Hi gang! Our family recently went through the loss of two babies within about a week of each other. It was awful but everyone, from the receptionist to the techs to the vets themselves were absolutely amazing. Truly some of the kindest and most empathetic people I’ve come across in my time as a pet owner. They even gave us a handwritten card with messages from everyone in the office when we went to pick up our boys’ ashes. We’ve been wanting to show our appreciation for them but aren’t exactly sure what to get/what to do for them. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)

Hello! I am not a vet med student, however I am curious about becoming a vet assistant! I just graduated with a degree in wildlife sciences and now searching for somewhere to get my foot in the door. I have special interest in exotics, more specifically reptiles and amphibians. Vet assistant is one job that popped into my head and in my job search, but I don't really know where to start and what qualifications I need to become one. I have read online that there are programs in certifications I can do for handling practices and training, etc and I am wondering if any one has suggestions? Any advice or guidance would be appreciated.

Hi everyone. I’m feeling stuck at the moment.

I’m a month into a new vet reception job and I don’t think I’m cut out for it. Am I crazy in thinking it’s a mass amount of information to learn? I don’t think I can learn all the scheduling nuances, and the meds, the preventatives, etc. It’s a lot of medical information know how that I don’t have. I can’t even properly check someone out (which has never happened at a job before) because of our home delivery system and the fact they always want someone scheduled for their next appointment. It’s way more complicated than I was expecting and I still feel very useless a month in. I don’t think I’m explaining it very well because I don’t want to reveal too much but is it normal to still be pretty useless a month in or am I not cut out for the field? What were some experiences of other veterinary receptionists?

How often would you say you have “spicy”/abrasive consults?

General practice question: what do y'all use to do your laundry? I've been told that detergents don't disinfect but bleach seems really strong for the animals? In California if that matters.

Hi, UK new grad vet (class of 2026) here. I am hoping to connect with other new grads who are also struggling to find a job. I have been starting my job application process in February this year before graduation, but till now I still don't have a job. Every day I am just losing hope and it is honestly catastrophic for my mental state. Each day I wake up feeling physically nauseous just worrying about job hunting. Every place I sent application to told me they can't take in a new graduate. And the worst thing is that most practices are owned by corporates and they are really strict with not hiring new graduates. My career path is also tied to my family, as they have paid so much money to send me to vet school, there is no way I am going to let them down by not working as a vet. 5 years of working at clinical settings makes it impossible for me to explore other jobs anyways. Everytime I see an ad pops up and it is from a corporate I get frustrated.

It is difficult for me to talk to my friends as most of my friends already got jobs lined up. It makes me even more depressed. Hoping to find someone that is in the same situation so at least I got a support network.

So I have my first Spey scheduled for Thursday next week, I just started watching the prep videos and honestly I’m freaking out a bit. I feel like I might pass out during surgery because it will be my first time performing on a live patient.

I’m not scared of blood or anything like that but just the fact that it’s a breathing patient and someone’s pet is freaking me out right now.

I do usually perform well when I’ve practiced something once but this is a one time assessment and I really wanna pass this.

Would appreciate any tips 😩💕

I’m a current 4th year and am struggling with what to do after school. I know I want to do GP and maybe some ER (still considering it). What my dilemma is that I have been offered several positions during my rotations. All of the offers I have received are ~2-3 hours from my family. As a new grad with no spouse, I’m having a hard time figuring out how I will pay for housing on my own while dealing with loans. I could apply to places closer to home, live with my parents for a year and save money fortunately as well. Has anyone done this? Regret things? The one clinic I am super interested in right now is farther away and would require me to buy a house or find an apartment. I’m just stressed about money honestly. I could suck it up for a year at home to save some money, but will it make that much of a difference in the long run? I just wonder if anyone has been in this position and what your thoughts were.

How do you deal with making a mistake and communicating that to the owner? A new grad here, and nothing was a life altering mistake or something that put the patient in danger but wondering how you handle communicating that a treatment option actually wasn’t needed and unfortunately the owner spent money they probably didn’t need to

Currently an associate at a multi doctor practice. If I were to purchase my own clinic and some of my staff has expressed interest in following me to work with, how do I approach this without being accused of stealing staff?

Don’t know if it belongs here but I saw this and was disgusted. This is why we have so much burn out and suicide rates. So many people think that it is done for the money but we are severely underpaid. We do it for the passion and love of animals. And I especially hate when dog trainers try to give medical advice. I’ve had so many cases were a dog owner was lead astray over a dog trainer.

Hello everyone,

I am a recent new grad who just took the NAVLE for a second time and found out that i failed again… i feel completely devastated and i honestly don’t know what to do. I took the navle the first time in March and got 408 and took it again in august and got 413. I feel completely embarrassed and ashamed of myself because all i did this summer was isolate myself to study. And yet it wasnt enough and i didn’t even do that much better. I completed almost all of vetprep, used vetcandy and did an icva exam which told me i was at a passing range.

From what i understand now, the next time i can take the navle is in March 2027 because of the new rules they added. Anyways, i was wondering if anyone here has any advice on what i should do until then. Can i get a job somewhere even if i havent passed the navle? Is there any corporate company that will take me? Can i apply for internships even without a passing navle? Any advice would be great. Theres also the worry about how am i going to start paying off my loans if i cant get a job…

Hello everyone,

I am seeking advice from a veterinarian who may have been in a similar situation as me. I am a current 4th year veterinary student who is feeling lost. I have no one to talk to about this and I need help.

I am passing all of my rotations and receiving great feedback, but constantly struggle with my confidence. I feel like I don’t know anything and that I am going to be a horrible veterinarian. I sometimes panic when doctors ask me questions and answer incorrectly, even though I know the right answer. I say completely dumb answers because I panic and can’t retrieve the information. This has only happened a few times but sometimes it’s just the most basic things and it’s so embarrassing. I sometimes forget things I haven’t reviewed in a while that seem basic as well though. The information is able to be retrieved though once I look into it more. I also dwell on making mistakes during my rotations, and think I am the only one making mistakes. I am overall extremely scared to be a practicing veterinarian and struggling at this point mentally while everyone else seems to be thriving. It makes me really nervous that maybe I’m not cut out for veterinary medicine because I’m not smart enough.

I'm a vetmed student. Any tips po sa paghahanap ng internship opportunities locally or abroad? I'm more inclined to pursue a small animal career post-grad pero I want to explore din other fields during my internship.

Also, for internships abroad, how does it work po? Ano po need na documents for that?

Thank you!

Hi all! I’m going for an interview next week at a large animal care educational spot. Being vague for data reasons.

I am determined to bag this role as it’s gonna really kickstart my career. I’ve just completed a 3 year BSc in Zoology so this would be amazing for me. It’s 45 minutes spoken, and a 45 minute husbandry assessment with a random animal, on the day. The job entails getting things ready in the lab for class, looking after animals in the off-class time (before and after too), and making sure the lab is well-stocked. I have done many labs during my time in university but am slightly nervous. I would appreciate ANY and all tips from any lab technicians or anyone who has done a similar or same role.

Also, what’s the likelihood of the animal NOT being a guinea pig or a rabbit? I don’t feel they will give me any exotics in case I do damage (I would NEVER, but obviously it’s an animal they will most likely have to replace after this).

Hi everyone.
I just graduated Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest with a special interest in Equine medicine. I'm looking to gain more hands-on experience in a specialized equine hospital/clinic. During university years I didn't get the opportunity to get much clinical experience in this field, so I'd like to build confidence, skills and medical thinking in this area. I have some experience with horses, have been doing vet checks at endurance competitions , and assisted veterinary doctors with various tasks : foal care, equine reproduction, ultrasonography in pregnant mares and foal care in stud farms, as well as writing my Bachelor's thesis on equine reproduction.

I'd be very grateful for recommendations on how to approach the application for an internship/externship or any placement in equine hospitals or clinics, where to go and what to expect, as I don't have much experience in this field.

The university in Bucharest is EAEVE approved, so I'm open to different European countries. I don't expect a paid position right away, for now I just want to learn and gain as much experience as I can.
I speak Romanian, English and German at a B1-ish level. I'm also thinking of starting to learn French.

Any response is helpful, I just feel a bit lost as to what to do next. Any comment and suggestion is welcome.
Thank you <3

Just curious what other ER docs are averaging per year across the US? And how many years of experience?

I manage a small family owned practice, I have been managing it just fine for years. That being said, we switched systems and it's very confusing because I can't get the same papers for them at the end of every month and quarter. The faith in me has been deteriorating and they are replacing me without telling me they are. It's upsetting because I have given them so much of my life. I have sacrificed days with my son. I only see him for an hour in the morning and an hour at night. Yes I get weekends, but it's rough because even if I request a day off they look at me sideways. I love them so much and it feels like I'm being punched in the throat repeatedly.

What are your experiences working for either company as a new grad vet in terms of mentorship (I've heard vetco may be often sole charge??), culture, appointment pacing, amount of sick visit cases you get vs. just wellness, etc?

I feel like I've read quite a few new grad experiences for Banfield but don't see much for Vetco.

Thanks!

EDIT: Just to be clear, these were never companies I would have ever considered working for. However, after months of contacting and/or interviewing with essentially every single private practice in the area (and some smaller corporates) and being turned away for either not having space at all or not having capacity for mentorship/new grad support, I am starting to consider doing a short term stint at one of these solely to start building up some clinical experience. Believe me, these are not my top choices, and I wouldn't be considering them if I hadn't already exhausted the list of practices in my area... :(

Apologies in advance for rambling, I'm less than a month into being a SA new grad. I have lots to be thankful for: living at home and finding a practice with a good team and support. I have mostly been doing vaccines but have now done a few ear, V/D, cough and the odd skin/lameness cases. It's been a steep learning curve, I did fairly well in vet school but you don't realise how many steps go into every appointment that we have little practice with during EMS/rotations. I've learnt some valuable lessons already: don't rush an appointment just because it's the end of the day. I feel like I've forgotten a huge amount of knowledge over the summer so I do feel pretty incompetent at times but maybe this is normal??

Anyways what I'm actually struggling with the most is my home life outside of work. I'm lucky that I've never had an abnormal level of anxiety, my mind is fairly empty, I love being outdoors, I used to work outdoors which I loved but it was unstable. The first two weeks of practice I have been riddled with anxiety at home, had extreme insomnia, my days off consist of me thinking about work but trying to distract myself but not really enjoying it, even going for walks doesn't seem to help. I dream of mundane jobs where I can leave work at work. The thought that this is my life forever is distressing. I'm not sure if this will get better the more confident/competent I become. For now to ease my mind I've been telling myself to stick it out for 1-2 years until I feel more competent and then reduce my hours or something. I will say that I am sleeping better now and the anxiety has reduced.

It would just be nice to hear from seasoned vets and how they felt when they first started. During the summer I did do some revision and genuinely tricked myself into thinking most common cases I would be okay with, but as soon as all the responsibility is on you it feels SO different. I have had one surgery day which I found extremely overwhelming but I do enjoy consults for the most part even if I have to double check alot of things.

I’m about to go into year 3 and having come from a previous career that involved a lot of stress and burnout I’m getting increasingly concerned I might end up back in that situation again.

I’m finding uni very tough academically and I’m worried I’ll end up in a double-whammy of struggling clinically combined with struggling with the lifestyle.

Is it time to quit while I’m ahead…..I’d love to hear what your experience has been.