"Wow, I Get It Now": Early Career Veterinarians' Perspectives on Their Educational Experiences and Perceived Impacts...

The transition from veterinary school to clinical practice is a critical and challenging phase that is marked by managing client expectations, ethical dilemmas, financial constraints, and time pressures-factors that can negatively affect well-being. Given these challenges, understanding early career veterinarians' perspectives on their education and preparedness for clinical practice can help identify strengths and gaps in training. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the experiences and perceived gaps in pre-practice life and veterinary education that were described as affecting the mental well-being of early career veterinarians as they transitioned into clinical practice. This qualitative study employed a hermeneutical phenomenological methodology to examine the lived experiences of 21 early career veterinarians who graduated from Canadian veterinary colleges. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using template analysis and revealed four key themes: the erosion of self-confidence, the importance of communication skills, challenges related to perfectionism and standard of care, and insufficient mental health support for the transition period. The findings highlight both strengths and gaps in veterinary training, which can inform the development of more effective educational strategies and support systems to improve the transition into clinical practice.