What I Thought Would Happen If I Left Veterinary… vs. What Actually Happened
Oct 02, 2025
Leaving clinical practice felt like betrayal.
For years, I’d trained, sacrificed, studied late into the night, and poured my heart into becoming a vet. It wasn’t just a job, it was my identity.
So when I started feeling burnt out truly, deeply exhausted, I didn’t know what to do with that feeling.
Because this wasn’t just about being tired.
It was about wondering if I could do this for another 10, 20, or 30 years, and the quiet, terrifying truth that kept rising to the surface:
I didn’t want to.
What I Thought Would Happen If I Left
Before I made the decision to step out of the consult room, I had a flood of fears that I rarely admitted out loud:
- “People will think I failed.”
- “I’ll waste my degree.”
- “I’ll lose respect from my peers.”
- “I won’t be able to make a good income doing anything else.”
- “I’ll regret this forever.”
I imagined silence. Judgment. Disappointment.
I imagined letting everyone down, my colleagues, my clients, my family, myself.
But mostly?
I imagined losing my purpose.
And Then There Was This...
I also had this ache in the background, one that had nothing to do with the clinic at all.
I was a parent…
But I wasn’t the parent I wanted to be.
I was missing sports days.
I was distracted at birthday parties.
I was exhausted by bedtime stories.
I felt like I was constantly giving my best to my work, and my family was getting the leftovers.
That guilt? It ran deep.
And it added a whole other layer of urgency to the question:
What if there’s another way?
What Actually Happened
Here’s what really happened when I took a step back from clinical work:
1. I rediscovered who I was.
When I wasn’t drowning in back-to-back consults, late-night note writing, and emotional exhaustion, I started reconnecting with the version of me who had passions, creativity, and ideas beyond the clinic.
I remembered what it felt like to think clearly, dream freely, and breathe.
2. I became the kind of parent I always wanted to be.
I started picking my kids up from school.
I was present, not just physically, but mentally.
I had time for connection, conversations, and quiet moments.
I could finally show up the way I had always wanted to, without constantly feeling like I was failing somewhere else.
I didn’t step away to quit being a vet.
I stepped away to become more of me, in every area of my life.
3. I created new ways to help animals, without being in the room.
I didn’t stop helping animals.
In fact, I now help thousands more than I ever could alone in practice.
I do this through:
- Providing continuing education to rehab vets
- Creating digital resources for pet owners and professionals
- Mentoring other vets on how to build sustainable online income
- Supporting a movement of veterinary professionals who are building lives that work for them, not against them
It turns out, stepping away from clinical practice didn’t reduce my impact.
It expanded it.
4. I found a new kind of freedom.
I stopped waking up dreading my day.
I started working fewer hours, from home, with flexibility, and on my terms.
I showed up for my family in ways I never could before.
I made income that wasn’t tied to hours on my feet or back-to-back appointments.
And most importantly…
I proved to myself that I could still be a vet — just in a different way.
If You’re Wondering If It’s Time...
You’re not alone.
So many brilliant, compassionate vets are silently struggling with the same question:
“Is it okay to want something different?”
And here’s what I want to say to you:
Yes. It is.
You’re allowed to evolve.
You’re allowed to redefine what your career looks like.
You’re allowed to want freedom, joy, time, peace… and yes, even passive income.
You’re allowed to evolve.
You’re allowed to redefine what your career looks like.
You’re allowed to want freedom, joy, time, peace… and yes, even passive income.
You don’t have to abandon your skills or your purpose.
You just need a new path for sharing them.
I put together a passive income ideas bank for veterinary professionals. Click here to download it !