Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham built her career around teaching and mentoring newer staff, and volunteers with ViDAS, a non-profit that provides free spay and neuter services in under resourced communities. She moved into relief practice after becoming a new mother, trading a fixed contract for a schedule she controls herself. Based in Chicago and fluent in Spanish, she now splits her time between shifts and her young daughter. This profile first ran on Relief Rover, the relief-vet community platform that joined Hound in 2023.
In Her Own Words
What inspired you to become a veterinarian?
"Everyone will tell you the obvious, because we love animals. But veterinary medicine is much more than just the love for animals. We need to care about and love people too. I'm passionate about teaching and educating pet owners. Public health and the human animal bond are priorities for me. Since I was a little girl, it was my dream to become a doctor in veterinary medicine, even though I grew up surrounded by my parents' professions as human doctors."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
What roles have you had within the veterinary profession, and outside of it?
"Within hospitals, I tend to adopt a leadership role. I love to teach, train, and guide any associate, whether a vet assistant, vet tech, or new grad. That's actually my main focus, having a teamwork mentality and approach to everything. I'm also part of an amazing non-profit organization called ViDAS, which provides free spay and neuter services for dogs and cats in areas of need, to address overpopulation in certain communities."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
What made you switch to relief practice?
"I switched for the convenience and freedom of making my own schedule, now that I'm a new mom. One of my main worries was not being able to spend quality time with my baby, or committing to long hour days under a contract. The feeling of being attached to a contract made me so anxious that at that point I said, it's time to explore something different that will give me a better quality of life."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
What is your most memorable relief job?
"It was my second shift at this hospital, and they scheduled me a humane euthanasia. The practice manager consulted the case with me prior to scheduling, to make sure I was comfortable with it. I instantly thought that was very considerate of her. I went in, spoke to the owners, and then performed the euthanasia. Afterward, the technician told me she was touched by the way I supported the owners, and that she was never going to forget how meaningful I had been. This meant a lot to me, because I hold euthanasia appointments very close to my heart. My objective is that every single one gets my full engagement, both for the owners, and most importantly, for the animal that I'm gifting rest. Sometimes we do great things, and we don't realize it."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
How does relief practice support the veterinary profession as a whole?
"I believe that relief practice is a great support and help to any clinic, simply by being available to cover for them for either short or long term periods. Doing so brings the opportunity to keep the hospital running and productive with minimal disruption to the flow, even if someone goes on vacation. Should an associate unexpectedly quit, knowing that there are relief veterinarians available to cover and support your hospital can bring a sense of relief, ironically."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
What are your favorite things about being a relief vet?
"I very much enjoy exploring different hospitals and learning the various protocols each one has. Networking is great, because I get to meet different veterinarians and clients. Plus, every time I cover a shift, the staff is very grateful and appreciative of me being there for the day. Being my own boss is the biggest perk, having the ability to decide when I want to work and what hours. Along that same line, if I don't want to work holidays, I don't need to. I enjoy the sense of freedom, and the fact that if I don't like a hospital environment, I don't need to go back."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
What are your least favorite things about being a relief vet?
"Not being able to follow up with certain cases. I miss creating that long term bond with clients, but if I know I'll be there in the near future, I try to book their rechecks with me. Sometimes a client asks me if I'll be there permanently, because they'd like to continue to see me, and I dislike telling them that I may or may not be at that certain location, since I'm relief. Another thing I find challenging is the lack of affordable health insurance options. When I started, I didn't have the option to get health insurance through my husband. Now, thankfully, we do. If it weren't for his coverage, I would be at a loss finding a good affordable health insurance option for relief professionals. I've also struggled with building up savings for paid vacation time or maternity leave, but that will come with time."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
What do you look for in a practice when deciding to cover shifts for them?
"At this point, there are several things I look for. While I don't mind driving, I do take into account how long the travel time to the clinic is, since long drives will cut down on my personal time spent with my daughter. During winter months in Chicago, I don't like to travel too far away in case of snow. Another important thing I look for is how supportive the team is with one another. Before committing to many days in advance, I cover some shifts to make sure the hospital is a good fit for me, and vice versa."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
What supplies or equipment do you bring with you on the job?
"I bring my stethoscope, my own office supplies (pen, markers, calculator), a record keeping notebook, work calendar, favorite veterinary books, lab coat, name tag, scrubs, and a surgery cap."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
Have you picked up any unique practice tips along the way?
"I'm a visual organizer. I have a separate work planner to keep my shifts organized. I also keep an overview of the month on a wall calendar at my house, so my husband can see my schedule and where I'll be. I have the habit of keeping two to three months confirmed in advance."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
What advice would you give new relief vets?
"Review thoroughly what being a relief veterinarian entails. Relief Rover was, and continues to be, of huge help to me. When I started thinking about relief work, I was so lost. It was overwhelming to think of all the details. I started asking questions of other relief vets and looking into all the resources Relief Rover offers. It's very important to be organized. I keep a calendar specifically for work related shifts only. I keep a list of all the hospitals, their detailed information, practice manager, computer program, and my login information. I don't have an official contract, but in an email I let them know my basic policies (charge per hour, special requests, cancellation fees, and so on), so at least it's in writing. My main advice would be to always be on time, responsible, professional, and to communicate with the practice manager if there's something you're not comfortable with. Communication is always key. I was lucky to have one of my dearest friends, Dr. Alycia Einstein, help me get started. She's been a relief veterinarian for many years, and moving from a completely different state, she helped me start in this wonderful new work world. Having a group of relief veterinarians brings the most amazing support and motivation."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
How has the pandemic affected your relief practice?
"Overall, I don't see any negative effect from the pandemic. I feel like hospitals are way busier since the onset of the pandemic. Veterinarians overall are in high demand, so I feel like relief work is needed even more now."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
What states are you licensed in?
"Florida and Illinois."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
Aside from English, what languages do you speak?
"Spanish."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
What are your hobbies and passions outside of work?
"Right now, my focus and passion are to spend time with my almost seven month old daughter and watch her grow. Being there for her is my priority, and relief work is giving me that flexibility, which to me is the most important part of it all."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham
Anything else you'd like to share?
"I believe that to be comfortable with relief work, you have to be comfortable with the many challenges. I'm completely comfortable meeting new staff and accommodating their protocols. I'm flexible and communicative. I'm very organized, and keeping track of invoices, payments, and hospitals isn't difficult for me."
Dr. Anais Alamo-Abraham