Being a new grad is exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. You’ve reached one summit, only to face a much steeper climb: real-world practice.
In these moments, social media can seem like a lifeline, offering a sense of connection and quick, accessible learning. But the nonstop content often creates only pressure, comparison, and burnout.
Instead of feeling inspired, you feel behind and exhausted.
Learning to protect your time online will help you stay focused, energized, and motivated for the long haul.
The myth of more
When I ask Ready, Vet, Go mentees what kind of content they’d like to see, they ask me to speak about cases and clinical scenarios. This is ironic because these new grads have the clinical knowledge. I see it in every meeting. I hear it in every chat. They show me it’s there—but they don’t trust it.
They want more.
What’s behind this perpetual sense of insufficiency?
Social media. Its algorithms are designed to feed inadequacy by constantly showing everything at once. Think about it: In a five-minute scroll, you can see a surgery tip, a how-to on client communication, an X-ray interpretation tutorial, advice on buying your first practice, and a mental health check-in.
Oh, and your vet school peer just posted a reel celebrating their first solo splenectomy.
Tired yet?
Narrow your focus to expand your growth
When we focus on social media, learning becomes performative. It’s led by comparison, not curiosity or purpose.
We’re no longer answering a call. We’re chasing a moving target.
This is when defining a singular focus can help create an anchor. By narrowing your attention—and content consumption—to one area or topic, you make space for true progress, satisfaction, and joy.
Pick your lane
I encourage new graduates to select one area to focus on, ideally for an entire year. This could be something that energizes them or an area that needs improvement. The goal isn’t to achieve mastery, but to build confidence and a stronger foundation.
Once you’ve locked in your focus, here are three things you need to do:
- 1. Write it down — This helps with accountability and success. (e.g., “This year I want to get better at ________________” or “I will spend [X] minutes/hours learning about ________ online every week.”
- 2. Curate your feed — Find and follow two to three resources or accounts that align with your focus.
- 3. Put distractions on pause — Unfollow or hide everything else (except Ready, Vet, Go!)
That last step is difficult, but crucial. Minimizing distractions will help you stay on track and experience consistent, motivating progress.
Set boundaries around social media use
The key to healthy human relationships also applies to how we interact with social media. Work toward treating social platforms as functional learning tools instead of empty entertainment. Intentional use includes:
- Having a goal in mind before you log in or open the app (e.g., “I want to see content on creating a better dental flap.”)
- Setting time limits
- Saving relevant content for future review
- Maintaining perspective: Online images, reels, and captions are a carefully curated version of real life. Don’t take them at face value.
Enough really is enough
The pressure to consume and keep up is relentless. Stepping out of the current of social media can make you feel like you’re losing touch. But tuning out content that is irrelevant to your goal isn’t hiding from the world; it’s a way to prioritize what matters right now. And that’s positive growth and building a sustainable, satisfying career.
If you find yourself struggling, consider this. By trying to absorb everything, you’re losing time for more valuable things, like:
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- Deep learning — The kind that resonates or lights you up.
- Real-world experiences — In the clinic and beyond, lived experiences will always enrich your career.
- Friends and family — Investing time and effort in personal relationships creates fulfillment, grounds you, and reminds you that you’re right where you need to be.
- Rest and self-care — Burnout often begins with a sense of inadequacy, which can have its roots in overconsumption of social content. Replacing FOMO with rest and renewal helps you build not only a lasting and rewarding career but a healthy, fulfilling life.
And while excessive social media use can be detrimental, remember to give yourself some grace. Occasional “mindless” scrolling can be an effective way to decompress. It’s OK to disconnect from present stressors—just remember that rest doesn’t have to be productive to be worthwhile.
Slow[er], steady, sustainable
Being surrounded by so much content can seem like an enormous advantage. But without judicious use, it can make eager, equipped early career veterinarians question their abilities and put limits on their own potential.
Here’s the less flashy truth: You have everything you need to get started, you’ll learn the rest as you need it, and focused, intentional growth beats frantic consumption every time.
Need help building a strong foundation for your career? Ready, Vet, Go Veterinary Mentorship is an innovative online program and community that helps new and early career veterinarians build confidence, gain independence, and experience greater joy. Visit our FAQ page to learn more about what we offer or get in touch with our team.