Iāve been pondering lately on why poor mental health has been a serious issue in veterinary medicine.
We already know the usual reasons: witnessing suffering, carrying clientsā grief, living with the guilt of not always being able to save our patients, etc. But I think thereās another that we donāt talk about enough.
Veterinarians donāt give themselves enough credit.
The thought came to me while I was scrolling LinkedIn (aka the social media platform for successful people). Reading through everyoneās posts, I had to laugh a little. Most of the posts were like this:
āExcited to share that Iāve completed XYZ!ā
āThrilled to announce that Iāve joined ABC as their new [insert impressive title]!ā
And the comments? Flooded with warm ācongratulationsā and āwell deservedā. It reminded me of how we Substackers cheer each other on for hitting 10 subscribers (which I havenāt even gotten to yet).
Then I looked at my veterinarian friends and colleaguesā profiles on LinkedIn (hiii yes Iām stalking you š). And I noticed something: the majority donāt post about themselves. It made me wonder, how often do we actually celebrate ourselves in this field?
The realization hit me again in my therapistās office. I was telling her about my exam schedule this year (10; the fact that I havenāt gone insane is a miracle), and I said it very matter-of-factly. Like how it just rained today and that I have 5 more exams in the next week and a half. The look of shock on her face, followed by āYou guys are SO braveā, reminded me of the truth:
āØ we are motherf*cking badasses.āØ
There, I put some sparkles so that it stands out enough to remind us of something we might have forgotten during our chase for success.
Iām not here to brag! But I think the only way to make this point is to actually say write it out loud. So bear with me for a second.
To get here, I moved halfway across the world. I studied science in my second language (and letās be honest, biology and chemistry are practically languages of their own). I spent years accumulating animal experience, chasing the kind of portfolio that might be good enough to be considered. I pushed myself to hit 80s-90s because anything less wasnāt going to cut it.
Then came vet school (Lord help us all), which is another level of game entirely. Weāre talking about compressing the knowledge of 30+ textbooks into a human brain, while learning to navigate ethical dilemmas and make difficult decisions in some of the most emotionally wrecking situations imaginable. Then, finally, we bet it all on a seven-hour exam that decides if we are worthy of that white coat (thatās the NAVLE, for North Americans at least).
And Iām not even there yet. But I look at the veterinarians ahead of me and Iām in awe. I know vets who already held degrees from other countries, crossed oceans, and went through the entire licensing process again from scratch, just to keep doing the work they love here.
I ADMIRE us all, who are brave enough to walk this path.
Donāt get me wrong; I didnāt get here on my own. I have had immense support from friends, family, mentors, and luck, that helped me reach where I am now. But see, I just did it again. I immediately went for humility instead of taking a moment to say: I worked incredibly hard to get here. We worked incredibly hard to get here. And we deserve to acknowledge that.
Maybe youāre reading this and you donāt feel like youāve earned any congratulations yet, because your finish line is still ahead of you. Maybe itās that surgical residency. Maybe itās an acceptance letter from OVC. That drive, that relentless ambitionāthatās what makes you extraordinary. But before you sprint toward the next milestone, let me hold your hand and gently tell you this: donāt forget to look over your shoulder at how far youāve already come.
If youāre not ready to celebrate yourself, let me start for you.
To the pre-vets wondering if they have what it takes:
Look at everything youāve already done: the research, the networking, the volunteering you squeezed in between everything else while spending late nights keeping your grades up. You are so close! Keep going to make your dream come true. I believe in you!
To the vet students questioning if they belong:
You did not get in vet school by mistake. You earned your seat through hundreds (maybe even thousands!) of hours of hard work, sacrifice, and determination. The doubt youāre feeling right now is not a sign youāre in the wrong place. Itās a sign you care deeply about the right one. Trust me when I say: you are right where you need to be. You are smart enough! You are capable enough! Go back to the reason you started.
To the veterinarians doubting their abilities:
You made it through vet school. You sat the NAVLE for Godās sake (and Iām scared shitless for it right now). You have faced hard cases, seemingly impossible decisions, and heartbreaking outcomes, yet you still showed up again the next day. That is one of the strongest things a person can do. You are more capable than you give yourself credit for. You can will handle anything in your way!
Dear pre-vets, vet students, and vets, hereās my bottom line:
Start tracking your wins.
Write them down on a sticky note or an actual piece of paper. Pin the list somewhere youāll actually see it: your desk, the fridge, the bathroom (so you get a sweet reminder whenever you poop). On days you feel like youāre not good enough, let that list argue back for you.
Iām so dang proud of you, of us.
Because whether we admit it or not,
Thank you for this excellent, post! It's very easy to forget this especially in the middle of vet school because sometimes it feels like you don't have time to breathe
Wow...such a thoughtful piece of writing. I really love it.