5 Tips for a 4th Year Veterinary Student's Spouse


The fourth year of veterinary school is different than the first three years. The biggest difference is unlike the previous years, you don't know what to expect. As the student's spouse, you will probably see them more often, but you may also go a week or two without seeing them at all. Here are some things I found beneficial during the past year.


  1. Be okay with not having a set schedule. Your spouse's schedule will change every two or four weeks. They will have hours when they are on-call for emergencies and days when they have to be at school for over 12 hours. Being flexible of when you spend time together will be crucial. Additionally, just because he or she isn't in normal classes, they will still have to do paperwork, have tests and need to do work once they're home for the day.
  2. There is a good chance that your spouse will deal with some difficult cases during this year. They will see animals that won't make it, share bad news with owners and be involved in high-risk surgeries. Your spouse may not always want to talk about the stressful, hard, sad days. You have the opportunity to be there for support, even if it's simply sitting with them and not talking.
  3. Due to the weird hours of the fourth year, your spouse may need extra help with things. When my husband, Ty, had to stay at the hospital from 5 p.m. to midnight, on top of his normal 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift, I would take him dinner around 8 p.m. and usually give him some caffeine to help him stay up that late too! When Ty had externships outside of our town, I would make his meals to take so he would have homemade food and not have to order take-out every meal. You may not be able to meal prep as much, but they will be grateful for any help you give!
  4. Realize your spouse will still be studying. This comes as a shock to some people, but there are some rotations that require studying for cases or tests. Also, there's that little thing called the NAVLE. This is the national board test, and if you have a spouse in vet school, I am sure you've heard of it. Fourth-year veterinary students take the NAVLE around or in December of their final fall semester. Most likely, your spouse will study often for this test beginning 4-6 months before they take it. Being the most important test of their schooling, they will need to focus and spend time studying like they did the first three years.
  5. Encourage your spouse to have fun, take breaks and get rest. You will know what the best stress relievers are for your spouse, so be sure to encourage them to do those things! Get some coffee, go on a walk, go to bed earlier or do something else you both or they enjoy!