Veterinary New Grad competence, confidence, or confusion.

New grad wont "give stuff a go"? Is it competence, confidence, or confusion about the two?

Veterinary grads today are some of the most well-trained, well-assessed, and well-supported we’ve ever seen.

But ask most clinic leaders: “They just don’t seem confident.”

Ask the grads: “The Vet Board tells me to stay within my scope of competence.”

Somewhere, the wires are getting crossed.

The Grad Confidence Competence Confusion:

• Competence = ability: knowledge, skill, and judgment to perform safely.

• Confidence = belief: your internal sense that you can do it.

You can be competent and terrified. Or confident and dangerously unqualified. Frustration arises when they don’t line up.

The Fear Factor:

New grads grow up with litigation, complaint culture, and social media scrutiny. They’re taught to fear mistakes and stick to their “scope,” which can turn into paralysis.

The Vet Board doesn’t define competence as “things you’ve done before.” It’s about applying first principles, recognising limits, seeking help, and making safe decisions.

You don’t have to feel confident to be competent.

Never speyed a rabbit? You’ve done cats, stitched up rabbits, and know the anatomical difference; 10 minutes of prep + first principles = competent.

Never drained a horse abscess? Apply asepsis, drainage, and antibiotic knowledge from other cases.

Never handled a tough euthanasia conversation? Use learned communication frameworks.

Discomfort ≠ incompetence. It’s normal growth anxiety.

How to build both:

Acknowledge the difference – “I don’t feel confident” ≠ “I’m unsafe.”

Focus on first principles – Confidence grows from what you already know. Mentors can guide questions, not just give answers. A great approach is to ask the grad the same 3-4 'first principle' type questions every time they ask for help; this gives them an internal set of questions to start asking themselves about whether or not they already know the answers.

Use supported stretch – Leaders: let grads try, debrief, and reassure. Grads: ask for scaffolding, not rescue.

Reflect after, not before – Confidence follows experience; you earn it by doing, surviving, and realising you could.

The real goal:

Our job isn’t to make grads feel confident. It’s to help them become competent, let them know we’ve got their backs, and let confidence catch up.