The New Grad Survival Handbook

🐾 The New Grad Vet Survival Handbook

Your real-world guide to starting strong in small animal practice

This is the guide I wished I had on my first day as a new grad vet. Inside, you’ll find 30+ practical, no-fluff insights to help you confidently navigate common consults, tricky clinical cases, and the emotional rollercoaster of early vet life.

With tips on everything from skin and ear cases to communicating with clients and managing your own wellbeing, this handbook is designed to give you a strong foundation — not just clinically, but as a whole person in practice.

✅ This is for you if:

• You're a final-year vet student wanting a real-world head start before Day One.
• You’re a new grad in small animal practice looking for clinical confidence and emotional resilience.
• You're returning to small animal practice and want quick refreshers on evidence-based medicine and updated guidelines.
• You want a thoughtful, practical gift for a vet student or new grad in your life.
• You’re seeking mental health tips and mindset shifts to survive and thrive in vet med.
• You want to learn how to find and use trusted clinical resources.
• You want a quick way to access practical clinical information, instead of spending time trawling through your university lecture notes.

❌ This is not for you if:

• You're working exclusively in farm animal or equine practice — this edition is tailored to small animal medicine.
• You're using this as the sole study material for sitting your final student exams — this guide is heavily practical and consists of information used daily on the job. Please refer to your university lectures as the core study material for your veterinary exams.

How to access the guide:

1. You'll need a free Notion account, sign up here
2. Download the pdf and click on the title 'tips and advice...' it has a link that should redirect you to the guide, which you can then duplicate onto your Notion workspace
3. Watch the video and you're good to go! :)

Disclaimer:

This handbook is intended as an educational resource and does not constitute veterinary advice or a clinical protocol. All information is accurate to the best of the author’s knowledge as of 5th May 2025, but veterinary medicine continues to evolve. Clinical decision-making remains the sole responsibility of the practicing veterinarian, who must apply their professional judgement based on individual cases. The author and publisher accept no liability for outcomes resulting from the use of information in this guide.