How to support new graduate vets in your practice
Support is one of those words that means different things to different people. When it comes to new graduate vets, the support they need can vary, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need it. In fact, 1 in 3 new graduates may leave their practice due to insufficient mentoring/support (Jelinski 2009). They might need emotional support as well as clinical support, help with communication, and more. So, whether you’re a practice manager, veterinary receptionist, RVN, or their VetGDP Adviser – here’s some tips to help support your newly graduated vets in their first few months in practice.
Ask them what they need
It seems obvious to say, but it’s hard to do. Even if they can’t quite articulate the type or amount of support they need, it’s worth asking your new graduate vet what they need the most help with. If you’re in a mentor position, you could make this part of a regular check in, to make sure you’re hitting the spot. Bear in mind that asking them is only part of the battle – in some cases, you’ll need to reign in a dangerously overconfident vet, and in others you may need to pep them up a bit.
Don’t forget the non-clinical
When you do the above, it’s likely your new vet will jump straight to the clinical thoughts – “I need help with spays and I’ve only done one skin scrape” will probably be the first thing they identify. The more confident ones might say they want to scrub in for a splenectomy soon. But encourage them to think about non-clinical support. Do they need help with time management? What about client communication? What skills can’t effectively be covered at vet school?
Support their wellbeing
Sometimes, it’s worth separating clinical mentorship from wellbeing mentorship. A wellbeing mentor can provide a safe space for your new graduate to share worries and stresses without feeling judged.
Have some empathy
A full veterinary day is hard. It’s not that your new graduate is soft-skinned and unused to work – it’s that they’re having to think ten times harder than someone who already has a ‘spiel’, who knows exactly where in the vaccine fridge to look, who knows that the Practice Management System (PMS) uses ‘First X-Ray’ and ‘Second X-Ray’ so searching ‘radiograph’ won’t help when pricing up. What seems like a simple task – confirming flea and worm prevention status – is a minefield to a new graduate terrified of making a mistake. Try to have some empathy, especially if you don’t remember being so tired and stressed.
Plan their diary
Everything takes longer as a new graduate vet. You can either try to fight it, and end up with a stressed, burned-out new starter, or you can make allowances. Organise the rota and the diary to make sure they have the time and space they need to do a good job. Here are some tips:
- Plan in empty catch-up slots every hour or so, letting them use the time to write notes, make calls, or just catch up if they’re running behind.
- Double-up consult slots for non-routine appointments, so they have longer to work through cases
- Give them an empty diary and let them pick and choose from your list, seeing the next waiting client as and when they finish with the last one. This lets them spend as long as needed with the cases they do see, and frees you up to do other things.
- Have a word with your reception team so that they don’t get a seizuring guinea pig on their first day.
- Plan a special new puppy clinic or a bargain vaccine price, to give them some easy consults to do while they get the hang of things.
- If they do have something a bit out of the ordinary coming in, block out your diary too so you can help them if need be.
- Don’t put them straight onto sole charge, and when you do, make sure they’re on with an experienced nurse.
It won’t be forever, but investing in their wellbeing now will pay dividends – nobody can learn when they’re stressed, and a waiting room of angry clients is no help to anybody.
Include them in the team
One of the best parts of the vet job is a good team. Sometimes when there’s a new starter, we can forget to include them, meaning they have to worry about making friends as well as all the clinical and time-management stuff. Make sure your new graduate vet is in the group chats, and try to organise a team get-together a few weeks in so they can meet everybody. Even just reducing surgeries one day and putting in a “team meeting” at lunchtime can give everyone some space to chat on a more personal level.
Send them our CPD Guide
If your new graduate has started this year, you might want to forward them the link to our New Graduate Guide to CPD. In it, we explain everything there is to know about CPD responsibilities, tricks and tips for getting the most out of CPD, and where to find more CPD advice and guidance. They also get 12 emails of free content designed especially to help new vets with the transition from university, like well-timed clinical tips to actionable advice for breaking bad news to clients. Here’s the link to send them: New Graduate VetCPD Guide
Conclusion: Supporting new graduate vets can have many forms
Every vet is different, and every practice is different, so support looks different for everyone. Although every new graduate has to complete their VetGDP, and they’ll need your help with this, support should go further, looking at wellbeing, soft skills, and everything they need to settle into a team. Some of these tips will hopefully help you make your practice a welcoming space for your new graduate hire. And remember – although it feels like a lot of work now, their energy, enthusiasm, and recent education are a fantastic resource for practices, so providing the support they need and keeping them around is well worth it.
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