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As a veterinary office manager, you’ll be in charge of dealing with the owners of furry friends.
Here, you’ll be doing a wide variety of tasks, including taking inventory, updating records, and patient communication.
That said, working as a veterinary office manager isn’t for everyone.
It’s a highly demanding job that requires the utmost attention to detail.
Below, we’ll introduce you to the pros and cons of being a veterinary office manager.
Article Table of Contents
Pros of Being a Veterinary Office Manager
Everyone loves animals, yet they don’t always want to go to veterinary school.
A good alternative to working alongside furry friends is by becoming a vet office manager.
If you’re considering a career as a veterinary office manager, then you’ll want to consider these benefits.
1. Working Alongside Furry Friends
The biggest benefit to being a veterinary office manager is getting to work alongside pets.
You’ll be in charge of booking appointments, managing pets, and ensuring that they have everything they need.
That said, you won’t be in a medical role, as that is done by the veterinarian.
However, you’ll help with moving pets from the waiting room to the back.
You will also help with any pets that have been boarded for the day.
So, it’s an excellent place to work alongside others and care for animals.
2. Variety of Tasks
Some people find that doing the same tasks is easy, but then others enjoy a challenge.
Working as a veterinary office manager means that you’ll be tasked with tackling a wide variety of tasks on a day-to-day basis.
One day you will be sorting inventory, while another day you will be training staff.
The tasks change from day to day, with each week having a new challenge to tackle.
If you’re someone who wants routine, then you’ll likely not enjoy this position.
3. Skill Development
Another benefit of working as a veterinary office manager is that it can lead to a lot of other career paths.
You’ll learn a lot of skills while on the job, which can help you develop new skills in other areas.
For example, some skills that a veterinary office manager will learn are accounting, marketing, and customer service skills.
If you’re looking for a position where you can gain more skills, then this is a good opportunity.
4. Career Advancement
Aside from skill development, working as a veterinary office manager can lead to career advancement.
For example, a veterinary office manager can go from working as a manager to being a manager of multiple clinics.
In addition, they may advance to a director role.
Regardless, there is room for growth if you’re looking to stay in a managerial position.
However, it’s highly competitive, which can be a downside as well.
5. Good Work-Life Balance
Veterinary clinics only work set hours and this leads to predictable scheduling.
Individuals who want a good work-life balance will likely appreciate the set hours.
The general hours start at eight in the morning and often close by five in the evening.
So, there will never be the need to work overtime or for extended shifts.
6. Being Part of a Team
A veterinary office is only as effective as its team members.
Working as a veterinary office manager, you’ll be the core of the team.
If you enjoy working with others or being a team leader, then working as a manager can be a fulfilling role.
That said, you’ll also be able to network with a wide variety of professionals.
Extroverts often do well in these roles, as they will need to communicate with a wide variety of professionals and clients.
7. Making a Difference
Being a team leader and managing the pet clinic means that you’ll be making a difference.
Pet owners rely on practices that are not only efficient but also provide quality care.
Vet office managers have a chance to make a big difference in how a clinic operates and can have an impact on care quality.
So, they will be able to craft the best care possible for their clientele while also handling any disputes or issues.
8. No Education Necessary
Working as a vet office manager doesn’t require any schooling.
Most offices will hire those who have worked in other roles in a veterinary office, such as a technician or front desk aide.
That said, vet office managers will need to have strong organization and communication skills.
So, if you’re looking to become a vet office manager, you’ll want relevant experience or skills.
However, you must be at least 18 years of age and also have relevant work experience.
Those who don’t will often need to work at the front desk or gain the skills elsewhere.
In some instances, one can be trained to be a vet office manager or attend a training program.
So, there are a few options to get your foot in the door.
Cons of Being a Veterinary Office Manager
Aside from the benefits, there are also some drawbacks that people may want to consider.
While most of the time you’ll be having fun with staff and clients, you may also be tasked with some stressful situations.
Below, we’ll go into detail about the many downsides.
1. High Stress
Vet office managers will be in charge of many tasks, which can sometimes need to be completed simultaneously.
This not only requires strong multitasking ability but also the ability to do the job correctly the first time.
Many people find this extremely stressful, especially when it comes to also dealing with clients.
If you’re someone who struggles to handle multiple tasks at once, then being a vet office manager might not be for you.
2. Emotionally Draining
While vet offices are often a fun place to be, they also can have an emotional toll on you.
While most pet visits are routine, many of them will be from owners in distress due to their pets having an emergency issue.
This can mean seeing animals in pain, dealing with stressed and emotional owners, and even seeing animals put down.
3. Difficult Clients
Handling angry, frustrated, or even noncompliant clients can be very straining.
You will be the first one that the clients speak to, which means that you’ll be in the position of telling them about costs, wait times, and more.
This can be very frustrating, especially if you don’t have strong customer service skills.
People who generally thrive as vet office managers are calm, and collected, and can deal with a wide variety of clients professionally regardless of how the client acts.
4. Limited Career Growth
While we stated earlier that there is potential for career growth, it’s highly competitive.
Often, there will only be a few lead managerial roles.
So, you’ll be competing against many people who have had time to advance their skills.
That said, being a vet office manager doesn’t make you limited because you can still take the skills you develop into a different career.
5. Physically Demanding
The job is physically demanding, as you’ll need to help restock inventory.
This can include large packs of animal food or even medical supplies.
That said, in emergencies, you may be staffed with helping move an animal, which requires strength.
So, it can be a physically demanding role and isn’t suitable for everyone.
6. Meeting Compliance Standards
Compliance with regulatory law is a big part of being a vet office manager.
You’ll need to be compliant with HIPAA laws, DEA regulation laws, and more.
If you’re not detail-orientated, you can get in a lot of legal trouble.
That’s why it’s important to carefully consider if you can handle the job.
7. Animal Abuse
One of the last cons of being a vet office manager is dealing with animal abuse cases.
The office will usually see good pet owners, but on occasion, there will also be animals that are brought in who suffer from animal abuse.
These pets are not only emotionally, but physically strained.
Seeing them can be heartbreaking, especially if you have to report an abuse case yourself.
Pros and Cons of Being a Veterinary Office Manager – Summary Table
| Pros of Being a Veterinary Office Manager | Cons of Being a Veterinary Office Manager |
|---|---|
| 1. Working Alongside Furry Friends | 1. High Stress |
| 2. Variety of Tasks | 2. Emotionally Draining |
| 3. Skill Development | 3. Difficult Clients |
| 4. Career Advancement | 4. Limited Career Growth |
| 5. Good Work-Life Balance | 5. Physically Demanding |
| 6. Being Part of a Team | 6. Meeting Compliance Standards |
| 7. Making a Difference | 7. Animal Abuse |
| 8. No Education Necessary |
Should You Become a Veterinary Office Manager?
A veterinary office manager can be a fun and rewarding role for anyone who loves animals but doesn’t want to attend veterinary school.
That said, the job has plenty of demands and isn’t easy by any means.
While you don’t need schooling or training, it’s important to have relative skills for the job.
Carefully consider the pros and cons to see if you’d be able to keep up with the demand.