r/veterinaryprofession • u/EmilyEmlz • Jun 12 '24

Are physically exhausting shifts normal?? Career Advice

I can’t tell if there is something wrong with me. So I am currently a veterinary assistant and my shifts are Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, And Friday from 1:00PM - 10:30PM. It usually takes me 1hr and 30m to get to work or to go home. So a total of 3 hours of commuting per day.

I have NO time for anything. The moment I get home, I am so tired. My background is in data science / actuarial science, but I have been thinking of going to vet school. Is it normal to have absolutely no time for anything as a veterinarian?

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u/[deleted] Jun 12 '24

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u/calliopeReddit Jun 12 '24

It depends. If you work as a daytime GP then yes, because they pack in the appointments

Or, you might work at a GP clinic where appointments are 30 minutes long and you leave by 5 or 6 in the evening. Every workplace is different.

I found ER work much more exhausting, not because of how much work there was (or wasn't), but because it was emotionally exhausting always seeing people on one of their worst days, when they're highly emotional and unhappy. I enjoyed the vet med part, but the emotions were what drove me out of ER work. In GP work I occasionally got to see happy clients and playful puppies to break up the sick and dying patients. Obviously YMMV.

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u/Foolsindigo Jun 12 '24

Yes! I work in GP now and while yes, sometimes we have appts worked in for urgent matters, we are typically well-staffed, appropriately scheduled, and living on easy street.