Hello, fellow techs, I've been in vetmed since 2021. I started off in a non-profit vaccine, spay/neuter clinic, then went to shelter work and have since worked at 2 clinics that are part of a larger network.

Here are the reasons why I left the jobs I had.

Spay/Neuter Clinic: Inhumane treatment of employees by management and DVMs. We worked either 10 hours or 13 hours a day and were only allowed a 15-minute break. This clinic had the culture that DVMs are far superior to techs, and I was yelled at by a doctor, among other things.

Shelter: Mostly wanted a higher paying job. I also had problems with the coordinator of the department I worked in. She completely blind sided me by talking to HR about how I forgot to do one of my tasks one day at work and litterally told me: We could fire you right now, but we're not going to. I had a meeting with HR and my manager, and it went bad. Instead of trying to moderate and be neutral, the HR person took the side of my manager completely. I quit shortly after due to that situation.

1st clinic: I really enjoyed this job initially. However, it was the type of clinic that would do double booking all day long. A dvm would see 25-30 rooms a day, and we'd have 1 treatment tech/float. With this setup, I felt that we couldn't give the best care as we were always behind and rushing to do everything. I also experienced many doctors not respecting that I do fear-free techniques in my handling, and they wanted to me push the animals. Plus, my manager would make homophobic remarks!

2nd clinic (my current job): I've been here for almost 5 months. This job has some things that I really love, no double booking, 30-minute appointments, lots of staff support, and it's a beautiful facility. However, I don't feel like this is a positive environment. My lead tech and manager are often hostile with their communication due to being stretched thin at work. I also still feel like I am still an outsider working here even though I've been here for a few months. My coworkers have all worked together for 2 years, and this creates clique vibes. My coworkers often groan and moan about doing simple tasks. They question my technique and skill and have undermined me when I come to them needing help with a pet.

I also don't appreciate that my job is super particular about pet discounts for personal pets. You can't have your pet scheduled for an exam. You have to bring them in on a day you're working. I did not know this before I scheduled an annual for my cat, and my manager refused to give me my employee discount due to me taking up a spot on the schedule." It's fine if the policy is not to do an appointment, but I wasn't informed of this until my cat was already at the clinic on lots of Gaba. On a similar note, work only allows you to get a discount on 2 pets, I have 3 pets, and several of my coworkers have more than 2.

I could go on, but my main point is this: Is it normal to take a while to find the right fit as a tech? How long did it take you for the right fit? Any advice? Insight? Thank you in advance.