Confidence gained through experience

As high achievers, we spend a great deal of time focusing on where we are going, and not nearly enough on where we have come from and what we have achieved. Sitting down to reminisce about the past few years has been an enlightening experience, and is something every veterinarian should do on a regular basis. As a new graduate, this exercise is also a great way to connect with associate veterinarians and mentors.

The first 4 years of my career flew by. To many new graduates, even 1 year from now may still seem like a lifetime away, and to seasoned veterans, this is only the blink of an eye. The first year transitioning from the safe sheltered ivory walls of academia to the wilderness of practice was the most formidable, terrifying, but ultimately, most rewarding and fulfilling year of my life.

My professional veterinary career started like many before me. One day, I was a carefree student, the next, a doctor whose decisions affected the lives of others. This immense responsibility terrifies so many new graduates, and believe me, it was not lost on me. Because of this, many newly minted veterinarians seek out mentors who purposefully and gradually acclimatize them to practice life, allowing them to slowly build their confidence in their skill set; my experience, however, was a little bit different.

Immediately after graduating, I began working at Town & Country Animal Hospital, which at the time was a mixed animal practice. I bring attention to this because it was always my intention to practice small animal medicine exclusively. So, in my final year, I forwent any large animal clinical experience, and the thought of being in the position of having to practice large animal medicine was anxiety-inducing, to say the least. The practice owners, one of whom I can proudly say is my father, assured me that I’d have plenty of mentorship and backup when necessary. Having both graduated in the 80s, their idea of mentorship, however, was grossly different than what I had envisioned.

Right from the onset, I was treated like an equal and was expected to hit the ground running. During my first week, I had triaged and cut a gastric dilatation-volvulus and reduced a prolapsed uterus — and this was after hours, at night, but with the backup they promised me … over the phone. While my friends from vet school were exclusively seeing wellness visits, I was being scheduled for exploratory laparotomies, cystotomies, and resections and anastomoses. What my mentors understood was that no amount of shadowing or rounds could compare with the education received by experience. C.S. Lewis said it best, “Experience is a brutal teacher, but you learn, my God, do you learn.”

Many new graduates strongly insist that they aren’t well-equipped for practice upon graduating; however, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Becoming a veterinarian, for many, has been a lifelong pursuit. What all new graduates lack is confidence, and the best way to gain it is through experience. Quickly developing confidence in your skills makes the first year in practice much more manageable. As uncomfortable and nerve-racking as it may seem, do yourself a favour and seek out opportunities to sharpen your skills and develop your confidence. Try first and if you need help, develop a plan before going to your mentor, instead of relying on them to bail you out. By doing so, you’ll gain a great deal of respect and your confidence, skill, and knowledge will grow exponentially.

My first week and year in practice might seem frightening to many, but there’s no way I would trade-in those pivotal experiences. The sureness that my mentors helped instill in me early on has helped shape me into the veterinarian that I am today. Within 6 months of graduating, I successfully brought laparoscopic surgery to our clinic, where I was training my mentors! This is just one example of the many positive changes that we have been able to bring to our patients by helping each other grow.

If I had to summarize all of my experiences and give just one piece of advice, it would be this: Believe in yourself, push yourself, and don’t surrender to your doubts. You’re infinitely more skilled and knowledgeable than you know, and remember, there’s a team of people standing right there beside you, supporting you, mentoring you, rooting for you, and believing in you.