For every new veterinarian, that first job after passing the board exam will shape your career more than you think. The clinic or hospital you choose, and the mentor who leads you there, will leave a lasting imprint—not only on your skills, but also on the way you think, decide, and grow as a professional.
Your first boss will influence your habits, your confidence, and your vision of what a “good vet” looks like. Consciously or not, you will start to mirror their ways—their approach to patients, their work ethic, even how they handle stress and clients. One day, you might realize that many of your decisions were shaped by the very first mentor who guided you.
Here’s a truth many forget:
Your mentor will never be perfect. No mentor will give you everything you think you need. Instead of focusing on what they lack, open yourself to learning what they do have. Observe how they run their practice. Understand why their clinic or hospital works the way it does.
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Every veterinary hospital is a reflection of its owner’s life. Its schedule, its services, its priorities—all are designed around their lifestyle, business goals, and family aspirations. It’s not just a workplace; it’s a living extension of your mentor’s choices and values. As a new vet, you are the one who must adjust.
Learn the ropes. Absorb the lessons. Observe the systems. You are not just earning a paycheck—you are being molded into the veterinarian you will become.
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Choose your first mentor wisely, and give yourself the humility to learn. Because long after you move on, their influence will echo in the way you practice, lead, and serve your future patients.
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Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
