{"id":77900,"date":"2025-06-01T00:00:49","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T04:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=77900"},"modified":"2025-05-21T14:48:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T18:48:52","slug":"fear-of-the-unknown-fearless-0625","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/fear-of-the-unknown-fearless-0625\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fear of the Unknown"},"content":{"rendered":"

During dinner with a close friend, a small animal veterinarian like me, we chatted about our kids and recent sports events. But then, she suddenly fell silent and mumbled, \u201cI\u2019m not sure I want to practice anymore.\u201d I was taken aback by how defeated she appeared, and her subsequent comments hit me hard. When I asked about the next chapter in her life, she shook her head and replied sadly, \u201cWhat will I be if I stop practicing? I\u2019m just a veterinarian.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just a veterinarian\u201d is a heartbreaking statement I hear almost monthly from my colleagues and classmates as they navigate their clinical careers. I felt that way when negotiating the sale of my practice to a third party. My business partner and I co-owned the largest small animal hospital in Chicago, an 11-doctor practice with over 60 team members.<\/p>\n

Back then, I struggled for months because, in my mind, my identity was synonymous with 15 years of small animal practice<\/a>. I didn\u2019t know what else I could do with my degree, where to look or how to begin. But the heaviest worry \u2014 one I was afraid to confront \u2014 was this: Who would I be if I wasn\u2019t a clinically practicing veterinarian?<\/p>\n

We often avoid such difficult personal questions. Ultimately, they involve the fear of the unknown.<\/p>\n

Change Is Hard<\/h3>\n

As if life\u2019s daily stressors aren\u2019t enough, today\u2019s traditional practicing veterinarians face numerous longevity-threatening obstacles, including compassion fatigue, toxic work cultures, a work-life imbalance and mental health struggles. According to an American Veterinary Medical Association study, 1 in 6 veterinarians has considered suicide.<\/p>\n

From the outside, one might assume that chronic exposure to such life-altering obstacles would readily lead us to switch hospitals, find another industry job or leave the profession altogether. However, for many, the fear of the unknown is so intense that it keeps us stuck. Change is even harder when our work environment isn\u2019t that bad. \u201cThe job is fine, and my colleagues are tolerable,\u201d we think, but we no longer feel the passion and purpose.<\/p>\n

I found myself at that crossroads a few months before departing as a practice owner. My fear and anxiety about the unknown were almost paralyzing.<\/p>\n

Those moments led me to ask myself endless questions, such as:<\/p>\n