#Vetschool

You guys ask me this question allll the time and I wanted to give you some of my best tips that I’ve learnt over my six years at vet school ✍️🩺🐾 1. Know when to take breaks and feel confident enough to take them. We all need them and it can be very hard to find time in between 9-5 uni, compulsory pracs and endless placement, but make time on the weekend to unwind and give your brain a break. If you even need to take a day off of uni, do it. Your own mental health is 1000x more important than uni 🫶🏼 2. Have friends outside of vet school. I love my vet friends, but it can be hard to stop thinking about everything I need to get done when I’m with them, so I love catching up with my non vet friends for coffee and dinners so that I can completely forget about vet🍝☕️ 3. Make friends at vet school. These are the only people who will truely understand what you are going through and that should not be taken for granted (you will definitely need to rant about placement with people who get it) 🩺 4 Move your body. Find some sort of exercise that you like and do it consistently, I love going to the gym, pilaties and long walks, my friend loves bouldering, another loves swimming. Excersise is just as much for the brain as it is for the body 🏋️🤸 5 Have a hobby, bonus points if it’s arty. I started an art business when I was in first year and it gave me that creative outlet and I was able to use my brain in a different way. Other hobbies I have are puzzles, reading and cooking, they all quieten my brain when it’s getting too loud (especially around exam time) 🎨 6 Learn to say no. It’s easy to take on too much, but vet school is already a huge commitment. Protect your time and energy 💆‍♀️ Feeling burnt out sometimes is normal, but feeling like that all the time isn’t. Reach out if you need help and check in on your friends 💕 #howtoavoidburnoutatvetschool #vetstudent #vetschool #becomingavet #vetschooltips

Before actually going to vet school, I had no idea how important curriculum set up was…but man did I get lucky. When applying and before deciding, do your research into how the different schools have their courses set up. Are they on a traditional didactic schedule with anywhere from 5-7 classes a semester, where you’re in class from 9-5 everyday? Are they on a block system, where you start and finish one class at a time? What do your breaks look like? How about exam schedules? What’s the average day dress code? Why is this important? It plays a huge role in your wellbeing during vet school in my opinion. I feel so lucky that our school is on the block system, where we get to integrate different perspectives on one given subject matter at a time (especially because I had no clue about this when I was applying). As a result, our school is unique in the sense that our students generally have more free time outside of class (which is AMAZING)! Yes, we work hard and our instructors have high expectations for us, but we get to still be people outside of vetmed. Give these things some thought during your application and decision process. They matter more than you may think!! #vetmed #vetstudent #futuredr #vetschool #prevet

If I could give one piece of advice to all of the incoming veterinary students, it would be to NEVER compare yourself to anyone. Everyone in vet school has a different starting point, and will have different strengths. Everyone comes from a different background, which is the most beautiful part of this field. In the end, you will ALL be doctors, regardless of the pace it took to get there. Your classmates will then become your colleagues… not your competition. Vet school isn’t a race, it’s an experience. Be the best student you can be, and focus on your own goals. Remember, comparison is the thief of joy! #vetmed #vetschool #vetstudent #veterinarymedicine #fyp

Bird Diapers 🦜😷 Get your notes, practice kits and merch from vetventures-shop.fourthwall.com #medicalinstagram #veterinariansofinstagram #doctorsofinstagram #vetschool #vetstudent

“Only become a veterinarian if it is the only thing you can see yourself happy doing.” 🤔 I am guilty of saying this and believing it. & trust me— the phrase does have its merits because this is a very demanding path! It takes 4 years of undergrad, 4 years of vet school, and possibly 1-5 more years if you specialize before you get your first “real” job. It’s EXPENSIVE, the debt to income ratio is tough, the hours are hard, and it’s emotionally draining at times. & it certainly takes more than just loving animals. Veterinary medicine can never be a “back up” carreer. But I recently asked myself… what other profession talks like this? Even my friends in human medical school were rarely told such a black and white approach (even though many were still discouraged from medicine!) There are LOTS of demanding professions that don’t pay well, work you to death and still are not talked so negatively about. & the truth is? Even with its shortcomings, vet med is an AMAZING, diverse career. However… it is a choice, like anything! You have to choose veterinary medicine in spite of your other interests. & that choice isn’t a one time deal, it’s continuous. Every day you have to choose to study, or work, or keep on your path. Plenty decide to change, and that’s a choice! Plenty stay, as well (don’t forget that 😉). You can love other things. I truly think I would be happy as a veterinary recruiter/industry professional, a human OBGYN or midwife (I love babies and birth in ALL species!), an HR professional (I love helping people mitigate conflicts), a therapist, an English teacher (even changed my major for a year)… so many things. That doesn’t mean I am going to be less of a veterinarian. & it doesn’t mean you will be either if you find yourself thinking “I am choosing this in light of all the other ways I could be impactful in this world!”

Let’s normalise the failures that led to successes… ➡️I didn’t get into vet school on my first try.
➡️I failed an exam that made me question everything.
➡️I had a panic attack in my final year and couldn’t speak in front of groups for five years.
➡️I was told conservation wasn’t a “real job.”
➡️And that if I ever did find one, as a woman, I’d have to choose between it and having a family. But somewhere along the way I decided not to listen to the naysayers, and to just go for it. And then? There were plenty more failures, stumbles and setbacks. But, because I never gave up on myself…
🦏 I now work on the frontlines of wildlife conservation around the world.
📚 I worked on my phobia of speaking and accepted a book deal (even though I nearly said no because of that fear).
🌍 That book has just undergone its first translation—and helps fund conservation orgs globally.
🎙️ I’ve been invited to speak on podcasts, news programs, and give keynotes to students and professionals. ✨ I found my dream job – and discovered that conservation is so much bigger than I ever thought or was told. The best bit? 💚Building my own career instead of waiting for a seat at the table. 💚Proving the naysayers wrong. 💚Getting to show others how to do the same. 💚And teaching my daughter that there’s no such thing as impossible.   Imagine if I’d given up on myself?
Only you know what you’re capable of.
So please: don’t let one “no” stop you from your yes. What’s a failure that you thought was the end of the world, but actually led to where you are now? I’d love to hear your story and celebrate with you.   #conservation #wildlife #vetlife #career #impostersyndrome #womeninstem #workingmom #conservationcareers

All jokes obvi I’m proud of all the hardworking freshies out there 💞 - - - #vetschool #vetstudent #veterinaryschool #vetmed

Vet advice I would give if I wasn’t worried about hurting your feelings, from someone who left the profession after years in mixed practice. Nobody told me any of this in vet school. Your work ethic is incredible. It is also completely irrelevant to building wealth. Working harder inside a system you don’t own just means more hours, not more freedom. Burnout is not a personal failure. It is what happens when you give everything to a structure that was never designed to give back. The profession takes, and it keeps taking, until you decide it stops. Wanting out does not mean you wasted your years. The skills, the discipline, the ability to stay calm under pressure, those transfer. The career path does not have to. Reducing your hours will not fix the root problem. If your income disappears when you stop working, you don’t have a career, you have a dependency. There is a version of your life where you use everything you already have, and build something that works even when you are not on call. If you want the 5 things I wish someone had told me sooner, comment SHIFT and I will send it to you.

Do you need straight A’s to get into vet school? I asked some vets on their opinions 😳😳 #vetmed #vets #vetstudent #vetfluencer #vetmedhumor

I remember not getting into vet school was like being shot. It felt like a physical wound that was loud and painful. I had told so many people I had applied and then when I didn’t get in, I felt like I let not only myself down but also my family and friends, my mentors and my partner. It meant changing the trajectory of my whole life plan. I was heart broken and it happened TWICE. When I finally got my acceptance letter, it was not only a relief but I also totally forgot about the times I was rejected. Many people (including myself) hate the saying “ everything happens for a reason” but in this case, I genuinely would not have met the people and mentors and had the experiences I had (COVID and giant flood aside). I am so grateful I got in when I did and now getting to order my scrubs with Dr. Emily Merry (Veterinarian) is such a surreal experience. Who cares how many attempts it takes to get in, pass the NAVLE or find your dream job. WE ARE FRICKIN DOING LIFE !!!!! AND IT’S AMAZING!!!!! #vetstagram #vetmed #newvet #trendreels #veterinary

#ad Running my own veterinary business so early in my career is what dreams are made of. But it comes with a lot we never learned in vet school — payroll, taxes, all the behind-the-scenes stuff. Thankfully, @gustohq has been there to make it easier. I can run payroll in minutes and they even file my taxes automatically, which is one less thing to stress about. Join the 500K+ businesses on Gusto through the link in my bio and get your first month free! 💸 #gustopartner #veterinarian #vetmed #finance

Vet school doesn’t really care if you’re not feeling it 😂😭 #veterinarymedicine #womeninstem #vetmedicine #vetstudentlife #vetstudent