The question was heartfelt: “Hi, would you like some hot soup? I’m Tyler.” At that moment, I had no diagnostics to interpret, patients to see or titles to use. The stresses of everyday clinical practice had evaporated. What replaced it? Soup. To be clear, I had not left veterinary practice to become a chef; I was simply volunteering.
Life seemed so much simpler in my role as a volunteer. My job was to share soup and company with those less fortunate — people who, for one reason or another, found themselves living on the streets of Portland, Oregon.
But why volunteer? If you have so little time and energy, can you afford to give it away for free?
Veterinary medicine is a field full of givers. We give our time, energy, money and, at times, sanity to relieve suffering, improve a patient’s life and protect the human-animal bond. Unfortunately, we often spread ourselves too thin. Very often.
Volunteering is tremendous because it helps broaden your perspective, increase your gratitude and overcome burnout. The results might surprise you.
A Paradigm Shift
What keeps you up at night? Is it an angry client threatening to sue your clinic for “not caring”? Or employees whose sick days outnumber their paydays? Or the clinic air conditioning that remains nonfunctional despite three visits from the repair company?
There’s a lot to worry about in a clinic. Getting caught up in the deluge of issues inherent to veterinary medicine is easy. Has your stress reached nearly Cushingoid levels?
Perhaps you need a paradigm shift.
My perspective changed completely when I handed out soup. I went from a world of medicine, safety and employment to one of drugs, danger and poverty. The white linoleum floor was replaced by neglected concrete. Conversations about pet vaccines and diets had changed to discussions about food, warmth and tents. My anxieties about medicine, business and student loans evaporated when I confronted the stark realities of homelessness.
My mental health suffers most when I’m stuck in a mindset or situation. Handing out soup helped shift my perspective. When we move our focus from perceived hopelessness to helping others, we can accomplish amazing things and feel reinvigorated.
Changing your perspective might take your mind off everyday anxieties.
Volunteering is a way to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. You realize that others might not have some of the good things you do.
Maximize Gratitude
What are you grateful for? Is it the employee you can count on to work an extra shift? Or the accountant who saved you more money than expected? Or perhaps being able to order valuable medication and have it show up on time and in the right amount?
We truly are grateful for many things. If you’re reading this article, I bet you can see. Your heart is beating, and your lungs are moving air (even if your clinic air conditioner isn’t).
Remembering to be grateful amid the chaos of the clinic can be challenging. Volunteering changes that.
When I finished handing out soup to the homeless, I had a newfound appreciation for something you and I do every day: bathing. How incredible my hot shower felt after that winter night of volunteering. I could clean myself in privacy, with fresh water, in warmth. What an amazing privilege.
What privileges are you grateful for? Volunteering can remind you of all the amazing people and things in your life.
After my volunteer experiences, I felt grateful that:
- I can see a doctor when I get sick.
- I do not have to dig through garbage or sell drugs to make money.
- I am not homeless.
- I can walk, eat and use the bathroom by myself.
- My mobility is not limited by wheels or batteries.
To be clear, I am not writing about my experiences to make myself seem incredible, altruistic or selfless. I volunteer selfishly. It feels amazing! Volunteering changed my life multiple times and might change yours.
Overcome Burnout
Why did you enter veterinary medicine? Was it because of a dog that changed your life? Or because you couldn’t imagine doing anything else?
Whatever your reason, one thing is nearly certain: You wanted to have an impact. You were inspired to change the world (or at least your part of the world) by helping people and their animals. You had a vision and a purpose.
But what about now? Do you feel burned out by the impossible task of minimizing payroll and maximizing clinic production? Are you tired of arguing with clients and employees? Or have you seen far too much death and suffering lately and think about quitting your job, profession or, in dire circumstances, life itself?
Not to be morbid, but I think most of us can identify with at least one of those heartaches.
But what happened? How did we get to this bleak place of burnout? The answer is we forgot our “why.” We forgot our fire. We lost the motivation that got us through those years of practice. We became disconnected from our purpose.
I was speaking to a veterinarian a handful of years ago. Let’s call her Dr. A. She said she was ready to quit private practice and start flipping burgers. A highly trained doctor was so burned out that she wanted an entry-level job at McDonald’s!
Luckily, Dr. A didn’t do that. She checked out the local humane society and started helping there. By giving some of her time, Dr. A fell back in love with her profession. She quit private practice and became a shelter veterinarian.
Volunteering reminds us of our “why.” We live and practice at a much higher and healthier level when our actions match our values and purpose.
What is your “why”?
Try Just About Anything
Writing in a business publication about an activity that involves giving away time and energy for free might seem silly. “I can’t afford to volunteer,” you think. “I don’t have the time or energy.”
I argue that you can’t afford not to volunteer. Volunteering can help you and your practice overcome burnout and anxiety and maximize gratitude. It can cheer up your clinic in ways that pizza parties, raffle prizes and movie nights simply won’t.
Practically speaking, volunteering can look like anything. It doesn’t have to be veterinary-related to have veterinary benefits.
A 2021 Harvard Business Review article asserted that volunteer programs “increase employee engagement and improve hiring and retention.” Wouldn’t it be nice to conduct fewer interviews?
That’s why corporations such as Verizon, Aetna and Microsoft incentivize their employees to volunteer.
Volunteering might not have an immediate, visible impact on your quarterly profit-and-loss statement, but the benefits are much greater.
As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
I want an amazing life, not just a living. Don’t you?
So today, think about how volunteering might help your clinic. Think about how you might try volunteering.
It doesn’t have to be fancy.
It might just start with soup.
GETTING INVOLVED
Organized medicine is one way to volunteer while staying close to the profession. The American Veterinary Medical Association lists opportunities at bit.ly/3NY1slr.