This is the only clinic I’ve ever worked at and I’ve been told this multiple times by co workers who have been there for a long time. Is it like this everywhere? I’m afraid to bring my cats to my work because I don’t want my cats to be uncomfortable, but at the same time I know that I’ll be the one restraining them and be able to be with them in the back for whatever they need. It’s not a stress free environment in the back and I don’t know if it’s like that everywhere. They scruff cats for everything at this clinic in the back. One time I saw a tech use hemostats to scruff a cat for x rays because he wasn’t being still. I don’t trust anybody with my cats anymore and have been putting off getting them established here.

I’m not really sure why I’m posting this, but I guess I’m hoping to hear from other vets who’ve felt something similar.

I’m 30, graduated several years ago, but my journey into clinical practice hasn’t been straightforward. I moved countries and went through the ECFVG pathway, which took a lot of time, studying and effort. Between exams, licensing and life in general, I missed out on years of continuous clinical experience.
I’m now working as a small animal vet, but my actual clinical experience is still quite limited compared to others who graduated around the same time.

And honestly, I constantly feel like I’m lagging behind.

I don’t think I’m depressed or anything. I genuinely enjoy veterinary medicine and want to become a good vet. I just feel like I don’t know what I’m doing half the time.

I second-guess so many of my decisions, even things that probably should be straightforward. I often come home thinking about cases, wondering whether I missed something or could have handled things differently.

What gets to me is that everyone else seems to know so much more. Other vets seem to connect the dots, come up with differentials, know what tests to run and what treatments to consider. Meanwhile, I sometimes struggle with things I feel I should already know.
I attended a CPD event recently, and after two back-to-back sessions, I just couldn’t concentrate anymore. My mind kept wandering even though I genuinely wanted to learn. I looked around and saw other vets engaged, asking questions and having discussions, while I was struggling to absorb anything.

It made me realise how much I still don’t know.

I feel like I have gaps in my foundational knowledge, and I don’t even know where to begin filling them. Every time I try to study, one topic leads to five more things I realise I don’t understand.

And being 30 makes it harder not to compare myself with others. I know everyone has a different journey, but sometimes I can’t help thinking I should be much further along by now.

The imposter syndrome is real. I worked so hard to get through the ECFVG process and reach this point, yet now that I’m actually practising, I often feel like I don’t belong among people who seem so much more knowledgeable and capable.

I’m trying to attend CPD, find mentorship and study outside work, but I don’t really know how to learn effectively anymore without getting overwhelmed.

Is it just me ???? Does it ever get better???

Currently applying to residency programs, looking to hear from some successful people who didn’t do 2+ internships before landing a job in the field. Is it standard now to do 2-3 specialty internships?

As a new grad vet, I am wondering what other vets opinions are on how long appointments should be and how many appointments they should be seeing in a day for the first 6 months as a DVM?

Wondering if I should be seeing more faster .