Coastal Vibes to Vet Med

Before apprehensively jumping into relief practice five years ago I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had only worked with locum vets at previous practices.  I never really asked about their work life or what went into the business side.  I was just glad...

When visiting different hospitals as a relief veterinarian, I see different styles of practice management. One style that works great for one clinic might not be the best for another. However, there are common problems that all clinics face. Some handle them well,...

In the fall of 2007, I had started my third year of vet school at Tuskegee. We were just starting to dip our toes into the clinical rotation and junior surgery while still having didactic teachings. It is definitely a really stressful time in the TUCVM curriculum....

The answer is ever-changing but it most certainly includes masks and a lot of phone calls. Since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, most veterinary hospitals were still open. However, they were operating under very limited staff, limited...

I’ve been silent in my posts but still sharing black voices in my stories on Instagram. Letting their voices be louder than mine. Now, I wanted to share my story on how I got here. It began in rural Upstate South Carolina where I attended an undeserved and underfunded...

Ahh, Its that time of year again! Cooler weather, season changes and get-togethers. FriendsGivings, family Thanksgivings, Christmas dinners, holiday parties, gift exchanges and holiday travel.  With more than 80 million families owning pets in the United States, there...

“Ummm, Where is Doctor X? I was scheduled with her! She has seen Fluffy for 10 years. I asked for her when I scheduled this appointment today, your receptionist said she was here.” This is what I encountered several days ago. As a relief veterinarian this was not the...

You have to set boundaries.  After only 5 years in practice I was facing burnout.  I was giving too much of myself to my job and not enough to myself and my family.  It was affecting me physically.   I was forced to make a change in my career path and lifestyle change...

Hopping from clinic to clinic might sound stressful to some veterinarians, but most relief vets enjoy the challenge and change in routine.  If your clinic has had a relief doctor fill in you might have noticed they usually have a briefcase, large tote bag, or large...

**Trigger Warning** Mental health discussion should be a priority in veterinary medicine, yet it still is difficult for most to talk about. Recent deaths in the veterinary community have brought this topic to light again. This past week we lost two more veterinarians....

First of all, what is a relief vet?  Relief veterinarians are fully licensed veterinarians that fill in for other veterinarians when they need to be away from the office.  This might include vacations, family emergencies or taking a sabbatical. There are many reasons...