We recently had a motivational speaker come and facilitate a workshop for us veterinary students. It centered around our goals and motivation for those goals. I sneakily got out of the clinic for a half hour or so to attend as much of the workshop as I could. It can be hard to get out of the clinic to attend extra lectures, but I am usually able to juggle my responsibilities and manage. This workshop ended up being very productive and renewing for me. I will highlight some of the questions that we worked through that may be helpful for all of you to think about.
- What events occurred that got you started on the career and personal path you are on now? This question asks us to call on a few events in our lives that played an integral role in getting us on the path we are currently on. They could be events associated with anything from work to personal life. Perhaps you can think of 2 or 3, maybe even a handful, of events that really molded you and set you on your path. For me, thoughts of my first clinic I ever worked at swirled around in my head amidst moments spent in nature and with wildlife that showed me how rewarding working with animals can be. What moments can you think of that truly played an integral, maybe even exceptional part in molding career path and personal path?
- What “ah ha moments” have occurred in your life? For me, a few “ah ha” moments stick out that really taught me about other people’s life experiences and helped me develop my sense of empathy. A lot of those moments occurred when I was a Resident Advisor in Vermont and got know a lot of students on a personal level. I learned how to help others through times of crisis and hardship. This taught me that even though we may be in the same place such as a school or work place, many of us have drastically different lives that can sometimes come with their fair share of difficulties and challenging experiences.
- What are your current goals? Even though most of us in vet school are very goal-oriented, sometimes we may lose direct sight of our goals amidst the chaos of vet school. Many of us have goals of doing an internship and residency after school. I have the goal of working in private practice immediately after school and eventually owning a clinic. I don’t know when ownership will occur, but I am planning on it happening in the next 5-10 years.
These questions were a great time for me to check in with myself and where I am headed now that I am about to graduate from veterinary school. No matter where we are in life, I think we can all use a time or person to help us check in.
