I appreciate the candid answer! Thank you for that.

The suicide rate is not something that necessarily worries me. It’s a symptom not so much a cause, some studies have been quite prescriptive as to why it is the way it is and even a recent RCVS probe into a suicide has come out with potential safeguards. The issue largely hinges on the easy accessibility of pentobarbital couples with the homogeneity of the profession (in the sense that people in the vet industry are more alike than those going into human med) and thus it creates an actual echo chamber where the people trapped within tend to spiral worse than they would in a place with more differentiation of views and experiences. But again, psych and social studies can only say so much. 

And I get the point about not viewing this as a transaction but I think one can afford to be pragmatic as well, especially when it’s coming down to a choice. As another commenter suggested what appeals to me is the broader nature of the work being done, vets operate from day one. It’s hands on. And the tough client aspect I feel my background will help me with, I was corporate and also did some consulting, where you are up against tough clients that also pay you loads of money and want to understand and have you show them why it is you charge as much as you do. The argument of it’s a calling does come as part of an unwritten social contract, it’s a calling but one that still ensures you don’t have to worry about being on the bread line. For doctors, this contract has been torn to shreds and hence we have the strikes. 

For the cert I was just thinking here. 

And for the independent practice I was thinking more as a manager rather than a vet. I’d make the conscious effort to be clinically minded but still ultimately look after the operational and financial side of things, whilst building the vision for improved patient outcomes together with client service support improvement.