To find out more about what it is like to devote yourself to animals and become a veterinarian, Bored Panda talked to Ivan Zak, a doctor of veterinary medicine and the CEO of Veterinary Integration Solutions. Ivan practiced veterinary medicine for 12 years, until experiencing a severe burnout. It led him to explore the psychological triggers of burnout and business methodologies that veterinary organizations can apply to work against them. Researching this topic, Ivan obtained an MBA degree in International Healthcare Management.

Today, Ivan is leading Veterinary Integration Solutions (VIS), a business consulting company helping veterinary groups implement an operating framework for sustainable integration of practices and ultimately empowering the healthcare team to live their passion.

“Being a veterinarian, no day is the same,” Ivan said when asked what it is like being a vet. It turns out, not everything is picture perfect and there are many challenges that come with the profession. “There is a lot of stress, unpredictability, and long hours. A less obvious and frustrating challenge is accepting that not every pet owner will be able (or willing) to do everything for their animal.”

Moreover, “Veterinary care can be expensive when you don’t have pet insurance, and veterinarians often find themselves in moral dilemmas when they can’t do what’s best for the animals because their clients can’t afford it,” he said and added that that’s probably one of the toughest aspects of the profession.

“The most rewarding part that makes up for all of it is being able to apply your skills and experience to get to the bottom of a problem and diagnose a patient. An animal can’t tell you where it hurts, so connecting and being able to help is one of the most fulfilling parts of being a veterinarian.”

For anyone considering becoming a veterinarian, Ivan reminds them that “it’s a long and challenging path with many milestones to work toward: a bachelor’s degree, veterinary school admission, a veterinary degree—perhaps specialty certification. These are clear objectives that help maintain focus, so don’t lose that North Star once you get your license and go into practice.”

Moreover, he suggests setting goals, writing them down and reviewing them regularly. “If you don’t set new goals, the motivation and passion that initially brought you into the profession will quickly fade away in the daily routines,” he explained.

Another tip from Ivan is “to develop soft skills: communication, problem-solving, positivity. A day as a veterinarian can be very stressful, and you will really need that dexterity dealing with clients when they are frustrated. Most veterinarians choose their profession because they want to help animals, but talking to pet parents is a big part of it, too.”

The CEO of VIS also warned that veterinary schools are extremely demanding, which means they “often leave no time for personal life. While it’s something you just need to get through, don’t take that mindset into your work life because it’s a straight road to burnout.” For this reason, “You must learn to set personal boundaries and say ‘No.’ Learn to take good care of yourself and your emotional wellbeing,” he added.

Turns out, burnout is something Ivan refers to as “a chronic illness of the veterinary profession.” He explained: “Veterinary schools do a great job teaching medicine, but they often overlook mindfulness coaching, as well as courses on self-care, self-motivation, and work-life balance.”

This lack of work-life balance is named the top reason that practicing vets say they might leave the field, said Ivan. “So, avoid institutions that do not understand the importance of work-life balance and dictate an unreasonable work situation,” he concluded.

We also spoke to Jean Joaquim, a Brazil-based 45-year-old veterinarian with a long family history of veterinarians. “Maybe veterinary medicine was in my blood already,” he wondered. After co-creating the Bioethicus Institute that received international recognition, Jean now specializes in rehabilitation and complementary medicine.“Here we deal with complicated situations with the owner and animals, because most of them have disabilities. This situation led me to build very personal relationships with the owners,” he explained.

When asked about the biggest challenges Jean has to face being a vet, he said it’s dealing with “death and cases of severe diseases where animals succumb despite every effort and treatment.” "Sometimes the pressure from owners because of safety procedures is also a heavy duty to deal with,” he added and noted that risks are an inherent part of medical treatment.

On the other hand, Jean said it’s extremely rewarding seeing his furry patients defeat a disease, to be able to walk and live healthily again. Sometimes “even the owner doesn’t realize how tough the treatment was and how life was at risk,” Jean said. Besides treating animals, teaching others veterinary medicine is also something Jean enjoys a lot, as he says “it is very rewarding when you can teach something useful to a vet student.”

For all the young people considering studying veterinary medicine, Jean reminds them that this “journey is forever and you cannot stop studying all of a sudden. “But the pleasure of being so close to our furry little brothers and sisters of this planet is something hard to describe.”

“Night shifts, pay, time, all these are problems that are also common in other jobs, but it's worth it when you get rewarded back in barks, meows, licks, and mooing, which are priceless,” Jean concluded.