Don’t Take Constructive Criticism from People Who Haven’t Constructed Anything
By Dr. Geoff Carullo, DVM, FPCCP, DPCVSCA
One quiet reality in veterinary practice is this: the more visible you become, the more opinions you will hear.
Some will question how you treat cases.
Some will question how you run your clinic.
Some will question your decisions, your pricing, or even your intentions.
But here is an important truth every veterinarian must learn: not every opinion deserves space in your mind.
In our profession, there are people who constantly offer “advice” or criticism. Yet when you look closer, you realize something. They have never built a clinic. They have never carried the responsibility of a full practice. They have never shouldered the weight of difficult cases, staff salaries, client expectations, and the emotional burden of life-and-death decisions.
It is easy to critique from the sidelines. It is harder to build something from the ground up.
Real constructive criticism usually comes from people who have walked the same path. Mentors, experienced clinicians, colleagues who understand the realities of practice. When they give feedback, it comes from experience, credibility, and a genuine intention to help you grow. That kind of criticism is valuable. It sharpens you.
But criticism from spectators is different. It often carries opinion without experience, judgment without understanding, and noise without wisdom.
As veterinarians, we must learn to filter.
Listen to mentors.
Listen to people who have results.
Listen to those who have gone through the process and built something meaningful.
But when comments come from those who have never carried the responsibility you carry, do not let those voices shake your confidence.
Sometimes the best response is simple.
Smile. Say thank you. Then continue doing the work.
Veterinary medicine already demands so much from us: long hours, emotional resilience, constant learning, and the responsibility of caring for lives that cannot speak for themselves. You cannot afford to let every outside opinion slow your progress.
Protect your vision. Protect your momentum.
Because not everyone who speaks deserves to influence your path.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
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