When I entered the veterinary profession, I had stars in my eyes. You might also say I had blinders on. Early in my career, I was driven by passion, fueled by scientific and medical knowledge from vet school, and prepared to blissfully live my dream of caring for animals. Today, with blinders off and 20/20 hindsight, I can honestly say working in this profession is indeed one of the greatest honors of my life. But I confess that my vision didn’t always align with reality, and many times throughout my career, especially during my early years in practice, I did not feel this way.
Despite rigorous training, extensive knowledge, and experience, I was not prepared for certain realities of veterinary medicine. I faced challenges I’d never considered before, scenarios we didn’t learn about in veterinary school, including burnout, shame, loneliness, and isolation—maladies that have reached epidemic proportions in this country and that I now know disproportionately impact our profession.
Paradoxically, the characteristics that can help us excel in clinical practice, including perfectionism, introversion, and compassion, are the same qualities that make us susceptible to burnout, compassion fatigue, and isolation. If you’re anything like me, you might prefer the quiet companionship of our four-legged friends to a night out with a boisterous group of humans, and you worry late into the night about a treatment plan for a patient who can’t talk, or whose owners are battling limitations, financial or otherwise, in choosing the path forward. Despite the countless joyful moments, sometimes it feels like the day-to-day lows overshadow the highs.
The human-animal bond is stronger than ever, and pet owner expectations are elevated. Today’s veterinary professionals work long, intense hours, often in greater isolation and with increasing stressors, with studies finding some are considering leaving the profession altogether because of poor mental health, work-life balance, and burnout. As a profession, we are so compassionate and vested in caring for others that often we don’t take time to care for ourselves, and we don’t know when or how to ask for help.
Decades into my career, I’m encouraged by the broadscale awareness of the mental health challenges that veterinary professionals face and the progress we’re making as an industry. However, stigmas persist, and educational models need to be disrupted. To alleviate pressures caused by the industry-wide veterinary shortage, we must provide adequate staffing and support, including increasing team members, providing more training and flexibility, and fostering a culture of safety and belonging.
Women make up much of the veterinary workforce, and many of us simultaneously care for children, parents, families, and our own beloved pets. As employers and team leaders, we must provide support by being realistic about the changing demands of veterinary professionals and expectations from clients. When we look for upstream solutions, we need to think about how veterinary professionals work differently – both day-to-day as well as across their entire careers. As a people leader, I strive to set clear boundaries, model self-care, express gratitude in the joyful moments, and ask for help in the low ones so that others feel empowered to follow suit. Expectations for achievement are high in this profession—often self-imposed—and we’re hardwired to think we should be everything to everyone, but I’ve learned that embracing humility is a powerful tool that can lead to better outcomes for veterinary professionals, and as a result, our patients.
I also believe we should examine upstream solutions to the unique challenges our industry faces. We need to prepare veterinary professionals during their education, so perception better aligns with reality when they enter practice—and provide mentorship early and throughout their careers. By removing the blinders and caring for our caregivers we will help create a sustainable future for our profession.
There is a white space opportunity to teach both clinical and emotional skills, in school and in practice. Those entering the field value mentorship and coaching from those who can connect with them as practitioners and on a personal level. As a critical first step to ensuring veterinary professionals entering the field feel supported and prepared for all aspects of practice, we should prioritize:
- Working environments that model and foster a safe and caring culture that supports connection with mentors and peers experiencing similar challenges
- Fostering a “vet forever” mentality that includes creating space and time for team members to stay healthy all the time, not just after a crisis or negative outcome
- Showing new veterinary professionals how to set boundaries appropriately, incorporate well-being into every aspect of veterinary education, and make tools and resources more readily available
- Ensuring the profession is representative of the communities we serve and making significant progress on equity, diversity, and inclusion – which is positively associated with quality care and health outcomes
It’s also important to remember that access to veterinary care goes far beyond the needs of pets. Access to care is a public health and societal need. Pets make people better, and if we take care of pets, we take care of people and communities. Research from Waltham Petcare Science Institute confirms that interaction with pets can help children’s emotional and mental well-being, support people at risk for social isolation and loneliness, and help us lead healthy lives by getting us out for more regular physical activity. Everyone should have equitable access to the benefits of the human-animal bond, but for this to be possible, we must recognize that veterinary care is vital to preserving and promoting that bond and ensure that anyone interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine has equal access to the experiences and education that nurture successful veterinary professionals.
Over time and through much self-reflection, I’ve learned that being a compassionate perfectionist makes me a great caregiver, but it can also mean that I tend to stretch beyond my limits. I think it’s essential that those of us who have the advantage of 20/20 hindsight share our learnings with the next generation of veterinarians and implement change, so their perception when entering the profession matches reality. We can all work to expand awareness, and champion programs to support veterinary professionals now and in the future. Let’s ensure they have the education, support, and mentorship that they need to thrive.