May 2023

By Dr. Julie Liu

What you need to know about being a relief veterinarian: Relief Vet 101

In this VETgirl online veterinary continuing education blog, Dr. Julie Liu talks about being a relief veterinarian. If you’re toying with switching from full-time or even part-time to just doing relief work as a veterinarian or veterinary technician, tune into this blog to learn more!

Did you ever learn about relief vets when you were in vet school? Me neither. I never even heard the phrase “relief vet” until several years later, when I met a couple of cool relief vets who helped out occasionally at my practice. Fast forward to 2020, when I found myself in the midst of some burnout, half-heartedly looking for other associate jobs and wondering if I should leave vet med entirely. But really, what else did I feel qualified to do? I felt like Liam Neeson’s character in “Taken”:  I had a very particular set of skills, skills I’d acquired over a very long career. Was I ready to throw those out and start over completely?

Vet with dog

Image by J C from Pixabay

I thought back to those two relief vets and decided to take them out for coffee and pick their brains about whether I should become a relief vet. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I’m so grateful for their mentorship. Over time my burnout lifted, and I started to see all of the amazing opportunities that arose when I freed myself from what I thought a vet had to be.

If you’ve ever felt like being a staff vet wasn’t the right fit and wondered whether you could do relief, I’m here to tell you that you can and you should! Here are some tips to get you started.

Why relief?
Freedom and flexibility! As a relief vet working for yourself, you work when you want, where you want, and set your own policies and rates. Relief life also fosters a portfolio career, where you diversify your income streams and pursue multiple interests. I feel more rejuvenated when I work relief because I have other income streams for financial security and other ways of engaging my brain.

Being a relief vet gives you more variety and exposes you to so many more ideas and people. And if there’s workplace drama, guess what? It slides right off of you because you’re not entrenched as an employee.

My work-life balance has improved exponentially since becoming relief. I’m better able to compartmentalize and transition into “life” mode because I think of work in shifts, rather than as a never-ending continuum. Supporting colleagues and facilitating their work-life balance is also one of the most fulfilling parts about the job.

Challenges with relief
You’ll most likely have changing workplaces as a relief vet and need to be adaptable. You also need to be reliable and self-sufficient–it’s harder to call in sick because you might be filling in for someone who’s out, and you won’t always be able to consult with another vet about your cases.

If you’re an independent contractor, you’ll be responsible for your own business expenses, including insurances (health, liability, disability, workers comp if required by your state), licenses (state vet license, DEA, and a possible state-controlled substances license), memberships, and CE. While your CPA can help you deduct some expenses come tax time, budgeting can be an adjustment. Your income stream may also be non-linear, and you’ll need to plan for quarterly estimated taxes, for which you’ll want to set aside roughly 30% of your 1099 income.

Business considerations
For your relief vet team, I highly recommend using an accountant. My CPA calculates my deductions and estimated taxes, provides guidance on business structures (sole proprietor, LLC, PLLC, or S-Corp), and is a great resource. A lawyer can help you with business setup up and putting together a relief contract. I also consider my network of fellow relief vets to be invaluable. We share advice, discuss policies, and pass on work if a clinic reaches out and one of us isn’t able to cover requested work.

Think about whether you’d like to strike out on your own or work through a relief agency. A relief agency may provide benefits and help with scheduling, but they may also take a cut of what the clinic would pay for the shift and require a non-compete.

Ask yourself whether you prefer to be paid as 1099 or as W2. W2 vets will already have taxes taken out and may have some benefits but can’t deduct business expenses such as mileage to and from work. 1099 vets will have deductions and receive a pre-tax amount for which they’ll pay estimated quarterly taxes. Again, check with your CPA about which option is best for you.

For travel relief, you’ll need to get licensed in each state. Any vet who wants to prescribe controlled substances will need a federal DEA license and may also need a state-controlled substances license. Since most relief vets work at different practices locally, you can list your home address as your DEA address, then update it online to reflect the address of the out-of-state clinic if you travel. However, the update can take over a week, so if you’re going to be traveling between states regularly, it may be worthwhile to get a second DEA license for that state. Controlled substances can be a gray area for relief vets, so I recommend consulting directly with the DEA and your state board of pharmacy and checking out the DEA webinar on Relief Rover.

dog and boy

Image by mbfrye from Pixabay

As a relief vet you’ll set your rates (per shift or hourly), which will be influenced by the type of work you’re doing (e.g., GP, shelter, ER) and the day/ time of the shift. You’ll also need to determine your services. If you choose to perform elective surgery, it may be wise to work at least one shift at a clinic first to ensure that you’re comfortable with their surgery protocols, drugs, equipment, and techs.

I also highly recommend using a contract to protect you, your income, and your ethics. How do you expect to get paid, and in what time frame? Will you have a cancellation policy and euthanasia policy? A good contract will ensure that you and the clinic are on the same page.

Personal considerations
How much do you want or need to work? To answer this question, evaluate your expenses (including debt) and budget. Decide when you want to work and how far you want to travel, both locally and longer distances. Finally, think about how far ahead you want to book. The further ahead you book the more financial security you’ll probably have, but you’ll lose some of that freedom and flexibility. My advice is to always leave room for last minute opportunities and fun!

How do you find work?
Reaching out to your relief network, setting up a free profile on LinkedIn, and joining your local VMA are great places to start. Relief Rover has a job board, and you can also contact clinics directly and answer associate ads. It’s a great time to be a relief vet now because most clinics need help, and you’ll probably end up with more work than you can handle.

During booking
When getting to know a clinic, you may want to ask what the techs are comfortable doing (e.g., drawing blood) and whether the clinic has your preferred equipment. Always ask how medical records are kept, as there are a variety of veterinary softwares and some clinics use paper records. For new clinics, I would recommend only booking 1-2 trial shifts to ensure that it’s a good mutual fit.

Make sure your contract covers shift dates/ times, rates (including overtime), and your relief policies. You should receive a signed copy back before finalizing the booking, then email them your W9 and copy of your license. Ensure that you have a foolproof system for tracking bookings. Without a system, you might end up in a nightmare scenario where you inadvertently commit to two different clinics for the same shift.

Shift time!
Set a good impression by arriving on time or even early. For new clinics, consider arriving even earlier to get a clinic tour, meet the staff, and make sure you can log in to your workstation. Everyone loves sugar and bringing donuts can help make the staff’s morning. Try to arrive with a positive attitude as well and always show appreciation to the staff. Work supplies will vary based on the vet but should include your stethoscope and a copy of your state license and your DEA license.

Before leaving, all of your medical records should be completed, and spend a few minutes thanking staff for helping you out. At some point you’re going to want to email a PDF of the invoice. This is a great time to thank the clinic management and invite them to book future shifts if you had a good experience.

Congratulations! You’re on your way to becoming a relief vet. Your learning curve will be steep and seem scary at times, but it’s well worth it. Even if you’re not sure about going full time relief, I would still recommend working a few relief shifts at any practice first before signing on as a staff vet to make sure it’s a good fit. Check out the resources below for more info, and happy relief-ing!

Resources

www.ReliefRover.com

https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/index.html

*Please note the opinions in this blog are the expressed opinion of the author and not directly endorsed by VETgirl.

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