Giving up Veterinary Practice.

Re: Giving up Veterinary Practice.

Ella Massy-Greene — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 18:07:14 GMT

I did leave the profession, thoroughly sick of it, and registered as non-practising. After 12 months I decided to come back, but under my own terms (open my own practice). The break was 3 years in the end, as it took 2 years to get the practice up and running.

The career break was great- I now love my job again (but not the admin of having my own practice) and I used some of the time to do a business course and quite a bit of CPD.

I recommend a break, but don't burn your bridges. You might find that you change your mind.

Re: Giving up Veterinary Practice.

Glen McIntosh — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:40:10 GMT

[quote user="Mark Hedberg"]http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_M._Linnehan :)[/quote]

Now that the shuttle program is ending, I wonder if he will head back into practice?

Re: Giving up Veterinary Practice.

Mark Hedberg — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:52:23 GMT

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_M._Linnehan :)

Re: Giving up Veterinary Practice.

Vikki Halliday LLB — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:37:33 GMT

I know of a few who have left the profession for varying reasons, one to have a family and be a stay at home wife. one to change career to teaching, and others to branch out into research and develoment or other professions.

There are a few who have changed tack completely to law, which I did think about doing myself, however the only thing that stopped me was that to commit to a 3 year degree course required more financial commitment than starting my own practice.

Guess where I am then?

Still...one day...it's never too late, my mother started her law degree course aged 48. so I've got a few years left to change my mind!

Re: Giving up Veterinary Practice.

Tim Mainland — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 09:39:06 GMT

Aldi: a couple of years ago a friend of my daughter got onto Aldi's graduate training scheme only shortly after leaving Uni. £40K+Audi. BUT they expect blood. By no means a 9-5 job; endless work to take home and weekend work rolled in. But why not? 40K is serious money. The world is a changing place.

Re: Giving up Veterinary Practice.

Mark Hedberg — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 23:54:42 GMT

46k for a store manager?

Not bad...

Re: Giving up Veterinary Practice.

Vet2Vet — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 23:39:13 GMT

[quote user="Martin Jones"]

[quote user="An On MRCVS"]

As in not re-registering and having no intention of going back to it.

Does anyone know anyone who has done this? What did they do instead? Did they regret it?

[/quote]

A couple or three times - not out of desperation or disillusionment, but for interest's sake. Once to go travelling, once to go into teaching (with some locuming), and once to become a stay-at-home dad. Each time, I came back to it after a relatively short period because I'd found what I'd been looking for and felt happy to take up the reins again. Veterinary medicine is a great constant in your life, in that once qualified, you can always come back to it.

Go and do something else for a bit; it might go pear shaped, in which case you can get locum work within a week of casting your net - contrary to what the profession might pompously think, you don't become obsolete and incompetent overnight or even over a couple of years. It might be that you find a different calling, but really if you had the drive and nous to go into veterinary medicine, you ought to be able to cope with a career break. It's no biggie.

I was in Aldi the other day, and they were advertising for store managers. £46k+. That's really not a bad wage for someone who's unlikely to be got out of bed (alarms notwithstanding) at 3 in the morning, and who doesn't have to make any financial investment in the business. And with all due respect, Aldi managers aren't going to be superhuman, are they?

Don't be bound by your degree - the level of qualification is very transferrable.

[/quote]

I could not agree more . How lucky we are to have that ' constant ' and although at times an all consuming career , time away only serves to focus what a privilege we have in our chosen careers . Feel confident in going away and it is always a good place to come back .

Re: Giving up Veterinary Practice.

Martin Jones — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 23:21:27 GMT

[quote user="An On MRCVS"]

As in not re-registering and having no intention of going back to it.

Does anyone know anyone who has done this? What did they do instead? Did they regret it?

[/quote]

Don't be bound by your degree - the level of qualification is very transferrable.

Re: Giving up Veterinary Practice.

Vet2Vet — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:28:36 GMT

[quote user="An On MRCVS"]

As in not re-registering and having no intention of going back to it.

Does anyone know anyone who has done this? What did they do instead? Did they regret it?

Its funny , this topic came up today with an old colleague ! I actually know a fair few as it happens ! I honestly don't believe any of them have any regrets really but it is something you can always come back to as Gerry said or maybe some locums plus a break here and there ? Or go into something else and locum to fund retraining ? Anyway veterinary is a good fall back !!

[/quote]

Re: Giving up Veterinary Practice.

Gerry Henry — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:22:30 GMT

Take a break and think what it is you don't like; if its the job per se then fair enough. If its your employer or night work or the area you're in then all of these can be changed, you can always put your plate up, worse ways of making a living out there.

Re: Giving up Veterinary Practice.

elizabethellison — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:37:53 GMT

Friend from vet college gave up and has been a secondary school biology teacher which she loves doing.

Re: Giving up Veterinary Practice.

Clive Ansell — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:08:19 GMT

An ex boss did.

He sold his practice, then had a bit of down time travelling etc before running his own business selling internet advertising (I think). After a couple of years that ceased and he came back as a part time locum which he enjoyed more than ever. Retired now.

Re: Giving up Veterinary Practice.

plantagenet — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:46:37 GMT

I seem to know a lot who would like to.