Why I Left Clinical Practice (Even Though I Loved Being a Vet)
May 15, 2025
I didn’t leave because I stopped caring.
I didn’t leave because I couldn’t handle it.
And I definitely didn’t leave because I wasn’t passionate.
I didn’t leave because I couldn’t handle it.
And I definitely didn’t leave because I wasn’t passionate.
I left clinical practice, even though I loved being a vet, because something inside me whispered: there’s more.
And for a long time, I ignored that whisper.
I had done everything “right.”
âś” I got the degree.
âś” I clocked the hours.
âś” I made the sacrifices.
âś” I poured my heart into my work.
But eventually, the joy of helping animals started to compete with the exhaustion of helping everyone else before myself.
I was burned out, stretched thin, and constantly torn between being a present mom and a dedicated clinician.
The Truth No One Talks About
Being a veterinarian is a deeply meaningful, beautiful career, but it’s also demanding in ways people outside the profession don’t always understand.
The emotional weight.
The physical toll.
The unpredictable hours.
The pressure to always be on.
The student debt.
The guilt when you need a break.
It adds up.
And for me, the tipping point came after three days of not seeing my child awake. Three mornings leaving before the sun rose, and three nights coming home after bedtime, sneaking in kisses on a sleeping forehead, hoping they felt me there.
On that third night, I stood in front of her cot and realised… I couldn’t keep doing this.
I had become everything to everyone at work, except present to the one person who needed me most at home.
I remember thinking: This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.
What I Chose Instead
I didn’t abandon veterinary medicine, I evolved how I used it.
I took everything I knew, everything I am, and channeled it into something new:
âś” Homeschooling my kids
âś” Building a flexible online business
âś” Creating digital products to help other vets
âś” Coaching and teaching through content that creates real impact
Now I work fewer hours, from home, doing work I love, with time to enjoy life with the people who matter most.
Leaving Doesn’t Mean Letting Go
I’ll always be a vet. That title is in my bones.
But now I’m also an entrepreneur, educator, and mother, living a life that aligns with my values.
Leaving clinical practice didn’t mean I failed.
It meant I was brave enough to listen to that whisper... and follow where it led.
If you’re a vet wondering if there’s something more
Know this: you're not alone. And you're allowed to want a life that feels better, not just busy.
I’m here to remind you: your degree is a foundation—not a prison. You get to build something that works for you.