There's something about Jaymee Gencher

Don’t give up.

That is what Jaymee Gencher has been telling herself for the past few years.

Currently a Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine student doing her clinical year at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Jaymee knows that in order to succeed at your goals, the first step is believing in yourself. From solo traveling to moving (to not one, but two!) different countries during vet school, she is embracing her infinite potential. Originally from Toronto, she has literally crossed borders to pursue her ultimate objective: a residency in either oncology or critical care.

But it wasn’t always this way…

In fact, Jaymee once doubted her dream of becoming a veterinarian. Can you imagine!

Luckily, everything changed. Now, she’s a 2023 DVM Candidate. Vet Candy is delighted to have had the opportunity to interview Jaymee recently. Today, she shares how she overcame the doubt in her mind, plus addresses some of the biggest challenges facing our community.

Introducing, the marvelous Jaymee Gencher! 

Let Belief Be Louder than Doubt

Beloved storybook character Winnie the Pooh famously said, “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”

As children, we agreed.

However, with age comes skepticism. Suddenly, it’s a whole lot harder to feel confident in yourself, especially when it comes to your education and career. Therefore, lack of confidence isn’t totally unfounded. Remember, acceptance rates for vet schools fall between a notoriously low 10% and 15%.

For young people like Jaymee, hearing about this can make believing in your abilities tricky.

She explains:

“Believe in yourself. Younger me avoided even entertaining the idea of becoming a veterinarian because I didn’t think I was capable. I had given up on my dreams before I had even let myself dream them, which really took a toll on my mental health. But somewhere along the way I decided to give myself a chance, and now I am six months from achieving my dream of being a veterinarian and am the happiest I have ever been.”

Gencher adds, “Finding my purpose also significantly improved my mental health. It has given me the motivation to work towards something and a sense of fulfillment every day.”

Vet Candy agrees!

If you don’t try, you will never know what amazing accomplishments could have been waiting right around the corner. 

Changes that Need to Happen in Vet Med

When not studying or working, Jaymee can be found lighting a candle, curling up on the couch with her cats and a cup of tea, watching Netflix, reading books, or playing video games.

These activities help her unwind.

Like all veterinarians, she is no stranger to stressful days. When asked about what the biggest problem in veterinary medicine is nowadays, she identified several of the same stressors vets feel again and again (but that the industry as a whole sometimes fails to address). 

Gencher tells us:

“I really feel like we have identified a number of issues in veterinary medicine; work-life balance, diversity, equality, and inclusion, client-veterinary relationships, etc. However, whenever these issues are brought up the discourse always includes, ‘Well that’s how it’s always been.’ If everyone was just more open minded to change it would be so much easier for industry wide changes to be implemented.”

Fortunately, there is a wave of fresh veterinarians on the horizon who are dedicated to helping animals andother people in vet med – like Jaymee Gencher!