Why the Turtle Always Wins in Veterinary Medicine
By Dr. Geoff Carullo, DVM, FPCCP, DPCVSCA
In veterinary medicine, it’s easy for young doctors to feel anxious when they look around.
Someone opened a bigger clinic.
Someone already has thousands of followers online.
Someone seems to be earning more, learning faster, moving ahead quicker.
And sometimes you quietly ask yourself: Am I too slow?
But here’s the truth. Veterinary medicine was never meant to be a race.
It is a long journey. And in long journeys, the ones who last are not the fastest. They are the turtles.
The turtle does not rush.
It does not compare itself with the animals running beside it.
It simply keeps moving forward, step by step, day after day.
That is how great veterinarians are built.
Not overnight.
Not in five years.
But through thousands of consultations, hundreds of surgeries, and countless nights wondering if you made the right decision for a patient.
Every difficult case adds another layer to your shell.
Every mistake teaches you something no textbook ever could.
Every grateful client reminds you why you chose this life.
And slowly, almost quietly, you grow.
One day you realize younger vets are asking you for advice.
Clients trust your judgment without question.
Your clinic has become part of the community.
Not because you ran faster than everyone else.
But because you never stopped moving forward.
The turtle also teaches another lesson.
When danger comes, it withdraws into its shell.
Veterinarians must learn this too.
This profession can be heavy. The long hours. The emotional cases. The online criticism. The moments when you lose a patient despite doing everything you could.
Sometimes the strongest thing you can do is step back, breathe, and protect your spirit.
Rest is not weakness.
It is how you survive a profession that demands so much heart.
So if today you feel like your progress is slow, remember this:
The turtle may not win the first kilometer.
But give it enough time, and it will outlast almost everyone.
Because in veterinary medicine, the ones who truly succeed are not those who move the fastest. They are the ones who stay faithful to the journey.
The ones who keep learning.
Keep serving.
Keep showing up.
Year after year.
Patient after patient.
Life after life.
And in the end, those quiet steps create something extraordinary.
A career built not on speed, but on endurance, compassion, and purpose.
That is the path of the turtle.
Sources
- Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results. Avery Publishing.
- Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Free Press.
- Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
- Kumar, A. (2024). The Turtle Theory: Why Slow Steady Movement Wins in a World Obsessed with Speed. Medium.
- Rajeevelt, R. (2025). The Turtle Theory to Succeed in a VUCA World. Leadership Research Paper.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
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