In my humble opinion, a consistent routine is one of the most important aspects of the “daily grind.” I have had a nearly non-changing clinical schedule while working at Banfield over the past two years. 95% of the time (barring federal or Jewish holidays), I work Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, a pattern that has continued throughout the pandemic. This alone gives me so much freedom in how I can plan my time for when I am not in the hospital. As a public service announcement to those new vet school graduates and fourth-year students, do know that having a day off in the middle of the traditional workweek is truly a blessing as it allows me to decompress.
Sadly, there are no windows in my hospital. To counteract the dearth of sun exposure I get while at work, I make sure to spend as much time as I can otherwise outdoors. I bike to work most days, except during snowstorms or if the temperature is below 25ºF. And depending on how busy the day is, if I can take a lunch break and spend part of it outside at Danehy Park (a three-minute walk from the clinic), I call that a win. Danehy Park is a special place for me since my parents actually happened to go there one time to watch me play in a soccer game in college. As I bike past that field en route to work, I have visions of them cheering for me, and it’s a priceless feeling.
