Alyssa Borden is the face of work-life balance we all need right now
Burn out is a real, and pervasive problem in the vet industry. People work long hours, often in emotionally charged situations, and often throw a work/life balance out the window. Alyssa Borden knows first hand just how tough this problem can be.
She started her career as a receptionist/TA in a veterinary hospital, and fell in love with the work. She loved being on the front lines of animal care, and being the first to help many animals during tough times.
Knowing she had a passion for the medical industry, she got an AHT diploma and began work as a Registered Veterinary Technologist at another 24 hour hospital. Soon after she chose to leave to help build a clinic with a veterinarian, and was the only RVT in the practice for a long time.
She credits her dad in many ways for being able to do this. Her father was an amazing example to her on work ethic, and going after the things she wanted in life. By following his example, she was able to advance far in her quest to help animals, and really enjoyed it for many years.
About this time Covid hit, and demand for veterinary care hit in all time high. Everyone had a pandemic puppy, and all these puppies needed their shots, emergency visits, and other care. The workload became a huge burden on her, and she realized that her job had become a burden rather than a joy.
Alyssa ended up doing what many people in the veterinary community do—she took work home with her every day, thinking about and struggling with it long after the day was done. After struggling with the huge burden of hating the job she used to love, Alyssa Borden got the best advice she would ever get in her career—“If you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life.”
She made the difficult decision to leave the clinic, and to set off on a new adventure instead. This decision lead her to Vetsie, a virtual care clinic that would help her strike a better work life balance. It ended up being a great decision for her. Vetsie allowed her to continue offering care to animals and helping owners in need, without feeling overwhelmed or burned out by her job.
Although leaving the people and animals she had come to love was difficult, Alyssa learned some valuable lessons from it. If she could advise the rest of the medical community, it would be to take your vacation.
Work life balance is such an important part of life, and often very neglected in the veterinary field. You only have one life, and it’s short, you might as well spend it doing something you love—both at home and at work.
Alyssa is much happier now, and looks forward to a bright future free from stress, burnout, and too much work. Her hope is that the veterinary community will find a way to deal with burnout, particularly for support staff that often aren’t as appreciated as the veterinarians themselves.
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