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CLASSNOTES
OVER TO YOU... WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF?
To support our new graduates entering the world of work and current students on their journey, we would like to know what advice you would give to your younger self. On a recent Facebook post, we asked you to share your career experiences, hints and tips. Here are some of your words of wisdom!
Kyndl Brunson
Your role isn’t to convince clients to do X, Y, Z... Your role is to inform them of what is possible in their situation and let THEM make the decisions. That took so much pressure off me when I realised it is not actually my choice or responsibility to choose what they do.
Victoria Brownlie
There is no need for vet to be your entire identity! In fact you’ll be a much better vet if you make sure to keep enjoying other things in life – playing sport, meeting friends etc.
Jenny Fraser
Just because you have had the privilege of learning does not mean your clients have, meet every consultation with empathy and patience.
Anne-Gigi Chan
Just because you have spent five years of your life studying to be a
vet does not mean that you HAVE to spend the rest of your life being a vet. Walk away sooner.
Cat Choodor
Enjoy every second you can relaxing in the sun with your friends, remember what’s important.
Ruth Grice
Get as much experience as you can, as a new graduate you learn most from the cases you see. I have also learnt how important self-care is... look after yourself!
Darin Holmes
Make a point to keep in touch
with your friends after graduation.
It is quite a change going from a college environment where you are surrounded by people to a rural practice where you are on your own without that daily contact with your college mates.
Molly Varga
Whatever you think of mistakes/ missteps do not take these to heart. Most of these patients/owners realise you really tried. And you did what you could.
Zain Shaheen
Look after yourself first and put limits to your free services!
Stuart Cashmore
It’s a marathon not a sprint. Work on soft skills as well as hard clinical procedures.
Alexia Tsakiris
Take care of yourself first.
Neil Smith
Don’t beat yourself up. I failed anatomy in 2nd year and was pretty close in the other exams. Hasn’t stopped me doing quite well. ºÚÁÏÉç SUS President, ex-RCVS President and also Queen’s Honorary Veterinary Surgeon.
Rosie Stanley
Don’t go for a first job where you won’t have adequate support and don’t put up with bad hours and bad pay. Also have a life outside of work and a support network of friends/ family is important to develop.
Faye Cannon
Be brave! You may be inexperienced but everyone knows that. You will learn so much from trying and if
you have good people around you they will guide you. Enjoy the fact you made it! So many people don’t get to do this even though they desperately wanted to.
Ellie Hazel
Don’t take things personally. You need a thick skin to thrive in vet med.
Louise Rayment-Dyble
Give yourself time to learn, you won’t get it right every time and it’s not the end of the world.
Don’t forget to ‘like’ our Facebook page and join our other social media platforms so you can keep up to date on ºÚÁÏÉç news, events, jobs and more...and also join in with similar conversations to this one in future!
/rvc.alum @ºÚÁÏÉçAlumni in Royal Veterinary College Alumni (group)
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