After 17 years as a vet tech, I have faced and continue to face the question of “why am I doing this?” Veterinary medicine is frustrating. It has no respect for your personal time and can really suck the life right out of you.
You will stay late (sometimes really late) and work through lunch. You will spend your time trying to provide good care to pets who need it while appeasing clients who don’t understand. You will do your best to organize your day into endless tasks while trying not to disappoint your perfectionist DVM, who seems to think no one can do it right.
And you will do it all for less pay and benefits than you deserve for a career where the general public has no clue what you actually do all day (cue the “it must be fun to play with puppies and kittens all day” comments.)
This may sound cynical, and frankly, it is. Veterinary medicine draws in some of the most caring, gentle people. People who are deeply empathetic and completely unprepared for the reality of the grit and resilience the job requires.
But when you get too focused on all the hard parts you lose the purpose. I’m a little lost, myself, right now and have to work harder than I would like to remember why I’m here and why it’s still worth it.
Face Reality
This may not sound inspirational, but sometimes it’s necessary to look at the facts. Veterinary medicine has come a long way in the past 17 years, and there are days when I need to take a step back and remember that this is how I support my family.
Some days, a job is just a job, and that’s OK! I make more money in my current position than I ever thought I would in this field. That’s not to say I’m rolling in extra cash, but my family lives comfortably. I have a 401K, health insurance, and a skill set most people don’t.
Even on days when I hate my job, I remind myself I have a stable income and job security in a growing field. This isn’t a glamorous viewpoint, but some days survival is enough. Some days, getting through is the win.
Look Harder
It’s really easy, almost too easy, to find the faults in a career in vet med. Exhaustion and underappreciation are pretty much a given. But it’s up to you to decide if that’s what you want to focus on.
That perfectionist DVM trusts you with the most critical patients. The day you stayed 4 hours late, the patient needed your higher-level skills, and you delivered. That frustrated client came to understand the procedure, the cost, and the outcome because you were there to help them. Later they remembered you and trusted you more than any other tech in the hospital. The people who think you play with puppies and kittens all day…well take a page from Mel Robbin’s book and “Let Them.” You don’t have to prove your worth to those people.
Be Gentle
Veterinary medicine is a bit like the Austin, Texas of careers (quirky, unconventional, and full of people who don’t quite fit the mainstream.) The personalities drawn to caring for animals are often the same ones prone to anxiety, depression, and feeling like outsiders. We are perfectionists, excruciatingly hard on ourselves and, sometimes, on each other.
We bring skills to the table that many human nurses have never even heard of, all while absorbing a constant stream of patronizing comments about what people think our job entails.
It’s all hard enough, why make it harder for no reason? Take a breath. Let yourself, and your colleagues, be human. Remind yourself of your own worth.
Support each other–We can do better at this! It’s okay to root for one another, whether it’s the night shift or the hospital down the street. We don’t have to point out someone else’s failures in order to succeed. We can give each other grace, understanding that we’re here for the same reasons, even if we show up differently.
Let’s be here for each other, not work against each other.
Where’s Your Focus
If you find you can no longer see the good through the bad, the next move is up to you. As someone who is terrible at this myself, I can’t recommend enough simply talking to people you trust. Seeing your world through someone else’s eyes can be the reset—or at the very least, the humor—you didn’t realize you needed.
Reclaim Your Purpose
If you are looking for a more structured approach, HeyPeers offers support groups on a wide range of topics. For a more veterinary-specific experience, give Veterinary Hope Found a try to connect with other professionals who truly understand your unique work experience.
Vet med is hard. Getting back to your purpose once you’ve lost it is even harder. Whatever you do, make sure your journey back to mental well-being is authentic to you. Remember, whether it’s joining a class, participating in a local group, or simply reaching out to a friend, taking small, intentional steps toward support and connection can help you put your job into perspective.
Your journey is uniquely yours. Reclaim your purpose on your own terms.