What does a veterinary life coach actually do? (And how is it different from a mentor?)

I had the best mentor when I started in clinic (taking away the first 3 months I spent running after goats in the hills of Southern Spain - the mentoring I got was "Don't lose any equipment" 🫠).

She was the owner of a small animal clinic, and I was the first new grad she took on. She guided me into it so gently and in such a supportive way that she's been my reference for how to treat any new vets I encounter along the way ever since. My big issue was finding the ovaries in bitch speys, and she used to just leave me to it, popping in once in a while to see how I was doing, always nearby, always friendly and patient.

She was essential to the confidence I have most times I go into surgeries, because she taught me I can figure it out by myself, eventually, if I just take it one step at a time (once I got over the "Oh F*ck! It's bleeding!!" - "I know. You cut into it, so...")

Veterinary mentors actually do a mix of coaching, guiding, sharing experience, teaching, and supporting, and I wish every new grad had as an amazing mentor as I had. It's a way to show how to walk the path of the veterinary profession, as gently as possible, with a trusted guide.

A veterinary life coach, on the other hand, doesn't guide as such. What we do is to help you find the answers within you, around the ways you think and feel about the profession, yourself and everything else. We help point out where you are making everything harder for yourself, such as:

- not setting boundaries ("Sure, I can do another shift, on top of.. the other 3 extras ...."; letting owners talk forever in consults,; never leaving on time).

- falling into people pleasing ("I don't really want to prescribe metronidazole for this diarrhea, but what if they judge me?"; letting peers talk over you, trying too much to fit in as opposed to just deciding you belong).

- not managing your time (most importantly, alway filling up your time not leaving any down time open).

- trying to avoid the difficult emotions instead of processing them and facing them head on (avoiding can look like buffering with over working, overdrinking, overeating...).

Just a few examples! The coach will listen to you, hear what you think is the problem, and point out where it really lies, and what you can do about it. What I really like about coaching is how fast you can change things around if you're willing to seeing things differently, and change your patterns. It gives you so much control over the situation and your life, when you can see how much YOU can do to feel better.

A coach will never tell you WHAT to do though, which is where it's different from mentors. I will absolutely tell a new grad as their mentor how to hold the forceps, to adjust the table to their height, and what analgesia I would use (well, to be honest I just keep asking until they get to the answer - very leading questions).

But as a coach, I will always let my client find what works for them, because in order to achieve long lasting results, it HAS to come from within, and I just have no idea what's best for other people. It's YOUR life, and you know best what you want and how to achieve it, I just help peel away everything that's in the way of that inner wisdom.

So: If' you're a new grad, look out for that mentor that will guide you along the veterinary path. AND, at any point in your career, consider a veterinary life coach to help you get the most out of your veterinary life, avoid burnout, and guarantee you make the best decisions, for you, all the way.

In your corner,

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