Mamas in Veterinary Medicine
As a mom in the veterinary industry, you spend almost every waking minute of your day caring for others. Some may appreciate you more than words can say, and others may lack respect for your time and effort. You may be a doctor or a technician one minute and a therapist the next as you console a grieving client who just said goodbye to their beloved fur baby of 14 years. Whether you are a veterinarian, a veterinarian technician, a practice manager, or office staff you learn to wear many hats in this field.
Ironically, your place of work isn’t the only place you wear many hats. As a mama in the veterinary field, you care for your clients all day (and sometimes night), and then go home to do the same for your family. You’re emotionally exhausted, on the verge of burnout, and dealing with feelings of guilt and worry as you try to tackle being everything to everyone.
You haven’t had one date night since your little one was born and you can’t remember the last time you did something for yourself. The late night emergency calls and the weekend shifts leave you feeling guilty and questioning if you are being a “good” mama and partner. There is a constant battle going on within you trying to answer the million dollar question that many working mom’s ask, “How do I excel in my profession, while staying true to the parent and partner I want to be?”
Being a mama in the veterinary field comes with this unwritten rule to be all the things to all the people, except yourself.
Often times you find yourself whispering, “get it together” and silently suffering alone. Overtime, the constant juggle of trying to balance family and work life can often lead to mental health symptoms such as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Burn out
- Compassion fatigue
- Isolation
- Feelings of guilt and worry
- Difficulty sleeping
