I am Strong
“We are often mistreated and not supported by our own colleagues and staff, especially when trying to push for advanced changes in medicine to provide a gold standard of care.”
“With a toxic environment like that, just a couple of years will make you want to leave the industry altogether. In fact, it’s so emotionally draining that many veterinarians take their own lives like one of my own classmates.”
“Since suicide among veterinaries is topping the charts, Not One More Vet, NOMV was specifically designed to raise awareness, support those in need, and spread the word in hopes clients, bosses, and staff can help make the world of veterinary medicine a better place.”
“The team and people you work with can make or break your entire experience in VetMed. If you’re surrounded by a supportive team, you can survive the clientele abuse and keep doing your best. Being surrounded by an amazing group of like-minded individuals, reminding us all that we really are making a difference for those pets, even despite the owner griping about having to do some diagnostics in order to know how to treat the pet appropriately.”
“Generally in vet medicine, it’s a constant battle around cost/finances since people think we charge asinine prices. The reality is, we are practicing top quality medicine on pets that don't have insurance. Most people don’t realize the cost of actual medical care because they have insurance for themselves, so when it comes time to pay for care for a loved one without insurance - it’s a bit of a shocker that doesn’t always go over very well.”
“If you really loved animals you would do it for free.” This is unfortunately a very common phrase we hear time and time again.”
“Why would any of us do this for the money?! The true answer is… we don’t, usually we barely make ends meet. We do it because we love animals more than most people. What most people don’t realize is that most veterinarians are hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. We come out of school with the same amount of debt as human medical doctors, yet have far inferior salaries. Most of us will be paying for our education to work in a thankless field for 25+ years.”
“It is a mental battle to do your best, not see the results nor be appreciated. Skylar recommends that veterinarians take better care of their mental health because it can be a draining and unappreciated profession, especially when you don’t see the result or have the appropriate support that you need.”
“Veterinarians really have to be better about recognizing that we have a really tough job that so many people and their pets are in need of, but we can’t keep being amazing at it if we can’t take care of ourselves first.”
“We have to start loving ourselves instead of going home feeling bad that the owner was so upset and didn't follow our recommendations even when we tried to do everything we possibly could for that pet within a specified budget.”
“We need to continue to advocate for our fur patients that can’t speak for themselves but also love ourselves enough to KNOW we did our absolute best and tomorrow will be another day and it’s important we be there for it.”
“Before the photoshoot, I just saw the rundown me; the me that left that toxic place and wasn’t sure what would be around the next corner. The photoshoot with Sarah was amazing, Sarah made me feel like a real model! When I looked at the pictures, I finally had proof that I was beautiful. I had been told before, thanks to a few great supporters in my life, but I felt rundown. The "after" me, walked into my next interview and scored the job of my dreams!”
“I’m so glad it gave me confidence to move forward in my journey in vetmed! It really helped me find an amazing, supportive, and always encouraging vet family I plan to be with for many years to come. It’s unbelievable to have the support of a job that really also supports us as veterinarians and our mental health too!”
To have timeless memories in the photos is absolutely priceless.
Skylar has many animals including chickens and cats that we were able to add into the photoshoot because she loves them and it was a perfect addition as a Veterinarian.
Unfortunately, since our photoshoot one of her cats, named Spice, and her favorite floofy (silkie) chicken, named Queenie, have died.
“I felt so blessed to be able to include my animals! The pictures help so much with healing. I never knew how important they would honestly be to me until now. Those memories and photos are cherished deeply in my heart. They are such amazing pieces of work to almost bring them back even just for a moment to help me remember how happy they were and how special they were to me.”
“Most people don't quite understand the human-animal bond, but for myself and many animal lovers, those fur creatures are basically my children and the loss of any of them cuts deeply. So to have the timeless memories in the photos is absolutely priceless. I would do it again in a heartbeat!”
I flew to St. Pete, FL to photograph Skylar with her animals. My dream is to live in Florida one day so I'm starting the process of seeking clients in Southwest Florida since I love the Gulf Coast.