What my mechanic taught me about being a Veterinarian

George is my mechanic. OK, I like cars, and George is my guy. I rely on his expertise and marvel at his calm confidence. He rarely lets me down, and I keep going back.  

Think of someone in your life. It could be anyone who can do something you cannot do and someone you know very well - in other words, you are a repeat customer and a fan.

As clinicians, we sometimes suffer from that feeling of Imposter Syndrome, and we doubt our skills and accomplishments. George, to me, had the confidence and calm that I wish I had.

One day, after a particularly difficult ovariohysterectomy on a not-so-svelte dog, I blurted out, ‘George couldn't do that.’ Somehow, it stuck and made me feel better about completing my task. If the thought of that procedure doesn’t get your receptors firing, then substitute it with treating a DKA, or a yellow cat, or a GDV, or a difficult client, or getting an aged renal cat to eat - you get the idea - you just performed a challenging veterinary task. At that moment, I became aware that George had his skills, and I had mine.

Our work is hard, and we must remember how important we are to our patients and clients. We must remind ourselves how much effort has gone into our careers to get us where we are right now.

Who is your George? Invoke their name whenever you start to feel that familiar grip of insecurity and remind yourself that what you do every day is complex and requires incredible skill. Share ‘your George’ out loud and wait for the inevitable - who is George? Have some fun with it.

George will teach you to celebrate your big and small wins and that you ARE as good as you think you are.