We are at an unprecedented time in veterinary medicine.
Never before has the demand for veterinary care been so great, and never before
has the availability of veterinarians to take care of animals been so thin. It
is very important for new grads to understand this. We are also at a place
where the ethics and intentions behind every decision being made within vetmed
has serious long-term consequences. Never before have you had to start making
life changing, and life influencing decisions so soon out of the gate.
No one from the other side is going to tell you this. They
won’t tell you because they need you and they need you to remain new enough to
be green and naive. No good, strong, lasting meaningful relationship starts
with this as the premise.
When I graduated from VT I was looking primarily for two
things; mentorship and long term stability where the fruits of my labors would
reward me with a piece of the pie that I had helped establish. It took me a few
months, and a few practices, to find this place, but once I did, I stayed. What
I didn’t recognize as truly important was the people that I shared my
professional life with. I had been too self-absorbed in trying to become a
great practitioner to understand the importance of a place of belonging. When
all else was turning into a catastrophe soup (and yes, these days are ahead
regardless of where you go), I had a group of people who supported, cared for
and saved me.
I have always been a veterinarian. From my earliest thoughts
and actions, I was meant to be a part of this profession. I suspect most of us
are this way. I was all passion, some training, and dedication in limitless
bundles. What I learned is that patients come and go, your place in their lives,
(albeit incredibly important) is also transient. What is not transient, what
grows and motivates, and moves you into legendary, is the impact you
have on those around you. What has defined legacies of the veterinarians before
you, (and perhaps the veterinarians who helped get you here), is the other
stuff vet med brings to your life.
Your perfect place is out there. It will grow with you,
evolve because of you and be better because you are a part of it. Finding that
place out of the gate will take some self-introspection, some questions you may
not be able to answer fully yet, and courage.
Here are some of the insider employer secrets;
1.
If it is all about the money you will leave
vetmed heartbroken/bankrupt. There are sharks among us who are here because of
the money. VC’s are circling and capturing veterinarians in record numbers. You
are a cog in their money-making machine. You can justify a small, transient
existence among them, but you will sacrifice something along the way you will
regret. Money does that. There are limitless lucrative possibilities here, but
know who’s terms you are making them upon.
2.
A contract always benefits the house. Don’t sign
anything. You don’t have to, and it doesn’t protect you outside of a short
period of time. Everything in life is negotiable. No one has any business influencing your heart
and soul. Walk away. You need to learn this lesson early. It is ok to say no.
You have a voice and a responsibility to yourself, your patients, and clients (occasionally).
A non-compete, and/or gag-order are hard NO’s IMO for me. Period.
3.
Never sell yourself short. We are all growing
and learning and there is beauty and strength in this.
4.
Promise yourself you will be honest from minute
one day one. You can admit to anything and be ok. I promise that.
5.
Always remind yourself of your WHY. Know
WHY you are here and never stray. You know what it took to get here, and never
abandon that person.
6.
Have fun every single day. Nothing is more
valuable than joy. (Purpose is a close second).
7.
Remember that mentoring is so much more than
medicine. It is also mentoring for success in every avenue that makes you YOU.
If you truly find an advocate, they care about you without
caring about how it benefits them. Vetmed was founded on this.
If any part of this resonates with you, or if you want to
learn more about how we practice you can find me anytime at my email, or our
social media sites. kmagnifico12@gmail.com
or Jarrettsville Veterinary Center, Jarrettsville Maryland. New grads, interns,
wanderers, curiosity seekers, surgery exposure, or good-deed-doers are always
welcome. We have housing, no contracts, no emergency calls, zero tolerance, and
hard-won cases that heal every bad day in great abundance. We never practice
economic euthanasia and we never break hearts, hope, or good intentions.
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| Jarrettsville Veterinary Center |
more on us here; Jarrettsville Veterinary Center Facebook
Jarrettsville Veterinary website, here
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