Dr. Steven Edwards moved out of state and built a Florida relief practice specifically so he could keep running his veterinary behavior consulting business without being tied to, or accused of favoring, any single hospital. He spent five years as an associate first, which he sees as essential groundwork before clients will trust a relief vet standing in for their regular doctor. Between shifts he fits in scuba diving, hiking, and dancing, and he has turned down shifts at practices that would not take real precautions during the pandemic. This profile first ran on Relief Rover, the relief-vet community platform that joined Hound in 2023.

In His Own Words

What inspired you to become a veterinarian?

"I've wanted to work with animals since elementary school, so becoming a vet is how I decided to make that happen."
Dr. Steven Edwards

What states are you licensed in, or working toward?

"Florida and New York."
Dr. Steven Edwards

What roles have you had within the veterinary profession, and outside of it?

"Prior to doing full-time relief, I worked as an associate veterinarian for five years. I think having full-time experience is really important for most relief vets. It's hard for clients to believe you're filling in for their full-time vet if you don't have full-time experience yourself first. I've also been doing veterinary behavior consultations for the past three years. Making my own schedule with relief work has been critical to allowing me to pursue that."
Dr. Steven Edwards

What made you switch to relief practice?

"I moved out of state and wanted the ability to continue working on veterinary behavior consultations as a referral-based service. Not being tied to any single hospital avoids the perceived conflict of interest of doctors referring their behavior cases to me."
Dr. Steven Edwards

What are your favorite things about being a relief vet?

"The flexibility in my schedule, and the ability to decide where I do and don't want to work."
Dr. Steven Edwards

What are your least favorite things about being a relief vet?

"Having to fill the schedule myself, and the extra time that takes for scheduling and communication. Also, occasionally finding yourself at a hospital that isn't the right fit for you."
Dr. Steven Edwards

How do you feel that relief practice supports the veterinary profession as a whole?

"The three most common critical needs I fill as a relief vet are filling in for vacation time or doctors who are out sick, filling in at a single doctor practice so that doctor can have a day off, and filling in at a multi-doctor practice that has more volume than their vets can handle but not enough to justify hiring an additional part time or full time doctor. All of those are crucial to keeping those practices running smoothly."
Dr. Steven Edwards

What supplies or equipment do you bring with you on the job?

"A magnifier I bought on Amazon that I use for indirect ophthalmoscopy, a cobalt blue light for checking fluorescein stains, lidocaine cream for animals who are fearful of needle sticks or before microchip placement, butterfly catheters, since I like them for blood draws in fearful animals and for euthanasias, and not every practice carries them, a fast-reading thermometer in case I can't find one in an exam room, a prescription pad, and my stethoscope."
Dr. Steven Edwards

What do you look for in a practice when deciding to cover shifts for them?

"Whether they're GP or ER, since I don't do ER, and where they're located. That's about it. I'll book one or two shifts to start with. I find the best way to figure out if a practice is a good fit is to just work there."
Dr. Steven Edwards

Have you picked up any unique practice tips while being a relief vet?

"I've modified my communication style quite a bit, so I avoid saying something that could contradict what their regular veterinarian has said. For example, I'm much more careful in how I discuss food recommendations, since I want to avoid accidentally advising against a certain brand, only to have the pet owner say their usual vet said that's what they should feed."
Dr. Steven Edwards

What is your most memorable relief job?

"A feline-only hospital. I've always liked feline medicine, but the reality is that most small animal general practices see mostly dogs, with relatively few cats. That changes at a feline-only hospital."
Dr. Steven Edwards

What advice would you give new relief vets, or someone thinking about becoming one?

"Get started with a full time job first. Relief is fantastic at showing you the many ways medicine can be practiced, but it's relatively poor at teaching you what happens when you have to handle your own cases over time, since you won't be seeing most of them again. Make sure you're comfortable following up on a complex case yourself over the course of a few months, and that's something you can really only get in full time practice, because you're going to have to step into the middle of some pretty complex cases in relief work, and while you might not handle it exactly the way the doctor you're filling in for would, at least don't be caught completely unprepared. Realize that you will be a business owner. You will be the boss. It's up to you to decide how many shifts to book, and how many to turn down, what to charge, and how to advertise. And don't be afraid to ask for help from qualified professionals, like a good CPA who works primarily with veterinarians or other small businesses."
Dr. Steven Edwards

How has the global pandemic affected your relief practice?

"I've had the privilege of deciding which practices I want to work at, while also having the burden of deciding which practices I want to work at. I've given up several shifts during the pandemic at hospitals that I felt were not taking adequate precautions to protect their staff, clients, and me. I've had to risk souring my relationship with some practices, but I had to do what I was comfortable with."
Dr. Steven Edwards

What are your hobbies and passions outside of work?

"Scuba diving, hiking, and dancing."
Dr. Steven Edwards

Anything else you'd like to share?

"Being a relief vet is a great career option. It can be overwhelming, but there are resources out there, like Relief Rover, for those who look."
Dr. Steven Edwards