Dr Henry Rose BA VetMB MRCVS completed a wildlife research internship in South Africa before going into mixed practice, then focusing on equine work. Now working at Mid-Suffolk Equine Vets, a brand new practice, Henry shares how making conscious choices about work-life balance has helped him to overcome challenges.
Please give a brief summary of your career path so far:
After graduating in 2018, I was fortunate enough to embark on a wildlife research internship in the eastern cape of South Africa with Ikhala Vets. This was an unbelievable opportunity to provide a small amount of help to the protection of the southern white rhino who are currently exposed to a significant amount of poaching.
Back to the UK, and I went into mixed practice with a focus on equine and farm. The Covid pandemic nudged me into only doing the equine and farm, which I was not reluctant about at all. So, from 2020 I have focused on my equine development as it’s the area I feel most comfortable in and saw the most scope for progress.
Horses have always been my favourite species to work with, and so in 2024, while facing significant personal struggles, I made the risky decision to join a brand new practice. Mid-Suffolk Equine Vets has been my home since June 2024 and while it came with a lot more work and on-call, moving away from the stress of the previous practice and having a new start and purpose with work was incredibly beneficial to my mental health.
What is it about your work that enthuses you and brings you satisfaction?
Problem solving has always been my little dopamine kick provider, so the type of veterinary work equine brings to the table seems to fulfill this desire. Horses love to provide difficult and unique problems, which take a moment of processing before the most applicable answer reveals itself. The rest of the challenge is explaining to the owner why this is the case.
Having been around mostly poorly-behaved horses as a kid, I feel like I’m able to understand even the most fractious horse. Hearing an owner say “They usually hate men/vets,” while doing a bit of mutual grooming is a favorite part of the job. Hopefully it means I’m providing a comfortable experience for them and their owners.
“Do not be afraid to have those difficult conversations with yourself: “Am I doing what I want?” If the result of that conversation is ‘no’, it may be worth working out what can be changed to find the right path.”
What is the biggest challenge to staying passionate in your veterinary career you’ve overcome, and how did you approach it?
Unfortunately, my mental health has been a significant issue during my time as a vet. A factor involved in my deterioration was certainly the workload and self-expectation to be better; something I think a lot of vets face. I found that the lifestyle was far more demanding and damaging than I imagined, and combined with personal issues, it culminated in a serious mental health crisis.
Veterinary work is commonly noted for its effect on mental health and it is often far more impactful than we expect going into the job. We have this idyllic image in our minds as teenagers and then we lock in, with everyone cheering us on, but in reality, the job can often feel lonely and far from the animal-loving role we envisaged.
Realistically I did not cope with these challenges very well until I was able to receive professional help. Fortunately, I found a therapist who matched what I needed quickly, and while we worked through those personal issues, we also found a lot of benefit in talking about the impact of my work.
From these conversations we were able to discuss whether veterinary work was actually the right profession for me. We talked openly about how leaving the profession would not be a problem, but also about how I clearly loved the work. It made the decision to remain a vet mine, rather than just what I expected of myself. Knowing I actively chose this lifestyle makes getting out of bed slightly easier.
What advice can you share with others embarking on similar paths about finding fulfillment in their veterinary career?
Do not be afraid to have those difficult conversations with yourself: “Am I doing what I want?” If the result of that conversation is ‘no’, it may be worth working out what can be changed to find the right path.
To any new graduate, I fully support trying various aspects of the veterinary world, but also trust your gut. Don’t stay somewhere just because you always thought you’d be a specialist. Similarly, never think you can’t achieve those qualifications if that’s what your passion is.
Without sounding too much like a therapist, finding a purpose can be so uplifting and certainly gave me something to focus on. This for me has been building up this new business, but also I’ve grabbed that traditional 30s hobby of running a marathon. So, if you can’t find purpose within work, that isn’t the end of the world, but if you can, it will mean your working life will be less damaging.
What best sums up your approach to keeping yourself and your team motivated and engaged within veterinary careers?
A specific work-life balance. We actively kick assistants and support staff out at 5 o’clock on the dot and never ask them to ‘just stay and do this’. We actively try to avoid contacting staff who are on holiday, for any reason. We discussed at the opening that we would have an open forum of discussion about how anyone feels the practice is working. Part of this reason is the number of times we have been misled by previous employers.
A huge benefit of independent practice is that everyone who has a ‘stake’ in the business will at some point be sat in the office each day and can be asked about any aspect of said business by any other member.
What do you feel would most benefit job satisfaction in the veterinary professions, and how could we work towards implementing this?
Improving work-life balance. We are our own worst enemies in telling ourselves we must work endless hours and dedicate every moment of our lives to this job. Life is about choice; you can choose to do this but do not feel like you ‘have to’. That’s certainly something I have learnt through all of my therapy and exploration with others into their own mental wellbeing.
Also, allowing ourselves more choice in what we do, and how we do it. The rest of our work is taken care of by our training and years of experience, but this little extra section is often overlooked. Choose whatever you like – that’s the point – and take pride in that choice.
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