It is said that if you love your job you will never work a day in your life. Well, I believe I have stretched that saying thin. Rewind to 2009, I began volunteering at a veterinary hospital to reassure that my lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian was something I truly wanted. As the years went by I was exposed to the rewarding and gut wrenching reality of veterinary medicine. Puppies and kittens were seen ever so rarely as many cases were sick visits with owners that did not think it was a problem. Fluffy has been vomiting for three weeks now or the silver-faced, arthritic dog you have grew fond of since a spunky puppy mopes into your clinic for the very last time. Between feral cats, unruly owners, bodily fluid from both ends and being elbow deep in a dog’s abdomen, I quickly knew that healing those who cannot speak for themselves was my calling.

Fast forward a few years and the honeymoon faze between my job and I had long extinguished. Besides the Veterinarian on staff and a few life-timers, I was normally the person among all the other assistants and technicians there with the most experience. On the other hand, I was always the youngest. This resulted in me normally having to train new employees and preform grunt work which I never had a problem with. The problems arose once I realized I was still seen as that sixth-grade girl volunteering back in 2009, seven years later… Between then and now, I received one raise from minimum wage to a depressing number not even breaking the double digits all while taking the heavy expectations of my boss on my shoulders. I began to question whether I was a good employee, they saw me as some kid with no bills to pay or responsibilities besides to show up to work on time. Self-doubt and unworthiness flooded my mind. My mental state deteriorated and I began to hate my job. Hate where I worked. Too many times I wanted to put in my two weeks and walk away. Not quit like many others have repeatedly told me. I respected, appreciated and cared about the hospital and how happy we made our clients and healthy we made our patients too much to screw them over the same they do to me every day. Maybe my loyalty was my fault, but this is only the beginning.

Through all my hardships working at the veterinary hospital, it was truly a blessing in disguise. I have come out with more knowledge and experience compared to anyone I know my age about the field I intend to make a career out of. I have learned what it is like to feel not acknowledged for my capabilities, taken advantage of, as well as unappreciated. I know what it is like to wake up every morning and dread walking through those doors but at the end of the day feel satisfied with the line of work I do. My years of experience has not only excelled my love and drive for veterinary medicine, but it has also taught me how not to conduct myself with others along my journey to become the best veterinarian and person I can be. Eventually, I will never work a day in my life.