Veterinarian: A Superhero

AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) recognizes that veterinarians are the only doctors educated to protect the health of both animals and people. They work hard to address the health and welfare needs of every species. Veterinarians have critical roles in environmental protection, research, food safety, and public health.

The job itself requires compassion, dedication, and commitment. Vets are important for pets because, besides them, no one fully understands their problems. Moreover, they play an essential role in both animals and its owner. As they say, one can bring a pet to their home but cannot treat them with their illnesses. 

To cut the chase short, isn’t it compelling to take this opportunity to thank our great men & women behind The City Vet’s medical team? As we celebrate World Veterinary Day, we would like to thank our doctors who are not just colleagues who champion in their respective areas of specialty but also superheroes for all our pet parents. And to know more about the life of a veterinarian, we did a sit-down interview with Dr. Stella Pantazapoulou, Orthopaedic Surgeon, and the Medical Director of The City Vet Clinic. 

What made you want to become a veterinarian? 

A simultaneous desire for medicine and compassion for animals.

What is a typical day for Dr. Stella as a veterinarian? 

There are both easy days and extremely hard days where I even take work home. I usually switch from long surgeries to appointments and back to practice management tasks within a day.

What was your biggest challenge being a veterinarian thus far? 

There is a daily challenge when you are a veterinarian. When you think you have reached a point where everything is under control, there are always new things coming to prove you the opposite; Either new challenging medical cases or this life-work balance every veterinarian struggles to achieve.

Do you find being a veterinarian emotionally & intellectually challenging? 

Absolutely. Especially in the first years of the profession, but this is something you can work on. The problem is that vets are always in the middle, trying to help animals that are not speaking and at the same time trying to make happy pet owners who usually come anxious. It needs emotional strength to deal with such situations and at the same time to allow your mind to think and solve problems clearly, problems that sometimes have to do with life and death.

What does strengthening veterinary resilience mean to you? 

Resilience is a skill every vet should exercise to protect themselves from burnout or other mental issues. People outside the veterinary field cannot understand easily what we describe here, because they see vets as some kind of good people who take care of cute animals and just have fun with them. They should question themselves though why the veterinary profession is number one on the list among professions worldwide with an increased number of suicides.

If given a chance to trade careers, would you accept it? 

Although many times I feel overwhelmed being a “multi-doctor”, a.k.a. veterinarian, I don’t think I would ever stop doing it. It’s already so many jobs in one and you never feel bored! 

Indeed, the profession is truly rewarding and fulfilling. The City Vet Clinic is beyond proud of what we have achieved through the help of our veterinary team. So Happy World Veterinary Day to all our heroic veterinarians. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to pets everywhere—you are truly paw-some!