Veterinarian jobs with best work hours / vacation time?

[Willotree]

Any idea which veterinarian jobs have the best work hours / vacation time? I've heard that pathologists and government jobs tend to have good work hours as well as faculty positions, is this true? Of course it varies.. for instance a part time general practitioner could have good work hours... but I'm speaking on average which job tends to have better hours.

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[bunnity]

You'd have a lot of control over your schedule working as a relief vet.
That said, you probably wouldn't want to work relief for the first few years out of school.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

Jobs in industry and government will have the most consistent hours - whether you think they are "best" or not is a different question. If you want regular hours, that's the way to go........clinical jobs are usually pretty consistent, but emergencies, etc happen and shifts change.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Radiologists have a pretty damn sweet schedule. As do most dermatologists and dentists.

 

[chickenlittle]

When it comes to vacation time in clinical practice, Banfield is pretty hard to beat at roughly 5 weeks. The downside is that the days are 9am-7pm (4 days/wk is full time, though) and weekends and holidays are not free time. Still, the 5 weeks is pretty sweet.

 

[Lissarae06]

When it comes to vacation time in clinical practice, Banfield is pretty hard to beat at roughly 5 weeks. The downside is that the days are 9am-7pm (4 days/wk is full time, though) and weekends and holidays are not free time. Still, the 5 weeks is pretty sweet.

Man I thought my 2 weeks was pretty good

 

[dyachei]

When it comes to vacation time in clinical practice, Banfield is pretty hard to beat at roughly 5 weeks. The downside is that the days are 9am-7pm (4 days/wk is full time, though) and weekends and holidays are not free time. Still, the 5 weeks is pretty sweet.

it depends on the region. Here they are still doing 5/4 for full time.

and you have to work Saturdays and Sundays. But there's no call.

 

[cheathac]

I've been doing some research on being a vet nutritionist? Not sure on the specifics of the job. I'm not even sure how to find a job in it really. I was jut looking around.. you'd probably have to work for like Purina or something? It's something I'm interested in and I would think the hours are pretty good.

 

[cowgirla]

When it comes to vacation time in clinical practice, Banfield is pretty hard to beat at roughly 5 weeks. The downside is that the days are 9am-7pm (4 days/wk is full time, though) and weekends and holidays are not free time. Still, the 5 weeks is pretty sweet.

Oh the things I could do with five weeks...
I'm happy with my three weeks, but most people would hate my schedule (one night a week on call, plus one weekend a month). Alternate 4 and 5.5 day work weeks but also have one morning and partial afternoon off per week.

 

[dyachei]

I've been doing some research on being a vet nutritionist? Not sure on the specifics of the job. I'm not even sure how to find a job in it really. I was jut looking around.. you'd probably have to work for like Purina or something? It's something I'm interested in and I would think the hours are pretty good.

you can be a nutritionist and work for a referral center. One of the students that graduated a year above me does this.

 

[cheathac]

I see. I've always been interested in nutrition, I liked it when I showed cattle and had to feed differently depending on that stage the calf was in, etc. But when I looked up being a vet nutritionist... they make a lot of money. The average was like $200,000??? Is that in a referral center or is that something different? I'm also assuming you have to do a 3 year residnecy for this.

 

[dyachei]

I see. I've always been interested in nutrition, I liked it when I showed cattle and had to feed differently depending on that stage the calf was in, etc. But when I looked up being a vet nutritionist... they make a lot of money. The average was like $200,000??? Is that in a referral center or is that something different? I'm also assuming you have to do a 3 year residnecy for this.

I'm not sure of the requirements. but the person I know only does small animal. She also does do some speaking engagements at things like NAVC. I havent asked (nor do I plan to) what her salary is.

 

[cheathac]

Okay. I'll look into it. Can't really find much information on it but the salary quoted by a few websites said that specializing in nutrition as a vet has a hefty salary. Just something to look into.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I see. I've always been interested in nutrition, I liked it when I showed cattle and had to feed differently depending on that stage the calf was in, etc. But when I looked up being a vet nutritionist... they make a lot of money. The average was like $200,000??? Is that in a referral center or is that something different? I'm also assuming you have to do a 3 year residnecy for this.

$200,000 is most likely not a true average unless they only surveyed top-level industry jobs with large management components as opposed to purely clinical. That sounds very high to me for any specialty in vet med. I would want to know how many veterinary nutritionists they talked to, in what areas of the country they worked, in what setting etc. A friend of mine who is an assistant professor + boarded nutritionists at a vet school makes about $100,000. Admittedly we have a low cost of living here, but I think that is more accurate unless we are talking about industry and pet food companies. Specializing in nutrition (i.e. wirh board certification, not just as a pet interest) usually requires an internship, residency, and often MS degree on top of DVM.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Any idea which veterinarian jobs have the best work hours / vacation time? I've heard that pathologists and government jobs tend to have good work hours as well as faculty positions, is this true? Of course it varies.. for instance a part time general practitioner could have good work hours... but I'm speaking on average which job tends to have better hours.

Pathology in academia is generally pretty consistent. The questions then becomes, though, are you willing spent 6-7 more years in residency + PhD after your DVM for that consistency.

 

[chickenlittle]

it depends on the region. Here they are still doing 5/4 for full time.

and you have to work Saturdays and Sundays. But there's no call.

That sucks. My field director told me I could go as low as 3/4 and still keep benefits, but that seems to contradict what I've read elsewhere so I'm staying at 4/4 for now. If I go back to Chief of Staff I'll need to go 4/5 or 5/5, but I'm in no hurry to do that just yet. They do start new grads at 5/5 for the first year or two, though. And yes, one weekend day per week is the norm at Banfield - my current schedule is 2 consecutive weekdays off per week plus off every other Saturday/Sunday. I'm pretty content with the schedule, for the most part.

Signed,
The Chick Who Fled Banfield For Private Practice, But Ended Up In A Far Worse Gig And Is Now Back At Banfield And Relatively Happy About It

 

[dyachei]

They do start new grads at 5/5 for the first year or two, though.

this never made sense to me.

For what its worth I fled and started my own business and am much happier. But I hear my region has a bit of a reputation and that other regions arent as bad.

 

[Country_roads]

I don't know about pathology, but I wouldn't tout academia as consistent, generally.

From what I've observed/experienced it's incredibly variable, with so much based on when you can do your research, whether you get grants, etc. etc.

Not to mention go to this conference, now this one, this one too, just kidding, not that one (which I know happens in vetmed for C.E. but I've seen far fewer vets than PhDs)

 

[chickenlittle]

this never made sense to me.

For what its worth I fled and started my own business and am much happier. But I hear my region has a bit of a reputation and that other regions arent as bad.

Unfortunately, practice ownership holds no appeal for me. I have a preschooler that I want to be able to spend time with, and a husband who is in ministry and therefore my steady income is needed to support our family. Glad it's working out so well for you, though!! Our market isn't too bad... it's not great, but far less soul-crushing than what I've experienced in private practice!! Also, knowing that I can take a 12-week maternity leave for kiddo #2 and still have a job to return to is a pretty huge perk.... my last job wouldn't even guarantee holding my job for a 6-week leave unless it happened at a "convenient" time of year.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I don't know about pathology, but I wouldn't tout academia as consistent, generally.

From what I've observed/experienced it's incredibly variable, with so much based on when you can do your research, whether you get grants, etc. etc.

Not to mention go to this conference, now this one, this one too, just kidding, not that one (which I know happens in vetmed for C.E. but I've seen far fewer vets than PhDs)

I was talking more clinical professorships and path in particular, not research. Academic research is a whole different kettle of fish and in all honesty, I would not recommend a career in it to anyone as it currently stands. You would not believe the number of people I know with STEM PhDs who cannot find employment, let alone grant money right now.

 

[dyachei]

Unfortunately, practice ownership holds no appeal for me. I have a preschooler that I want to be able to spend time with, and a husband who is in ministry and therefore my steady income is needed to support our family. Glad it's working out so well for you, though!! Our market isn't too bad... it's not great, but far less soul-crushing than what I've experienced in private practice!!

I still have time to spend with my family. And we hired a 2nd vet so I actually have more free time than I used to.

The goal is to get to 4/4 and have some of that time be admin.

 

[chickenlittle]

I still have time to spend with my family. And we hired a 2nd vet so I actually have more free time than I used to.

The goal is to get to 4/4 and have some of that time be admin.

Wow... a second vet at only a few years in?! Congrats - you must be doing very well!! All that I read on VIN is these horror stories about vets who can't draw a salary for the first year or two and can't hire an associate until 5-10 years in. What factors do you think have contributed to your success? Prime location or other hospital-specific factors?

My current plan is to save like crazy for the next 5 years, then go down to part-time at that point (while our kid(s) are school-aged so we don't have to do daycare/aftercare). Also targeting early retirement. No clue if any of that will pan out, but I'm thinking optimistically since I'm one of those lucky folks who graduated without any loans due to parental help. I've become a MrMoneyMustache.com addict so we'll see how it all works out!

 

[dyachei]

Wow... a second vet at only a few years in?! Congrats - you must be doing very well!! All that I read on VIN is these horror stories about vets who can't draw a salary for the first year or two and can't hire an associate until 5-10 years in. What factors do you think have contributed to your success? Prime location or other hospital-specific factors?

My current plan is to save like crazy for the next 5 years, then go down to part-time at that point (while our kid(s) are school-aged so we don't have to do daycare/aftercare). Also targeting early retirement. I've become a MrMoneyMustache.com addict

Well, we set the business up in a novel way for the industry. My business partner (my father) is a business consultant and has started a number of businesses under his belt. We broke even on the month-to month in Jan and have been making a profit month to month since March. We do have a prime location and we are very interested in quality medicine at affordable cost. We expect to make some money this year though not enough to make up our investment - we expect that to take 3-5 years. One of the things we set up was that I get a salary every 2 weeks like everyone else. we've very quickly gained a positive reputation in the area. Although we are in the slow season, we continue to do better each month (both in new clients/week and in profit).

 

[chickenlittle]

Well, we set the business up in a novel way for the industry. My business partner (my father) is a business consultant and has started a number of businesses under his belt. We broke even on the month-to month in Jan and have been making a profit month to month since March. We do have a prime location and we are very interested in quality medicine at affordable cost. We expect to make some money this year though not enough to make up our investment - we expect that to take 3-5 years. One of the things we set up was that I get a salary every 2 weeks like everyone else. we've very quickly gained a positive reputation in the area. Although we are in the slow season, we continue to do better each month (both in new clients/week and in profit).

I hope this isn't prying too much, but is the salary that you drew at the beginning comparable to what you were receiving at Banfield or did you have to take a big cut? Also, were you funding all of that through loans or did your dad contribute a lot of the start-up costs? I know that you can incorporate your own salary into the loans, but I thought most people end up having to make their salary pretty minimal in order to do that. You're making me think that maybe I shouldn't be writing off ownership so quickly

 

[dyachei]

I hope this isn't prying too much, but is the salary that you drew at the beginning comparable to what you were receiving at Banfield or did you have to take a big cut? Also, were you funding all of that through loans or did your dad contribute a lot of the start-up costs? I know that you can incorporate your own salary into the loans, but I thought most people end up having to make their salary pretty minimal in order to do that. You're making me think that maybe I shouldn't be writing off ownership so quickly

He took a loan at a much better rate than I could. My salary is only 5k under what my starting salary at banfield was but I don't make any bonuses - yet.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

In my experience, zoos can have pretty decent hours and schedule consistency. And the more vets the zoo has, the better. The first zoo I worked for had 3 vets, and each had two days off and split up on-call. The second had 8 clinical vets who worked 4 10's and each had one day on call every 8 days. However, there is a zoo by me with only 1 doctor. She's pretty busy, as you can imagine.

For small animal, the two vets/business owners I've worked with have had horrible hours/schedule. 6/7 days a week, 10 hours a day. Sunday's being reserved for emergencies or critical hospitalized patients. However, both instances were in clinics with only one doctor. Having another doctor would alleviate a lot of that, I would imagine.

 

[primatevetjess]

Lab animal medicine is pretty consistent/regular. As a resident I typically work 8:30ish - 5:30ish, with the occasional later day (6 or 7, but pretty rare). Off all nights/weekends/holidays. I'm only on call once every 6-8 weeks and I get 3 full weeks of paid vacation time/year. The staff vets are never there past 5pm and get 5 weeks of paid vacation/year.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

Wow... a second vet at only a few years in?! Congrats - you must be doing very well!! All that I read on VIN is these horror stories about vets who can't draw a salary for the first year or two and can't hire an associate until 5-10 years in. What factors do you think have contributed to your success? Prime location or other hospital-specific factors?

A huge part of it is location, location, location. I've known owners who've paid off their clinics (in addition to getting a nice salary for themselves), but they have clinics in locations where I would not want to live. Fortunately for them, they DO want to live there, so it's no hardship - but the location (and the number/type of competing clinics) does make a huge difference.

 

[JHerriot14]

I'm not trying to be an arsehole or anything but you seeking advice about jobs with minimal hours and lots of holidays (aka being lazy) is a very poor reflection of an individual seeking to enter this field. Being a vet is a privilege and it's a career, not a 9-5 job. The reason this field is going downhill is because too many vets treat it as just another job, preferring to go on long vacations and work office hours.

As a student seeking entry into this competitive field (which actually gets even more competitive once you graduate and are out in the real world!) the last thing you should be concerned about are cushy jobs. And every person in a cushy job has had to go through hell and back to get to where there at (residencies, phDs, etc are tough).

Life ain't easy and it shouldn't be.

 

[Gwenevre]

I'm not trying to be an arsehole or anything but you seeking advice about jobs with minimal hours and lots of holidays (aka being lazy) is a very poor reflection of an individual seeking to enter this field. Being a vet is a privilege and it's a career, not a 9-5 job. The reason this field is going downhill is because too many vets treat it as just another job, preferring to go on long vacations and work office hours.

As a student seeking entry into this competitive field (which actually gets even more competitive once you graduate and are out in the real world!) the last thing you should be concerned about are cushy jobs. And every person in a cushy job has had to go through hell and back to get to where there at (residencies, phDs, etc are tough).

Life ain't easy and it shouldn't be.

Except that compassion fatigue is a real thing in this field. Having the ability to take vacation to help balance your life in a field that is very demanding, emotionally and physically is still really important. I don't see how the OP is being lazy; they're concerned with being able to take breaks. And there's nothing wrong with that at all!

 

[Txvethopeful0913]

I agree with @Gwenevre. It gets to a point where in order to practice the best possible medicine, you need to give yourself some down time. Newsflash this is a JOB. We choose to do it because that's where our passion lies, but it doesn't mean we can't have a life outside of veterinary medicine. Personally I think 5 days a week with 2-3 week vacation time doesn't sound too bad at all. I work at a small animal private practice where the vets work 4 days a week (no lunches and usually 9-7 or 8), off on weekends except to check on hospitalized patients, and get 2 weeks paid vacation.

 

[Lissarae06]

I'm not trying to be an arsehole or anything but you seeking advice about jobs with minimal hours and lots of holidays (aka being lazy) is a very poor reflection of an individual seeking to enter this field. Being a vet is a privilege and it's a career, not a 9-5 job. The reason this field is going downhill is because too many vets treat it as just another job, preferring to go on long vacations and work office hours.

As a student seeking entry into this competitive field (which actually gets even more competitive once you graduate and are out in the real world!) the last thing you should be concerned about are cushy jobs. And every person in a cushy job has had to go through hell and back to get to where there at (residencies, phDs, etc are tough).

Life ain't easy and it shouldn't be.

Why shouldn't life be easy? Without my vacation time I would burn out so much faster. I see nothing wrong with wanting some time off/decent hours. I don't think you should choose a specialty just because they have more cush hours and pay but I don't think it is wrong to take it into consideration.

 

[cowgirla]

Life ain't easy and it shouldn't be.

Why not?
I think it's safe to say most people who make it into vet school are willing to work hard. Why shouldn't there be a speck of light at the end of the tunnel?

I love my job. I also love long weekends, three weeks vacation, shifts that are less than 8 hours long and sleeping in on Mondays. I also love spending my paycheck, time with friends and hiking and kayaking and working on my house and a thousand other things outside of work.

The nature of our job is to be full of emotional ups and downs and stresses, and that should be balanced by "off" time. No one is saying they don't want to work hard, and there is nothing wrong with wanting a life outside of work.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

To quote Eric Waggoner....who was speaking of the coal mining industry in West Virginia, but I believe there is a significant parallel here and I have taken the liberty of substituting a few words....

"To hell with all of my fellow [veterinarians] who bought so deeply into the idea of avoidable personal risk and constant sacrifice as an honorable condition under which to live, that they turned that condition into a culture of perverted, twisted pride and self-righteousness, to be celebrated and defended against outsiders. To hell with that insular, xenophobic pathology. To hell with everyone whose only take-away from every story about [compassion fatigue, excessive hours, workplace abuse, crushing lifelong debt, broken families, depression, and suicide] is some vague and idiotic vanity in the continued endurance of [veterinarians] under adverse, sometimes killing circumstances.

To hell with everyone everywhere who ever mistook suffering for honor, and who ever taught that to their kids. There's nothing honorable about suffering. Nothing."

I'm not trying to be an arsehole or anything but you seeking advice about jobs with minimal hours and lots of holidays (aka being lazy) is a very poor reflection of an individual seeking to enter this field. Being a vet is a privilege and it's a career, not a 9-5 job. The reason this field is going downhill is because too many vets treat it as just another job, preferring to go on long vacations and work office hours.

As a student seeking entry into this competitive field (which actually gets even more competitive once you graduate and are out in the real world!) the last thing you should be concerned about are cushy jobs. And every person in a cushy job has had to go through hell and back to get to where there at (residencies, phDs, etc are tough).

Life ain't easy and it shouldn't be.

If you think that is the biggest reason the field is going downhill, you are sadly uninformed.

 

[pirateyoho]

I'm not trying to be an arsehole or anything but you seeking advice about jobs with minimal hours and lots of holidays (aka being lazy) is a very poor reflection of an individual seeking to enter this field.

Just gonna also add that I've met a lot of vets that try to work while raising a family, or who contribute their skills to volunteer organizations in their free time, so assuming that they want a more open schedule because they're lazy is awfully presumptuous. You have no idea how they plan to use their time outside work.

 

[lailanni]

Life ain't easy and it shouldn't be.

So it should be constantly hard and full of struggles and pain and misery? Wow. Sounds great to be you.

Being a vet is a privilege and it's a career, not a 9-5 job.

Any job is a privilege. Also there's a difference between having a career and having a life. My life isn't solely defined by my occupation.

And every person in a cushy job has had to go through hell and back to get to where there at (residencies, phDs, etc are tough).

FWIW, I have a "cushy" job and didn't exactly go through hell and back to get it. I had standards I wasn't willing to negotiate on - and I got what I wanted. It's not picture perfect for most people, but I'm happy as a clam in saltwater. I generally have as much vacation as I want, I'm free to travel/hike/have time with family, I make a comfortable wage and I can pursue medicine that's interesting to me. That's what I want from my "career". Not some compassion fatigued/burnt out hollow shell of martyrdom.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

I'm not trying to be an arsehole or anything but you seeking advice about jobs with minimal hours and lots of holidays (aka being lazy) is a very poor reflection of an individual seeking to enter this field. Being a vet is a privilege and it's a career, not a 9-5 job. The reason this field is going downhill is because too many vets treat it as just another job, preferring to go on long vacations and work office hours.

As a student seeking entry into this competitive field (which actually gets even more competitive once you graduate and are out in the real world!) the last thing you should be concerned about are cushy jobs. And every person in a cushy job has had to go through hell and back to get to where there at (residencies, phDs, etc are tough).

Life ain't easy and it shouldn't be.

It being a "career" or a "professional job" does not require it to have onerous hours or working conditions. It also (conveniently?) ignores the wealth of jobs and types of careers in veterinary medicine. Some are clinical medicine, some are not. Some involve administrative work, some are field work, some are lab work, and some are some are mostly data analysis. Some are indeed 9-5 jobs. Some are office jobs with regular hours and generous benefits. Some have flexible hours that may be a series of 12 hour days followed by a week of only mornings. Some clinical jobs require on call work and 24/7 coverage for patients, whereas others have no after-hours work and regular shifts except for a few times a year in extraordinary circumstances. There are lots of ways to be a veterinarian.

I'm sorry if your life isn't easy, but thinking that it shouldn't be sounds like rationalization so that you can be comfortable with your own lack of happiness. If this profession is going downhill, I would say it has more to do with the competitive environment in clinical medicine than with the individual motivation of clinical vets. If anything, there are so many clinical vets who work so many hours and hunt so hard for business that it is eating away at the professional collegiality in many places.....a problem of vets working (and wanting to work) very hard. rather than those wanting to work too little.

 

[DVMDream]

I'm not trying to be an arsehole or anything but you seeking advice about jobs with minimal hours and lots of holidays (aka being lazy) is a very poor reflection of an individual seeking to enter this field. Being a vet is a privilege and it's a career, not a 9-5 job. The reason this field is going downhill is because too many vets treat it as just another job, preferring to go on long vacations and work office hours.

As a student seeking entry into this competitive field (which actually gets even more competitive once you graduate and are out in the real world!) the last thing you should be concerned about are cushy jobs. And every person in a cushy job has had to go through hell and back to get to where there at (residencies, phDs, etc are tough).

Life ain't easy and it shouldn't be.

Veterinary medicine is a career, not a person's entire life. It is currently absurd that we expect and demand people to work easily more than what is considered healthy. It is absurd that with the high rate of suicide in this profession due to compassion fatigue, being overworked, being underpaid, etc that you would even suggest that someone who is looking to maintain some work/life balance is "lazy".

Yes, this is a competitive field, but that shouldn't mean that we force ourselves to remain at work for 16+ hours per day most days of the week and on the weekends while never or rarely taking vacation. That is the position we have placed people in. That is a part of the reason why this field is going downhill and not the opposite.

It is important that we as a profession (and even those in other health field areas) start to recognize that we can not continue to drive ourselves into the ground like we are. It is important that we do speak up about having a decent work/life balance. It is important that we take care of ourselves, not just physically and medically but also emotionally and mentally. We NEED to recognize that these things are important and that we can't continue to keep ignoring them. We NEED to drop this mentality that if you aren't willing to not only work full-time but to work nearly double what most other average people work, then you are "lazy" or "not worthy" of being in this field. It is absolutely absurd.

And there is actually precedence of some areas of health care recognizing just how absurd the hours some of us work are. There is now a law that limits resident physicians in New York to working "only" 80 hours per week. Think about that. 80 hours per week. 80 hours. That is still double what most average people work. Finding time to do anything for yourself outside of an 80 hour work week is damn near difficult and that is an improvement upon what they were working.

And why shouldn't life be easy? I think most of us here understand that life isn't always easy and that we often do have to work hard, but why should we make life harder on us just because? Or just because "that is the way it has always been?" That is stupid. Of course life can be "easy" and manageable if you aim to make it that way. There is no reason anyone should be living a life that is consistently are always "difficult" and if that is the case, that person is going to burn out rather fast.

 

[bunnity]

I'm not trying to be an arsehole or anything but you seeking advice about jobs with minimal hours and lots of holidays (aka being lazy) is a very poor reflection of an individual seeking to enter this field.

There are many reasons why someone could want more reasonable hours. Perhaps someone has (or wants) children. Perhaps someone cares for elderly or disabled relatives. Perhaps someone is a serious artist or runs an animal rescue or is involved in church or is a competitive athlete. Or someone knows their own limits -- they have a chronic health condition that requires a certain amount of non-work time to maintain a safe and sane life. Or they just don't want to work more than full time and there is nothing wrong with that.

Being a vet is a privilege and it's a career, not a 9-5 job.

These things are not mutually exclusive. Calling something a career does not imply anything about the hours involved.

The reason this field is going downhill is because too many vets treat it as just another job, preferring to go on long vacations and work office hours.

There are many current challenges in this field including rising student loan debt, increasing technology and prices, changes in how pet owners obtain information and products, and veterinary mental health / suicide. I don't think this field is going downhill, but none of what most people consider the major challenges to this field have anything to do with people not working enough hours.

As a student seeking entry into this competitive field (which actually gets even more competitive once you graduate and are out in the real world!) the last thing you should be concerned about are cushy jobs. And every person in a cushy job has had to go through hell and back to get to where there at (residencies, phDs, etc are tough).

I am a practicing vet and there is nothing competitive about my life. I work with other vets every day and we help each other and teach each other new things. I am out in the real world as you say and it's not about competition - it's about the animals and about supporting each other.

Life ain't easy and it shouldn't be.

Life isn't easy. Being a vet isn't easy no matter how many hours you work or don't work. I hate to pull this card but there are certain things you cannot understand as a pre-vet student about what it's like to have the responsibility of a life in your hands, and to have a person's pet (and often their reason for living) with an open abdomen on your surgery table, and to give 100% to every patient and every client every day no matter how you feel that day because that's what they deserve. I am a good vet, I perform a service most vets wouldn't enjoy doing, I take care of underserved populations, my clients love me, and I practice good medicine, but I also know my own mental health limitations and if I was working more than 40-50 hours a week I would not only be severely anxious and depressed but I would NOT be a good vet. My life isn't easy. My life as a vet isn't easy, but I love it and I do everything I can to make sure I'm healthy enough to do this for the long haul -- including avoiding burn out and staying sane.

Veterinarians commit suicide more than almost any other profession. We NEED to support our colleagues and create a culture that promotes quality of life in and out of the work place. We NEED to give our colleagues the benefit of the doubt when they state their limits and boundaries. We NEED to stop tearing each other down and needlessly competing. Please do some research about compassion fatigue, veterinarian suicide, and burn out, and please consider changing your judgment of your future colleagues.

Also, it may interest you to know that James Herriot himself suffered severe depression and a nervous breakdown. I can't help but wonder if being on call 24/7 and severe overwork contributed.

 

[bunnity]

DVMdream -- I think we're on the same page!

 

[battie]

Vet med is a job. You know how I stayed sane while working for a horrible boss as a receptionist/assistant? I treated it as a job. I came to work, I worked, I left. I never "brought work home" so to speak. I started out doing extra stuff by staying late as needed, helping out during lunch, coming in early, expanding my role beyond what I was comfortable with doing. I learned quickly that I was hating my job more and more. I started eating lunch in my truck, sticking as close to my schedule as possible, and doing more assistant work if possible because I was struggling so much with reception to the point where I would break down daily over small mistakes. While the hostile work environment wasn't the nail in the coffin for why I left, it was the driving force. This experience was so bad, my parents wondered if I would try and apply again this year.

It is these negative, hostile work environments that breed bad attitudes and result in subpar medicine being practiced. Clients can tell, the animals can tell, and everyone is miserable. There is no reason why you should make life worse than it needs to be. Wanting fair compensation for what you do (decent hours/vacation time in this case) isn't lazy. It's good business for yourself.

 

[DVMDream]

DVMdream -- I think we're on the same page!

We all NEED to be on the same page...

 

[CalliopeDVM]

Vet med is a job. You know how I stayed sane while working for a horrible boss as a receptionist/assistant? I treated it as a job. I came to work, I worked, I left. I never "brought work home" so to speak. I started out doing extra stuff by staying late as needed, helping out during lunch, coming in early, expanding my role beyond what I was comfortable with doing. I learned quickly that I was hating my job more and more. I started eating lunch in my truck, sticking as close to my schedule as possible, and doing more assistant work if possible because I was struggling so much with reception to the point where I would break down daily over small mistakes. While the hostile work environment wasn't the nail in the coffin for why I left, it was the driving force. This experience was so bad, my parents wondered if I would try and apply again this year.

It is these negative, hostile work environments that breed bad attitudes and result in subpar medicine being practiced. Clients can tell, the animals can tell, and everyone is miserable. There is no reason why you should make life worse than it needs to be. Wanting fair compensation for what you do (decent hours/vacation time in this case) isn't lazy. It's good business for yourself.

No, veterinary medicine is a profession, and within that profession, we each have a job. The job may be good or bad, and may be to your liking or not, but it's still one job within the profession. If it's not to your liking for whatever reason (bad boss, competitive coworkers, crazy clients, annoying policies) then you can try to change jobs, but don't confuse a job with the profession. Blaming a bad work environment for wanting to do a "sub-par" job is a cop-out. You have to do the best you can with what you've got - and what you have might be a lousy work situation, until you can manage to change it.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

It's TOMATOE

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

NOT TOMAHTOE

 

[WildZoo]

 

[DVMDream]

NOT TOMAHTOE

Wrong! It's POTAHTOE!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Gah. You pleb.

 

[DVMDream]

Gah. You pleb.

 

[Lupin21]

Dang. No wonder I am so far off in life. My 'taters and 'maters are dragging me down!