Their days start before the sun is up, preparing themselves and their kids for the day ahead. Packing lunches, filling water bottles, giving comforting hugs, and saying “I love you” when they are in the school carline. This is just the beginning of the action-packed day that awaits a DVM mom.
“We work so hard, just as our male counterparts do,” said Dr. Sharymarie Hines. “We miss out on a lot of things with our children by the mere fact of not being home as often as we would like to be.”
A mother of two kids — an 8-year-old and a 20-year-old — Dr. Sharymarie Hines worked after college as a registered nurse, and held several different roles, including ER nurse and critical care nurse, having had both of her kids before starting veterinary school.
Here is a typical day for Dr. Hines: from 5:00 a.m. to 7:15 a.m., she wakes up and while her husband, Christian, prepares breakfast for their daughter, Ruby, and fills her water bottle for the day, Dr. Hines gets ready and fixes her coffee. When Ruby is finished getting ready, Dr. Hines takes her to school. From 8:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Dr. Hines begins her workday at the veterinary clinic, focusing on patients, surgeries, and appointments. She drives home for lunch at noon and takes a power nap by the pool in her favorite zero-gravity chair, which she calls this her ‘midday piece of heaven.’ By 2:00 p.m. she is back working on appointments, callbacks, and discharging surgeries from the morning.
Dr. Hines’ husband picks up Ruby from school and starts on homework. By now, it is around 6:00 p.m., a time when most people are walking through their front doors, leaving the exhaustion and stress of the day behind. But Dr. Hines is in the process of starting her new business, “Gentle Farewells, LLC,” so for an extra hour every night, she squeezes in a few more patients, and still makes it to dinner with her family. From 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Ruby gets tucked into bed and Dr. Hines gets ready for another full day Dr. Bishop, mother to a 10-year-old daughter and owner of 321 Mobile Veterinary Services, said she finds it challenging but rewarding to be a working mom.
“As much as I love my daughter — and it’s a whole lot — I would have been bored as a stay-at-home mom when she was really little, and now that she’s in school, I don’t think I would have been a successful homeschool mom,” said Dr. Bishop. “But it’s still important to me to find time to volunteer at her school, attend ceremonies, performances, and go to practices and games.”
Moms in every occupation, from stay-at-home moms to the those working multiple jobs to make ends meet, are all tough and hardworking, but DVM moms face extra challenges and difficulties in their day-to-day lives as veterinarians. From handling high-stress patients to performing surgeries, DVM moms have extra risks to consider, and extra precautions they need to take, especially during their pregnancies.
“I had a serious medical issue while pregnant with my first that occurred at the end of one of my surgery days,” said Dr. Conant. “After that, I refused to perform surgery or be around any isoflurane while pregnant. I was also hyperaware of aggressive dogs.”
Dr. Teri Schroeck, mother of two, said she worked until her due date, and that it was not hard; however, she took the necessary precautions to ensure her safety, such as delegating riskier tasks to her technicians. “I stayed away from X-rays, and inhalant anesthetic gases at induction or recovery, but I did continue to do surgery,” said Dr. Schroeck. “I also kept in mind potential cases that could be zoonotic and took appropriate measures to protect myself.” Dr. Brooke Eubanks, mother to a 15-month-old daughter, had a similar experience while working pregnant. She wore supportive shoes, avoided harmful chemicals, and took only a week off before her due date because of fatigue. Unfortunately, despite her best efforts to avoid dangerous situations, Dr. Eubanks was bitten in her third trimester by a sick, unvaccinated cat and had to go on antibiotics.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the recommended time off following the birth of a child is at least six weeks. DVM moms, depending on their job situation, can take more time if needed. Dr. Conant, mother to two kids, took 14 weeks off for her firstborn. She originally took eight weeks off and then had an additional six weeks of disability. When she gave birth to her second child, she was a relief vet and took six weeks off, then began easing back into part-time work three days a week, before going back to full-time.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) 2024 report, from 2010-2019, the gender distribution by year of graduation was 5.6% male, and 21.0% female. Between 2020 and 2024 it was 1.8% male and 8.5% female. The veterinary industry is rapidly growing with more females than ever taking leadership roles. In a total census taken of veterinarians, 74% were female. According to the same AVMA report, 9.6% of veterinarians prefer to work fewer hours for a lower level of compensation, so they have more time to have children, and take care of their families. This statistic has grown by .6% since 2022. AVMA’s life insurance originally ensured soon-to-be DVM moms up to three months, including paid benefits on or before the date of delivery. However, they have since scaled it down to one month, which has received pushback from new mothers.
“I think it is important for the industry to recognize that DVM moms are a large demographic of total vets. I hope small animal GP management recognizes this and can continue to be open minded about scheduling,” said Dr. Conant. “The traditional Monday-Saturday 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. schedule may not be feasible for veterinarian moms. The industry needs to be open to part-timers or nontraditional scheduling.” The veterinary industry has a large demographic of moms who are slowly changing the veterinary industry for the better. Dr. Schroeck believes that the veterinary industry is only going to improve as the majority of DVMs pursue motherhood.
“Clients become more trusting of us as we examine, diagnose, and treat their pets’ needs. DVM’s who are moms have more patience, they listen, they have more compassion, they have the ability to decipher what is the most important need for their patient and their client at the time of their visit,” said Dr. Schroeck. “They conduct themselves in a calm and nurturing way, which is so important when the client is already stressed about their pet’s health. This is why most people will say they trust their vet more than they trust their own doctor.” DVM moms could not be the superheroes they are without their trusty sidekicks. Whether it is their partner, friend, or close family, DVM moms can fill their days with appointments, surgeries, mobile visits, or charting with the help of a dedicated support system.
“Reach out for support – build a group of supportive friends or family where you are that can in a pinch, handle daycare or school pick-ups,” said Dr. Bishop. “The DVM Moms- Life in the Trenches” Facebook group has been an amazing source of support for me, I have been an administrator of the group since 2016 and those moms have been there for me through thick and thin.”
DVM moms are working hard to provide for their families and prove to the next generation that anything can be accomplished with the right drive and resources.
“Veterinarians are Type A personalities; we like to be in control of situations and take charge,” said Dr. Hines. “This mindset makes us feel like we can take on the world but the hardest thing I ever learned was that while I may be able to have it all, I may not be able to have it all at once. So, I had to learn to pace myself and my expectations for my family, myself, my lifestyle, and my future.”