<p><strong>Am I a useless vet?</strong><br></p><p>Sounds like a silly question that a new grad might ask, right? But imposter syndrome doesn&#39;t care about your credentials. </p><p>It whispers that you&#39;re a fraud, that you got lucky, that one day everyone will realise you don’t belong. </p><p>Or maybe you don’t feel like an imposter - but you beat yourself up after a case goes wrong. You replay every missed diagnosis. You hold yourself to an impossible standard, and when you fall short (even slightly), the inner critic shows no mercy.</p><p>Sound familiar?</p><p>In veterinary medicine, where perfection often feels like the baseline and the emotional toll runs deep,  these patterns can be exhausting.</p><p>But here’s the truth: <strong>you’re not the only one who feels this way.</strong></p><p>In this raw and honest conversation, we unpack:</p><ul><li><strong>Why imposter syndrome isn’t just a new grad thing</strong> - it can resurface anytime you step into something new, no matter how experienced or accomplished you are (Just keep listening if you don’t believe me)</li><li><strong>What confidence </strong><em><strong>really</strong></em><strong> looks like</strong> - not knowing everything, but being willing to try, learn, and grow</li><li><strong>Why perfectionism is often at the root of imposter - </strong>and what to do about it</li><li><strong>Making peace with the inner-critic</strong></li><li><strong>Why vulnerability matters</strong> </li><li><strong>A simple mindset shift</strong> that can make all the difference</li><li>And <strong>practical strategies</strong> to manage imposter feelings </li></ul><p>You’ll hear real stories, mindset tools, and the reminder that feeling “useless” says nothing about you. </p><p><br></p><p>If you’ve ever questioned your abilities or felt like you&#39;re just pretending to hold it all together - this episode is your mirror.</p><p><strong>You belong here. And it’s time you believed that too.</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Our guests are: </p><p><a href="https://marieholowaychuk.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Dr Marie Holowaychuck </a>- a board-certified emergency and critical care veterinarian and the founder of Reviving Vet Med, a global initiative dedicated to equipping veterinary professionals with practical tools for mental health, resilience, and work–life balance, and the author of A Compassionate Calling: What It Really Means to be a Veterinarian.</p><p>Check out her new book <a href="https://marieholowaychuk.com/book/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">here. </a></p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://substack.com/@drkerrinelson?utm_source=global-search" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Dr Kerri Nelson</a>: Experienced ER vet, mentor and former medical director. First time mom-to-be! (She has an epic blog about over-achieving -<a href="https://substack.com/@drkerrinelson?utm_source=global-search" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> here</a>.) </p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://animalemergencyaustralia.com.au/about-us/our-company/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Dr Rob Webster</a>: Co-Chief Executive Officer of Animal Emergency Australia, the leading veterinary emergency-care group down under, where he oversees clinical standards and consults on complex emergency and critical-care cases. A board-certified specialist in emergency and critical care since 2014. Jiu-jitsu tragic. </p><p><br></p><p>Check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at <a href="http://cutabove.supercast.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cutabove.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>, or go all in on surgery with our collaboration with Sydney University&#39;s <a href="https://cve.edu.au/Web/Continuing_Education/Registration/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=CSDESURG26" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">CVE Surgery Course. </a></p><p>Find out how we can help you build you in your vet career at <a href="https://www.thevetvault.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠</a>.</p><p>Get case support from our team of specialists in our <a href="https://the-vet-vault.mn.co/share/pWYTrfLxiUnCVDHu?utm_source=manual%E2%81%A0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>.</p><p>⁠Subscribe to our weekly newsletter⁠ <a href="https://thevetvault.substack.com/?r=2v2kg5&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklist" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>for Hubert&#39;s favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.</p><p>Join us in person for our epic adventure CE events at <a href="https://vetsontour.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vets On Tour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>. (Next up: Japan snow conference!) </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Topics and Time stamps</strong></p><p>04:28 You&#39;re not alone</p><p>09:56 What is a syndrome?</p><p>15:49   Defining Imposter Syndrome</p><p>19:44 Maybe It&#39;s Just Kinda Normal?</p><p>22:10 So What Can We Do About It?</p><p>27:22 The Eternal Internal Critic</p><p>30:22 Talk It Out</p><p>35:59 Vulnerability As A Weapon Against Imposter</p><p>39:03 This Is What Getting Better Feels Like</p><p>40:18 Perfectionism - The Root of Imposter</p><p>49:28 At Least You&#39;er Not a Psychopath!</p><p>51:04 The Best People Are Filled With Self-Doubt</p><p>51:56 Mistakes Happen</p>