My Reflections

I feel confident that I will be able to achieve the goals I set out for myself in my PDP. I have the necessary resources to achieve these goals, and they are both goals that I am intrinsically motivated by. I think that the biggest challenge that I will face in achieving my first goal is going to be remaining committed to returning to a career in shelter medicine. I loved the work I did at my old shelter so much; it was very rewarding and I really felt like I had found my “niche”. But I’m worried that my love for shelter medicine will shift with more time away from it, especially since I’m realizing that I can make a lot more money working as a relief veterinarian. I’m hopeful that I can find a shelter where I can continue to feel the fulfillment in my work that I did at my last job, without the toxic management and low pay that made it so unsustainable. I think reminding myself of how rewarding the work I did in shelter was, and keeping in touch with other shelter veterinarians, will help keep me motivated toward my goal. I also think that I can stay motivated by not trying to rush my recovery from burnout and continuing to practice patience with myself when I get frustrated that I’m still feeling its effects months after leaving my old job.

I feel more confident in my ability to achieve my second goal. I have never had a more flexible schedule than I do right now, and I have so many wonderful veterinarians who have offered to help teach me how to perform the different surgeries I want to learn. I think that every new skill I learn will serve as its own reward, and as motivation to continue to learn more. I plan on celebrating each new skill by telling others in my life what I learned, and treating myself with a small, nice thing, like going out to dinner or getting a new tattoo.