Dr. Michele Donathan spent years in biotechnology and HIV vaccine research before her pet cockatoo, Kahlan, convinced her at 32 to go back to school for veterinary medicine. She originally hoped to become one of the rare avian veterinarians, but ended up falling for feline medicine instead, and she's now both Fear Free and Feline Friendly certified. She went full time in relief work in March 2021, after years of squeezing relief shifts around a full time associate job just to make ends meet. 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?
"It's very cliché, but I always knew that being a veterinarian was what I wanted to do. That being said, I took a different path for the first part of my life and went into biotechnology and vaccine research. At 32, I decided to go back to school and earn my DVM because of my Goffin's Cockatoo, Kahlan. I looked at her one day while we were playing and just knew that I should have pursued veterinary medicine all along. At that time, my goal was to become an avian veterinarian, since they're so hard to find, but of course things changed during and after school, and now my love is feline medicine."
Dr. Michele Donathan
What roles have you had within the veterinary profession, and outside of it?
"I've had many roles over the course of my life. I've been a veterinary receptionist, so I sympathize with how hard those jobs really are, especially now with COVID added to the mix. I was also a vet tech for many years before I changed gears and went into biotechnology and research, where I was a customer service specialist, a laboratory technician, a DNA sequencing lab manager, and a research associate for HIV vaccine research. Since becoming a veterinarian, I've been an associate at several clinics, and about two years ago I started dabbling in relief work on the side. In March of this year, I took the plunge and went relief full time."
Dr. Michele Donathan
What made you switch to relief practice?
"A flexible schedule was the deciding factor. I was working full time in a regular day practice and doing relief work on the side just to pay the bills, and I was stretching myself far too thin to make ends meet. After thinking about it long and hard, and talking it over with my boss and my best friend from veterinary school, I decided to try relief work full time."
Dr. Michele Donathan
What is your most memorable relief job?
"I'd have to say working at Flagler Animal Hospital, which does day practice and emergency work while staying fear free. I've worked at other emergency clinics that weren't, so it's refreshing to see fear free methods used in that setting. The staff is amazing, and they go out of their way to make sure their relief vets are happy and taken care of. I was very lucky, and at the time of writing this, I was covering a three month maternity leave for them."
Dr. Michele Donathan
How do you feel that relief practice supports the veterinary profession as a whole?
"I like to believe we help provide another avenue for the work life balance that's increasingly needed in our profession every day. I'm happy to be able to do what I love while also helping practice owners and associates take the time off they need."
Dr. Michele Donathan
What are your favorite things about being a relief vet?
"There are so many things I love about relief work. Most notably is probably the change in scenery at each different practice, since I get bored being in one place for too long. I enjoy building new friendships with the other veterinarians and technicians, which relief work definitely provides the opportunity for. Finally, I get to be my own boss when it comes to my schedule, and I can plan for trips and events as I need to."
Dr. Michele Donathan
What are your least favorite things about being a relief vet?
"My biggest worries right now are probably the uncertainty of being able to fill up my calendar, along with the possibility of cancellations for shifts already booked, but that's mostly because I'm still newer to doing this full time."
Dr. Michele Donathan
What do you look for in a practice when deciding whether to cover shifts there?
"Mostly I'm looking for small animal practices, daytime hours of operation, and a management staff that's open and responsive. It's a huge plus if the clinic is Fear Free certified or Feline Friendly certified, since I'm both, but that can sometimes be hard to find."
Dr. Michele Donathan
What supplies or equipment do you bring with you on the job?
"I have my trusty stethoscope, of course. I love my Littmann Cardiology IV! After that, I carry a backpack full of items I use daily, including fear free items like treats and an ear thermometer, my tablet for work on the go, a carabiner with suture scissors, bandage scissors, and hemostats, and personal care items like spare deodorant, since you never know when you'll need it when you're far from home."
Dr. Michele Donathan
Have you picked up any unique practice tips while doing relief work?
"Everywhere I go I seem to learn something new, since everyone has their own techniques for certain things. Most recently, I found that using a Feliway towel inside a clean cat litter box, just big enough for the cat to lie in and hide, is a huge hit with my scared feline patients. I used to use only the Feliway towels, and the cats would sometimes try to run off the table, but adding the litter box solves that problem and helps them feel safer."
Dr. Michele Donathan
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about becoming a relief vet?
"You have to be open to change, and if you don't like new experiences on a daily basis, it's probably not the right fit for you. I love walking into a new clinic and getting to work right away, but that would bother many veterinarians. It can take some time to get used to the flow of a particular clinic, but rely on the technicians, since they're usually happy to help and are a great resource, especially for all the different software programs out there. I'd also recommend setting up your finances and bank accounts appropriately before you get too far into it, since it makes time tracking much easier in the long run. I use QuickBooks and a remote accountant for questions. You need a business checking account and a business money market account at the very least, and I'm now considering a business credit card too, to earn rewards points on purchases. Also, don't burn any bridges, since you never know where you'll end up or who you'll be helping in the future. I've built up a vast network of colleagues over the past five years that has helped fill my calendar whenever I needed it."
Dr. Michele Donathan
How has the pandemic affected your relief practice?
"For some reason, the veterinary world has seen an increase in traffic at clinics, and at the same time I feel like there's a shortage of veterinarians. That combination has helped my relief practice grow by leaps and bounds, even though I only started full time relief work in March of 2021. I was completely surprised by that, since I expected the opposite to happen during the pandemic, especially back when I was a full time associate in general practice."
Dr. Michele Donathan
What states are you licensed in, or working toward licensure in?
"Florida."
Dr. Michele Donathan
Aside from English, what languages do you speak?
"None."
Dr. Michele Donathan
What are your hobbies and passions outside of work?
"I enjoy sampling new craft beers and traveling, which can go hand in hand. I'm Irish, so Ireland is definitely on my bucket list, but I'd also love to see Australia and go on an Alaskan cruise. I'm also a fitness enthusiast, which helps offset my love of craft beer. Right now, I'm working through the 100 Day Meltdown from Beachbody."
Dr. Michele Donathan