The cost of being a female vet doctor

The 2024 International Women’s Day reminds us of the importance of women in agriculture, as we spotlight another young woman, Deborah Olaewe-George of Zeph Veterinary Services, who is making impacts in the field of animal care. As we delve into her narrative, we uncover the story of a veterinary doctor, entrepreneur, wife and mother, showcasing the incredible achievements and unique challenges that define her path. Excerpts:

As a veterinary doctor and entrepreneur, what motivated you to combine your passion for animal care with entrepreneurship, and how has this journey evolved over time?

I’ve been passionate about animals from when I was in Junior Secondary School and I didn’t know a career existed there. I just had a natural love for animals, wanting them to be taken care of. Telling my mother about it, she then told me about veterinary doctors and that was how the passion started. I remember starting with free services even post university days because I just had passion for animal care, but as responsibilities showed up coupled with the need to relieve my parents of some financial responsibilities, and the need to also fend for myself, I started learning veterinary business. Luckily for me, I worked under a business woman, who is also a pet lover and today I find myself combining both passion and entrepreneurship. I enjoy what I’m doing and I am not burdened about it, even as it puts money on my table.

Your story involves not just professional success, but also family dynamics. How has your role as a wife and mother influenced your approach to veterinary entrepreneurship?

Balancing the three is real life and my secret thing has been my inner strength. At some point, the feeling of being overwhelmed will come, but I often encourage myself with my inner strength that I can keep going. I can do five to seven things together, and I don’t get edgy or tired because I find grace as my driving force. As a woman, I am empowered to support my family without draining my husband or the people around me.

As a veterinary entrepreneur, wife, and mother, what aspects of your story do you consider the “secrets” to your success in juggling these roles?

Generally as a woman, we are designed to multitask and be an economist. As a wife, I see myself as a key help to my husband. And that fuels the entrepreneurship part of me – for instance, to be able to give my husband some surprises, give my family a treat, among others. Even as a mother too, motherhood brings that natural care, which spurred my wanting to do business well. This consciousness has made me to set priorities right and manage resources as well as multiply resources and channel it across many things. Sometimes, you realise being a mother just makes you want to have money. Success to me is having to be able to reach out to people with a lifestyle and conversation.

In your experience, how have your roles as a woman and an entrepreneur complemented each other, and what milestones do you find most gratifying?

Getting my first job was a big milestone for me. I used to be a fearful young lady, even after serving my father land – National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Getting out to even start a job at all was a milestone for me, crowning it with being the first female under an astute vet business woman, who has been in the business for over 20 years. I was the first female veterinarian to learn at the woman’s organisation because the work itself is very demanding; from driving, to visiting, to vaccinating, to making consultations among others. While on the job, you have to be all in all, handling issues on the job. Though I was fragile at the start, the job really trained me to be a stronger woman. In fact, by the time I was leaving after two years, my boss had to plead with my mum that I should not leave yet. Of course I had struggles, starting my own business with the temptation of doing something else or branching off, but it never just clicked well. I had to stay with the struggles of marketing and getting clients, among others. Presently, I know that my business may not be where I want it to be, but it has progressed from what it used to be. 90% of my clients came through referrals and this means I am doing something well. This is a milestone for me, having my business stand on a ground of integrity, which even exerts responses from customers that even if I were out of town, they would still want my services. Finally, another milestone is having to have an extension of my business in other locations.

Pet dog getting a paw-some makeover on a consultation day.

Have you faced any gender-specific hurdles or other biases, being a veterinary doctor?

A lot! I think it is more like this in the Nigerian society because the honour given to medical doctors is never the same accorded to veterinary doctors. Meanwhile, everyone is saving lives in every profession in one way or the other, not just the medical personnel. Veterinary medicine is more tedious. For instance, because the creatures you are dealing with cannot talk or make a complaint for diagnosis, having symptoms, for instance that can be related to 20 different diseases and at this point, you have to know your onions well to know what the animal should be treated for. And as a woman, it can be tedious getting a big cow or large horse down for treatment, but you still have to handle it. Even if you have an apprentice, you have to take on some assignments yourself to address it with medical eyes, which your apprentice may not have. Although from school, they teach and train us not to be emotional vets. It requires a lot, having to be a man on the job so you won’t become a lion or dog’s meal while administering treatment. Another challenge is when you’re married and you’re pregnant, people call you ‘madam’ and say they don’t want to stress you (they don’t want to call you for job). Meanwhile, you have a family to feed. The challenge of clients excusing you from field work because of your pregnant state makes many female vetirenaries to go into lesser paths on the business and by the time you’re coming back maybe after two year, you can’t fit into the lives of such clients again. What I advise at that point is to do something else like research to keep adding up so you don’t just stay in the kitchen.

How do you integrate family values into your veterinary practice, and do you find any connections between your personal life and the approach you take towards animal care in your business?

Who you are will find expression everywhere you find yourself. Every value I have embraced so far and have passed down to my family is the same that I am expressing at work. One of such is not allowing work demands get a hold of you. Another is in the place of discipline in finances. Excellence at delivery is another value I take very seriously, to ensure provision of solution to client’s problem in the long run.

What message would you like to convey to other women considering a career in veterinary medicine or entrepreneurship, particularly those who, are also balancing family responsibilities?

You have to believe you can do it. If you are being cajoled before seeing yourself doing what you have to do, you have failed. You need to find your own fulcrum that, which keeps your lever moving that, keeps the engine running. Find the one thing that keeps you balanced or going against all odds at the long run. Don’t ever put business or money as a priority over your family. You must set objectives straight and stay true to it. Believe in yourself, stay true to your set goals and make sure your are priorities set right so as not to put the cart before the horse.