One of the best things about veterinary medicine is that there is a work shift for every chronotype, your innate biological clock that dictates when you are naturally alert and when your body insists on winding down, according to Cindy Trice, DVM, founder of Relief Rover (now part of Hound). A 2018 New York Times feature on sleep chronotypes confirmed something anyone who has ever bucked their normal sleep schedule for a job already knew.
There Is a Shift for Every Sleep Type
Studies have shown that your natural sleep and wake cycle dictates when you are most alert, active, and creative, and when your body insists that you must wind down and recharge. This discovery is a little bit like the discovery that dogs have emotions: blatantly obvious to anyone who has had to buck their normal sleep patterns to accommodate a job schedule.
As a relief vet, you can pick not only the weekly or monthly schedule that fits your needs, but also the shifts that let you operate within your natural rhythm. Full day shifts, half day shifts, swing shifts, or overnights: there is something for everyone, and all of these shifts need filling all over the country.
I am a lark. One of, according to the article, 40% of the population who pops out of bed, slurps down the fresh morning worms (er, coffee), and starts singing a song. I occasionally sample the life of a night owl by working swing or overnight shifts. There is a different mood, a unique subset of cases and clients, and sometimes the exciting, giddy feeling of experiencing conscious life as it unfolds under the night sky. This goes against my natural rhythm since around 9pm, visions of pajamas and pillows dance in my head, but I can power through, just like the naturally nocturnal folks who must adjust to society's overall preference for day activities. This will never be my regular gig though, since it is too far outside my biological norm.
Why Night Owls Have the Advantage
For night owls, relief work is a fantastic way to earn a living while supporting your natural rhythm. There are plenty of swing and overnight shifts available, since these tend to be harder to fill and the pay is often better too. You can work when you are on and sleep more or less when your body tells you it is time. Since emergency work often comes with long shifts and better hourly pay, many relief vets can work fewer shifts in a week or month and still open up more free time for other activities or responsibilities.
So are you a lark singing with the morning sun, or a night owl whose eyes are adjusted to seeing the beauty in the dark? Or maybe you are somewhere in between. Whatever your chronotype, there are patients who need care when you are at your best.