserable? Is being a vet an unenjoyable job even after I make it through school?

Hello Reddit and Vet peeps.

I am new to both reddit and my role in my clinic and would like some advice.

I am currently a kennel manager at my vet clinic and I am on a 5 year plan, with the assistance of the practice owner, to transition me to the practice manager. Currently I am more of a facilities manager, i.e. building repair, admin paperwork, inventory counts, community involvement, ect. I have an ABA and a 10+ year management experience in retail so its helped on the kennel/boarding side really well. Where I feel like I am struggling is how to manage the landscaping. We have had two months with a crazy water bill due to a pvc break in the sprinkler system. I had one repaired and then a second one popped up that was not as noticeable due to it being underground.

What in your experience is a good way to help transition into these tasks? I have a weekly/monthly cleaning list that is followed and the other team members assist with. But what have you seen that actually works in a vet clinic? We are having some financial issues due to the cost of inventory rising and having more white space on our appointment books.

I know a simple answer would be walking the grounds at least once a week, but some weeks I am stuck to a computer doing some kind of paperwork. We recently changed our pharmacy, new website, started an "onboarding program" that I am building from the ground up.

Additionally any advice or information to helping me run the facility as more of a practice manager mind set would be very helpful. I do not have any vet tech experience and honestly that is why the owner wants me to do more of the practice management because her last few just wanted to be techs with the higher title.

Anyone else working for MPH? I started at Mission Veterinary Partners and everything was pretty good. Since the merger with SVP the company has changed dramatically. I feel like I’m back at Banfield. Really disappointed in the direction the company is going.

hello!

as the title suggests, i'm a baby vet (currently 2 months of experience). I work in a hospital as a general practicioner, doing normal day shifts but also night shifts (usually 6 per month) with a quite bit workload and alone with a vet tech. I'm now doing a lot of stuff on my own, with guidance from senior vets who i occasionally ask for opinions or directions in each case i get. I feel like i'm becoming independent (from what's possible with only 2 months of experience), and a lot of cases i can manage fairly well. The thing is, i am dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety. I haven't been eating well, exercising very little and just constantly thinking about work, studying cases and neglecting my physical health. I keep telling myself it'll get better and in truth, i am becoming more efficient true, but i'm also just starting out and there's a big world of areas which i should know. I feel a huge weight of responsability and sometimes just being left to swim otherwise I drown (that's what i feel most of times) which makes me feel very drained even telling myself it's okay it'll eventually get better and it's all part of the beginning in this career.

Do you have any advice, experiences or anything you could help me with so I can optimize my learning experience but also take care of myself?

Hi! Currently a 2nd-year pre-vet student and under a lot of stress prepping for vet school. Managing to maintain a competitive GPA, finding internships/volunteer opportunities, and trying to build connections with vets is a lot to handle and achieve simultaneously. I am blessed to have my tuition paid by the state however my family is still struggling a little bit to pay for my rent, monthly expenses, and my car loan. Parents are working hard to save up for my vet school tuition... But I feel ashamed having my parents work another 6-8 years to support my dream (I have old parents lol). Realistically speaking, I will most likely take out loans and just pay it off later when I step into practice. This may be a little early to say, but I do want to specialize in surgery and from just talking with GP veterinarians, it seems like another 2-4 years of pure stress and little money earned. Kinda lost right now...

So I'm a fresh graduate and the sole vet at a shelter run on a shoe string budget in a 3rd world country

Our main focus is sterilizaton of stray dogs but we also treat animals(Mostly injuries, myasis, parvo, diarrhea and vomiting that we don't have the means to run diagnostics for etc)

Is there anything you think a shelter must absolutely have ?

Are there any resources that I could use concerning how to approach cases when I just can't do anything diagnostic tests ?

This is for any students, interns, residents, faculty, or even support staff because I value everyone’s opinion.

I’m currently looking at applying to small animal ECC residencies and am particularly interested in hearing from people who work at a program with an ECC residency (private or academic). I’m trying to look beyond the information on the VIRMP and get a better understanding of what the ECC department is like. Below are a few example questions.

• What do you like about your program/ECC service?
• What do you dislike about your program/ECC service?
• If you could change one thing about the program, what would you change?
• How approachable and supportive are the criticalists? Are any of them difficult to work with?
• Does the program actually change anything based on feedback from residents, staff, students?
• Would you choose this program again if you could go back?
• For former residents: did you feel your program prepared you for boards?

I’m especially interested in hearing the good, bad, and ugly. I’m not looking for the best program, just trying to glean the perspective of the people who have experienced them. My mentor is pushing me towards private programs because she believes they produce better doctors, but the Jandry study shows academic residents have a higher board pass rate.

Feel free to DM me if you would rather not identify yourself or your program publicly.

Hi! I am in my final year of Bs animal science most people may not have even heard about this degree. It is offered by few universities similar to animal husbandry. I have four majors animal nutrition, livestock management, poultry science and animal breeding & genetics. I have come to know that allied science degrees like (animal science, dairy science, poultry science etc) even though are approved by HEC there are still no jab allocations for these degree holders.

For any animal husbandry related govt job you must hold a DVM degree. 😃 As animal scientists we are trained to be farm managers most private companies don't even employ animal scientists and prefer DVM graduates because they get doctors as well as farm managers. Cheap labor. I am on the top of my class but the uncertainty that looms over my career scares me. There are no paid internships, no govt job opopportunitis and to start a business requires money (which I don't have)

I am sick and tired of working for corporations. I’ve worked at the big 3 and a smaller one and they are all alike.
Gas is over $5.00 a gallon. Groceries are too expensive. We are at war. Visits are down and we are told it’s because we aren’t welcoming enough on the phone.
Owners complain about our high prices so what do we do? We increase them. “If you believe in the value the owners will too”
Our appointment times have been cut down. We are told that we must now do drop off visits, tech visits, surgeries, and regular appointments every day with fewer staff. I’m not allowed to have more than 1 assistant per day and they are supposed to answer phones and do all of the above for a non-livable wage.
We are supposed to utilize our online pharmacy. Oh but also the in clinic pharmacy. But keep our COGs down. And give out coupons. But not too many because they lose money. But at least 2 per day. And talk about insurance. And care credit. And be happy. Make clients feel heard. But only if you can do it in 15 minutes.
I have to do surgery and at the same time see appointments. Can’t your 1 VA do the dental and the vaccine visit? Everyone else does it, it’s just you.
I haven’t gotten a raise in over 5 years because the clinic is not “doing well” but my annual reviews I’m told we are doing well.
We have marketing departments but I’m also expected to hand out flyers and do community outreach. If I don’t do 1 community event per quarter it’s the reason I can’t get a raise. But I also can’t do events during the workday. I have to do them after work or my day off.
I interviewed at 2 independent practices and the owners were offering less than half what I make for even more hours of work. And they complained about corporate. I don’t make enough now to pay my student loans, how could I take less?
I’m at my wits end and I don’t know what to do. I hate that this is what the profession has become.