Wellbeing & Lifestyle

Despite occasional grumbles about life balance, the latest Veterinary Economics survey shows that 88 percent of practitioners find their normal level of stress manageable—and they're enjoying their work.

Enjoy a happy veterinary career by leaving your angst at the door.

I'd wanted to be a veterinarian since I was 7 years old, but after 12 years in practice, I didn't know if I could stand another day. I was frustrated, tired, and worn out by the constant stresses of practice, including staffing headaches, client turnover, and financial strains. And those stresses were having a profoundly negative influence on my personal life, too.

Different people find different situations stressful, but some stressors transcend personal differences and affect a majority. Many such key job stresses are associated with these six categories:

Use these strategies to make sure tension never becomes toxic for you or your team.

It's 7 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, and our house is in its usual state of controlled chaos. Breakfast bowls are clinking, backpacks are zipping, and comments are flying around the kitchen faster than a budgie on a beak-trim breakaway. Unfortunately, every sentence seems to start with my name.

The toughest professional decisions are made with compromise for practice owner Dr. Abby Snyder. She generally reduces the pile of medical charts on her desk by half before going home to her husband and daughter.

On average, veterinarians say they would prefer to devote more time to personal activities than work.

You're a dedicated doctor. You spent eight years preparing for and enduring veterinary medical school. For the past six years as an associate, you've lived your dream.

DVM Newsmagazine