What are my options? Moving from clinical to non-clinical work….
Most Vets will have selected their career path whilst they were basically still an embryo, and thus, will have spent their entire lives striving and working towards this goal. For some, the shine of this longed-for career doesn’t last as long as they thought. For all the wonderful highs of veterinary medicine, there can be some crushing lows and this takes it’s toll on mental and physical health over time.
Despite wanting to change career path, Vets often find themselves in a situation where they feel guilty about choosing something that doesn’t directly use their clinical skills. They might feel as though they are wasting the techniques learnt during the long slog at University that they so recently endured. To add to these feelings of confusion and guilt, there is then the debarcle over what to actually do next? What do vets that aren’t vets, even do?!
Do your research!
Look into the options available other than clinical veterinary work. Once you start looking, you will realise that Vets are employed in a variety of industries. Some of these directly use their clinical skills; others utilise their transferable skills in a different way. Just as an example, here are some of the industries that employ vets:
-Pharmaceuticals
-Government
-Academia
-Charity (can be non-clinical)
-Recruitment
-Management
If Vets do decide to try something non-clinical- this should be considered a ‘diversification’ of a career, rather than an ‘ending’ of a career. Being a vet isn’t just wearing one clinical hat forever!
Why move?
Because of the hard graft required to qualify as a Vet, many don’t feel like they can change job or career, despite being extremely unhappy. Oftentimes, it’s not only pressure from themselves- it can also be pressure (or perceived pressure!) from family, friends and colleagues too. Vets sometimes don’t realise that things can (and often should!) be better; and don’t appreciate the benefits that changing tack could bring to their life. Consider these factors:
–Better hours- often jobs that aren’t in practice have more predictable and family-friendly hours. You might even find a role with flexible hours! The dream! When vets have children it is very common to lose them from clinical practice for this exact reason.
–Better pay– depending on which industry you choose, the pay could potentially be equivalent or better than that of a clinical role. Especially once you factor in how much a Vet is paid per hour (often a depressing number!)!
–Less stress– between compassion fatigue, high client expectations, complaints handling and long hours, veterinary can be an extremely demanding and stressful job. Given most vets haven’t ever worked in another industry in their adult lives, they aren’t aware that this level of stress isn’t necessarily the ‘norm’! It is perfectly acceptable to try out a non-clinical role, or a different clinical role, to see if it can reduce stress.
Still not sure..?
If vets still aren’t convinced about whether to leave their clinical role, we would always advise initially having a chat with the Practice Manager to see if things at their current role can be improved for them. If you don’t ask, you often don’t get, so it’s always worth a chat.
If this doesn’t work, the next step is to look at other clinical roles, before jumping ship into non-clinical. Occasionally vets feel that their job is representative of all practices everywhere, but this isn’t necessarily true. Sometimes, the grass really IS greener on the other side. Different practices, with different teams, and different values, might be able to offer what their current practice can not. In todays’ world, there are even possibilities to have clinical jobs which are entirely work from home!! Telemedicine has been a growing industry since the Covid-19 pandemic, and so there are some practices which offer entirely remote/online services. Certainly worth considering if vets need a work from home job.
From someone who knows!
I have been writing this article sat at my desk at home, with a cup of tea and wearing an Oodie (genuinely). I am able to do this because I am a Vet who has recently made the jump from clinical to non-clinical work. My role is now: veterinary recruitment consultant…and I’m loving it.
My desire to change role began during my maternity leave. When you have a baby, your priorities and perspectives totally shift. Suddenly, the thought of going back to a role (albeit in a lovely practice) where I might have unpredictable, late finishes; weekend shifts and inflexible hours filled me with fear. How would I ever manage to combine this job with the nursery pick-up/drop-off? Would I make it home in time to put my baby to bed in the evenings? What family activities would I miss out on when working my weekend shifts? To me, veterinary seemed incompatible with the family life I wanted. Some people manage to make it work for them, but for me, the disadvantages of vet life seemed insurmountable. I needed a change.
My current job enables me to keep in touch with the veterinary sector, but also work flexibly and remotely. For me, this instantly relieves so much stress and anxiety. It has been the right move for me at this time in my life. I suspect I will go back to clinical practice at some stage, but for now, a non-clinical role is suiting this stage in my life, much better. I would urge anyone in a similar situation to consider a change, and to not be afraid of it.
Get in touch
If you are considering making the leap from one clinical role to another, or moving to a non-clinical role, please do get in touch. This is our specialty at Elite Veterinary Staffing Solutions! We can help you to explore your options and find a role that will make you happy. We are a team of a clinical veterinary consultant (Olivia) and a non clinical veterinary consultant (Adam) and between us we can find a job that works for you. Pop us an email today to chat about your situation.
