Any Vets out there?

[blossombelle]

I'm currently on maternity leave, and not sure what to do about work. I have had to relocate whilst off work, and want to find a job that is workable with a young family. Has anyone else here give me advice/experienced this too? My last job was weekends/10hr days, OOH and I can't do this now!
Thanks

I have worked as a very part time regular locum since having DD three years ago (also have six year old DS). My DH managed to reorganise his full time hours into four long days so I work on his day off and on Saturday mornings. I am just about to start a new job working all day every Saturday. I found my jobs by writing to practices directly (especially small ones where the owner is desperate for any time off!) or by word of mouth. I have been really surprised how easy it has been to work flexibly around my children. And of course as I locum I never have to work on birhdays, Christmas etc. Whereabouts in the country are you?

Its so good to hear a positive response! My vet friends seem to think my career is over as I am the first to have a family. I have moved to the north-east and have a 4mth old. Have you done any post grad certs etc? what have employers responses been to the inevitable children related last minute emergencies/early finishes etc. All my previous jobs needed to start 8.30 and finish 6.30 ( and I was lucky they didn't have evening consults)
I know employment law etc protect women, but my previous employers have all had a blatant disregard for this and it does concern me (example - written contracts sorted 18mths after second job, not sorted in first)
As a locum what happened about maternity pay and working whilst pregnant with your DD? did they have to compltete H&S checks at each practice?
Sorry to grill you, I really appreciate your response!!

Only a couple of minutes until it's time to go to school so I will answer you properly later!

Don't worry about grilling me, I'm happy to answer your questions. There are quite few vets on MN, most often posting on the 'Pets' section so it might be worth putting this thread there as well.

I'm sure your career is not over if you don't want it to be, but I have definitely thought of it more as a job for the last few years. I like being an almost full time mummy so that has very much been my priority and work has had to fit in around the DCs.

I haven't done any certificates but have found the RVC eCPD courses excellent - 30 hours of CPD over six weeks from the comfort of your own computer.

I am very fortunate to have my parents close by so have not really had to worry about child related emergencies. If the situation had arisen I don't think it would have been a major problem though - probably easier in a larger practice.

I only became a locum when I returned to work after having DD so not really sure about H&S checks etc. Definitely understand your concerns about disregarding employment law though.

Would it be an option for you to work when your DH/DP is at home? I found this much less stressful than using other forms of childcare and you won't be losing some of whatever money you earn.

I'm in the south east so can't help specifically but if I was in your position I think I would write to a few practices, making your circumstances clear from the outset, and see what response you get. You might be surprised - I certainly was!

hey, excellent suggestion of the eCPD! I had forgotten they were developing this. I am also happy being a mum rather than a career workaholic (currently a mumaholic - my nights are far more disturbed than on call ever was!) - its much more rewarding
I spent today looking around local nurseries and was pleased with one in particular - I'm beginning to think DS will really enjoy a couple of days there, they seem lovely!
Thanks for your responses - I will try to post on Pets too.

Hi - I'm a vet and a mum. I work two days a week 9am-7pm and my two girls go to nursery on those days. I am fortunate that DH is close enough to drop off and pick up the girls on those days. Once they start at school on work days they will go to an after school club until DH can pick them up. I don't usually work weekends except when they are very short and then only for a short clinic rather than a full on call. I don't do out of hours work either as we are lucky enough to use one of the local OOH providers too. For me these arrangements work well. Subject to after school care and how I feel the girls are doing and how much after school mummy time they need I am considering longer term doing my two days regularly and then having extra locum days at the same practice in term time, so that in the holidays I only need to find childcare two days a week. How it will work out I don't know but it is a plan.

I have another vet friend who is just about to return to work after a career break to be a mummy too. She is looking at the OOH services though and doing shifts overnight for them while her DH is at home and then coming home to be there for school drop/pick up in the day, and the school holidays.

As for CPD - I try and do as much of the free evening stuff on offer from the drugs companies as I can to bump up hours, and this year I am doing a block away at BSAVA congress to up my days drastically as I have been a little lacking I fear recently! It can be done, just takes a bit of planning. I haven't done any certificates and I think that does apply to many many vets out there these days still. I would maybe if I still had time away from work for me, but hey that is the fun of being a mum and I wouldn't change it.

I agree with legoprincess - write around and let people know what you are looking for. If you are up front at the start you hopefully will not get anyone try to mess you about later. My employers are definately supportive of time off for sick kids too, though I do try very hard not to let them down and my DH will occasionally take a day off to have the kids if they are sick or more often I am lucky my parents can have them - work know that and respect that if I need to be off then I am not making excuses.

Good luck - BTW I saw this in pets - good idea to post it there!

Hi blossombelle, I am a vet and mum of a toddler.

I was the main earner pre-children and financially I had no option but to return to work after he was born - we saved during the pregnancy so I had around 6 months maternity leave. When I went back to work DP became a SAHD and has been ever since.

I work a 4 day week, 2-3 of which will be 10 hours plus, 1-2 of which will be 9 hours. I also do first on call once a week, second on call once a week and a 1 in 3 weekend rota. It is a busy mixed practice and can be busy OOH, especially for the next couple of months! If I am honest, I really struggle with tiredness and guilt (somehow still managing to breastfeed a wakeful child though so hanging on in there somehow!). I am forever getting bugs and have no energy, and I feel that a lot of the time I do spend with DS I am grumpy and impatient because I am so tired. I think my situation is really not ideal.

However, it's made easier by loving my job and having good colleagues, and with the support of DP. And the perspective that having a child has given me makes me a better vet I think - I am braver and more practical.

If it was at all an option for me I would work in a job with less committment, ideally part-time. For various reasons I can't move just now so it isn't an option. But I know of people who have struck good deals with practices to cover morning consults, for eg, or weekends. I think a lot depends on your attitude to things like working overnight (OOH clinics pay much better than normal practices) and weekends. Also whether you rely on childcare and need to collect kids at a certain time - we all know how unpredictable it can be! Other things to think about might be Animal Health or lab work (although I'm assuming you have a SA bias?).

I definitely think it is good to be back, but you will probably need to be assertive because employment regs seem to be a bit of a weird notion in our line of work and it's all too easy for employers to agree to one thing and then actually require a lot more from you.

CPD-wise I too take advantage of as much local sponsored stuff as possible to avoid being away. Here local practices try to cooperate and get CPD together. It takes a bit of imagination but you can get a lot of things delivered locally.

This is all a bit long and rambly (trying to get dressed and get DS ready to go out) so sorry for lack of coherence!

Hi, I'm a vet too.
I've been lucky I suppose as I worked for a charity si the hours are certainyl better. But it does take me about anhour to travel to work.

Aftet my first child I went back to work for 3 days a week which i found hard.
When I got back to work there were some new vets and I found it a bit hard to slot back in. But in the end stuff settled down well and then I got preg again

After the secondmaternaity leave I really enjoyed going back to work 3 days, but the cost of childcare for 2 pre schoolers and the flakey childminder we had jsut added far too much stress to my life and I left the best job I'd ever had

I worked every 3-4 weekedns- as a 24hr vet. I really enjoy that anyway - I did a cert VA about 10yrs ago as I liked the emergency side of stuff anyway.

I did that for about a yr- and was getting kind of lonelt and HD was getting tired.

I then eneded up back at the chairy 3 days a week doing somebody else's mat leave!
Then there's anothner vet who is having a baby so I'll do her 3 days a week for the next 6 months or so too. have found CPD a nightmare- but did some RCV one day refreshers for about £100 a go which is great. and as much of the free stuff as poss.
Otherwise i jsut couldn't afford it...

I think I'm lucky as i worked for a big organisation with a HR dept etc so the mat leave stuff was handled by them.

Subsequently alot of pregnancies have ensued so the place os becoing very parent friendly. But there's a definite type pof person in the vet profession- the carreer person who has absolustly no idea what kids mean and how complicated our lives are because of them.
I tried to tell my boss that my abiltiy to leave the house in the morning depended on 4 people being well, ie me, ds1, ds2 and childminder.
I don't think it sank in... but it will as she's jsut had a baby too
dh picks up alot of the slack- if I'm doing something i can't leave then he will get home for the kids.

It isn't easy, and I've found it a struggle at times.
But i just feel so lucky TBH>
i love muyu kids, they'll both be full time school in sept
And I've got my groove back at work now so I fele fairlyon top of my job again.

I

Hi all - sorry for being absent - computer problems but finally sorted!
I have booked a nursery for september for 3 days a week, and will start chatting to local practices soon to see if I can do 2-3 days a week, and get a feeling for what hours will be helpful to them. with no fixed job and the waiting lists being a nightmare I was lucky to get 3 days at all - the nursery were very understanding!
Thanks so much for your points - oopsagain you are quite right they never understand until they have children - I've been unlucky to work for male bosses who have their children presented to them by their wives at the weekend, and thus have little sympathy for how difficult it is 24/7!!
fingers crossed it will all pan out x