Well-Being and Your Career
You’ve heard many veterinarians tell you that the journey is difficult and there will be bumps along the way. You’ve heard that some veterinarians have become disengaged from their careers and are struggling with burn-out, depression and severe anxiety.
Many veterinarians delay major life events, such as marriage, children, vacations and simply living their lives, due to their jobs and debt. In contrast, many veterinarians are very content with their careers and lives.
Many are very financially successful, comfortable and in control!
Today, we want to remind you, it’s your planning that makes you successful.
Years ago, veterinarians could graduate and stumble around, jump from job to job, not take care of their finances and STILL end up successful.
Graduates of today do not have this luxury. The debt-to-income ratios and the margins are too thin. When you add in the pressures of the job itself and the volume of medical and business information that needs to be in your knowledgebase, it’s more than some veterinarians can handle.
However, you can be successful and content in veterinary medicine WITH A PLAN. Here are some of the considerations that you should be planning for right now:
These are tough questions, and you won’t have all the answers. Nevertheless, it’s time to start actively planning and thinking. Don’t make this work! Be creative! This stuff can be fun!
Budgeting with friends?
We live in a society where it’s completely taboo to talk about our personal finances with others. Have you ever talked about your finances in a detailed way with friends? Most parents and children don’t have these conversations with each other. Even some married couples don’t have these conversations.
In every other aspect of our lives, a vast amount of our learning occurs in conversations with peers. We are social beings and we are wired to learn from others.
For some reason, however, finances are a taboo subject. We don’t talk to friends about budgeting apps, savings accounts, debt relief or other financial topics. We tend to stay in our silo, either ignoring or struggling with the issues in silence.
This silence leads to mistakes and financial issues. These financial issues can then lead to anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts and tendencies. Suffering in silence and waiting too long to reach out for help is a serious problem.
How should you prevent this? Break down the taboos and find a close friend to share your struggles with. Talk about personal finances and ask questions. In the age of social distancing, telephones and video chats work great! This will be awkward at first, but I promise that in time it will be just like everything else you chat about. This friend doesn’t have to be in veterinary medicine, but one of your peers will likely be struggling with the same things you are. It’s ok if neither of you are financial experts! It’s the openness and conversations themselves that help.
Lastly, this is a two way street, you will be helping your friend as much as they help you, and this may be exactly the help they need through life’s tough times.