Exploring Career Progression and Specialisation in Veterinary Practice

Career Paths

Career progression in veterinary practice may take many forms. While some might aim to own their own practice and serve a local community, other Vets may be more attracted to idea of specialising in a particular field of clinical practice or species. There are also options, either managing teams, doing research or taking on various other industry roles. The important thing to know is that there are options and not everyone needs to follow the same career path in order to achieve success. Having worked with many different vets within the industry, one thing comes through rather strongly – vets that operate in their own personal field of interest, or develop skills in a particular area of clinical practice that they really enjoy, tend to find their work more rewarding. Considering how stressful veterinary work can sometimes be, this can make a huge impact on how you view your career and the sense of satisfaction you get from working on a daily basis.

Specialisation Considerations

For a Vet that is undecided if they want to specialise, general practice is a good stepping stone as it provides exposure to a broad range of cases and areas of practice. After working in general practice for a few years, you may naturally discover an area that interest you more, for example surgery or dealing with special cases such as cardiac conditions. Or it may end up that because of the location of the practice, you get exposure to a particular type of case on a regular basis.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the only option is to remain in general practice. There are many practice owners that will support vets in their efforts to specialise, especially if it will benefit their clients. A practice located in a dairy farming district, for example, could benefit from having someone in the practice who specialises in dairy cattle. Operating in a more urban environment the specialist options may be more aligned to areas of clinical practice rather than a species.

Aligning career and personal life

You may progress naturally into an area of specialisation, or it may be a conscious decision based on your interests. Veterinary colleges and associations recognise 22 different areas of specialisation, so there are many options to choose from. It is, however, a lengthy process and may require some sacrifices to achieve. These need to be weighed up in the light of where you are in your career and what personal responsibilities you have. The traditional route for specialisation involves internships or residency, working under or with a registered specialist in the area of interest. The work loads are high and hours are often long. Internships vary from 12 months to several years and the pay is often much lower than if you were to be working in a general practice. This makes it challenging for a vet that’s a decade or so into their career, and usually isn’t an option. Because it would involve a pay cut and longer working hours, vets with a mortgage to pay and family to care it would find it really difficult.

Support for Specialisation and Practice Growth

However, there are practice owners who are open to supporting specialisation, offering to subsidise courses and allow vets to focus on practising in their areas of interest so that they can build up experience in that area while still working in general practice. It benefits the practice to be known to have a more specialist vet, especially if it relates to a specific industry. People will often be willing to travel further to see a specialist if they think that it’ll help and this can help a practice grow beyond its normal geographic borders. It also helps to build a reputation within the industry which in turn can create further career development opportunities.

In summary, know that there are opportunities for specialisation, and if this is something you want to pursue at some point in your career, there are ways to make it happen. Don’t give up on your dreams, because you feel that personal responsibilities won’t allow you to follow the traditional route. There are other options available, your career aspirations can become reality.

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