Guest blog from Heather Durkin. Heather graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2023. She works as a veterinary surgeon for small animals and exotics at Holly House Vets in Leeds and is a volunteer and member of the Education Committee for the BSAVA.
Settling into a new role is challenging. Now that us new grads are several months into ‘vet life’, feeling a bit more settled in, the training wheels are off and things are starting to be more ‘real’. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies anymore and you may be feeling a bit tired, drained, or even early burn-out. I certainly have felt all of these emotions at some point over the past few months. Not all days are good days, but I’m trying to embrace them as part of the process and learn how to redirect the negatives into positives. A few things that I’ve learnt so far that are invaluable:
TAKE HOLIDAY!
This is crucial. I made the mistake of waiting until almost 8 months into my role before taking some proper time off. By the time I finally took time off, I felt guilty about all the work that I was leaving behind and how much I’d have to catch up on when I got back. This is NOT a healthy approach, especially so early into a veterinary career. So, take it from me and take some time to yourself. Even if you plan to stay at home and do nothing, it’s imperative to have that time for your mind and body to rest and recover. You are more than just a vet and this time is needed to enjoy hobbies and continue to develop and manifest your identity outside of your veterinary role. Having a balance will not only help you be a better vet, by being more present for your patients/clients, but will help maintain your mental health.
Setting Boundaries
This is a tricky one; one that I have yet to master. As a new grad, oftentimes we are so eager to please and so keen to learn that we find ourselves constantly being the “yes” people. While this may often lead to great opportunities to learn and grow, it’s also a great way to burn out quickly. Part of our development as new grads is learning our limitations and learning to set boundaries. If you feel like you have too much on your plate and feel swamped with admin, consults, independent learning, etc. it’s okay to say no or offer an alternative. It doesn’t mean that you aren’t being a team player, but it ensures that you are able to keep up with the demands of the job and not feel constantly overwhelmed or pressured.
Prioritisation
Despite our best efforts to be superhuman, we can only accomplish so much in a day. I constantly find myself with a lengthy list of tasks, and then feel guilty and frustrated with myself when I have to push some of these tasks onto the next day. This is also part of our journey. Knowing that some things truly can wait until tomorrow, or even the next day. I find it helps to create a list of tasks that I need to complete each day, and prioritise these tasks. Which are urgent? Which are important? Are any both? These are the tasks I complete first. Then, I move onto the next task and reprioritize each day as things evolve and change. This way I feel accomplished in completing tasks on my list, but am not bogged down and beating myself up when every single thing isn’t completed. Again, we are only human and only have so much to give each day.
“Despite the challenges of being a new grad vet, it’s been an incredible journey, both professionally and personally.”
Find things that keep you motivated and excited
This statement may sound obvious, but when you’re super busy, it may be one of those areas that is undernourished; your passion. When you’re starting a new career and everything is new, it may be that you don’t have time to nourish your passion. I found that over the past few months, when I was starting to feel fatigued and or even too routine, it’s easy for that fire and passion to fizzle a bit. So, stir those embers and get that fire roaring again! For me, this is research and CPD. I love learning and find that every time I attend CPD, I feel so engaged and motivated. I can’t wait to return to work to practise a new skill or implement new knowledge into my clinical practice and decision making. I also get this motivation in working on research projects. Now, I realise that this is not everyone’s cup-of-tea, but find something that sparks your interest, professionally, and refer to this when you are needing a bit of a boost.
Finally, ask for help
We are new to our roles and learning every day. There will be things that we’re unsure of or haven’t done before, so if you need it, don’t be afraid to ask for help. This doesn’t just mean asking a senior clinician for advice on a difficult case. There is a wealth of knowledge in every member of the team. Utilise it! Nurses, VCA/PCA’s, SVN’s, support staff, even other new grads! Every single person has been in your shoes at some point, so don’t be embarrassed or afraid to ask for help.
Despite the challenges of being a new grad vet, it’s been an incredible journey, both professionally and personally. There’s a lot of personal growth and challenge in starting a new career and learning about yourself in a variety of settings. Not all days will be brilliant. But the thing about bad days is that they are usually followed by pretty good days. Learning to turn the negatives into positives will help build personal resilience and maybe those not-so-brilliant days will be less and less frequent, or simply feel a bit less daunting. Always remember, that you are incredible, you have made your dreams a reality, and you are a VET!
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Settling into life as a new graduate – Heather Durkin
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