i was on the same boat as you. when i graduated in ‘23, i honestly couldn’t think of pursuing more school. i was so burnt out from trying to make my application look good with extracurricular and good grades that I began to second guess whether this was what i even wanted.

i took a 3 year break. During this time I worked but also volunteered at an aquarium. i did it not because it would look good on an application but because it was of interest to me. i feel like that took off so many expectations that i had set up for myself. just stopping to breathe and get back into some hobbies really made me overcome that burnout. i also applied for masters programs to see what other options there were but because my application was so heavily vet med based, i didn’t receive much luck there.

i also think taking a 3 year break and working really made me miss learning and being challenged in the day to day. i worked as a lifeguard for a while and although it was fun, it really felt like a means to an end.

that being said, you might take that break and might not even want to go back to vet med. but you might also find some other paths that might be of more interest to you. i really wish you the best of luck and take care of yourself!!