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Dispelling Five Common Myths About Mental Health
Did you know that almost half of adults have had a decline in their mental health since the start of the pandemic? In fact, mental health problems are on the rise worldwide and across all demographics. This makes Mental Health Awareness Month an especially important reminder to tune in to and talk about our mental […]
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Defining Futile Care and Its Impact on Wellbeing in Veterinary Medicine
As an emergency and critical care specialist, I can wholeheartedly attest to providing futile care to patients whose owners who would not consent to euthanasia or discontinuation of intensive care. I remember one dog in particular who had a collapsing trachea that was stented and then had progression of his disease resulting in laryngeal and […]
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Five Simple Steps for Responding to Negative Online Reviews
There’s nothing that compares to that sick sinking feeling that we experience when we see a 1-star online review. These reviews are often filled with CAPS LOCK words and proclamations starting with “never” (e.g., “never going back…”, “never recommend…”, “never again…”). Many things shared in negative online reviews are exaggerated, over-emphasized, or just plain false, […]
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Is empathy good or bad for veterinary caregivers?
The research is clear in human medicine: patients have better outcomes when they are managed by a physician who demonstrates empathy. Patients of empathic doctors communicate more openly, follow doctor’s orders more closely, and have improved outcomes. No doubt the same is true for pet owners and animals when it comes to empathic veterinary caregivers; […]
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Have you ever wondered which veterinarians have negative attitudes about mental health and why?
It is widely known that the rates of psychological distress and suicide are higher among veterinarians (especially females) compared to the general population. However, you may be surprised to learn that veterinarians also have a more pronounced stigma regarding mental illness and treatment compared to the average person. A study published in 2015 investigated risk […]
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Five Tips for Battling Burnout in Veterinary Practice
Do you feel emotionally drained by your clients? Are you frustrated by your work or feel that you are working too hard? Does working with people all day require massive effort? Have you stopped caring what happens to some of your patients? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are probably […]
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Five Tips for Building Better Boundaries (aka Saving Your Sanity!)
Veterinarians are notorious for struggling to maintain healthy boundaries. I cannot tell you have many veterinarians I know who go into work on their days off, follow-up with clients from home, or see patients outside of the hospital (even in their house) because a neighbour (or stranger!) asked them to. These same veterinarians tell me […]
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Why aren’t there more women in leadership roles in veterinary medicine?
I traveled to Las Vegas this past weekend to speak at the Women’s Veterinary Summit and was struck by a disappointing realization. Despite a gender gap characterized by a veterinary workforce of approximately 60% women, the number of men in veterinary leadership roles appears to consistently outweigh that of women. When I was in the […]
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Female veterinarians are dying by suicide at alarmingly high rates
Whenever I meet someone new and they inevitably ask what I do, when I explain that I am a promoter of veterinary wellbeing, they look at me with confusion and ask, “for pets or their owners?”. I explain, in fact, that it is for the veterinary care providers. Since most people continue to appear puzzled […]
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How do you measure burnout among veterinarians?
The term burnout has been getting thrown around a lot lately and is certainly rampant among my colleagues working in emergency and critical care. Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a low sense of personal accomplishment. Veterinarians who become burnt out feel overwhelmed and unable to face the demands of their job or […]
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How I survived without my phone for an entire week…
During a recent trip to New York City, my phone was damaged to the point where the touch screen stopped working (oh, how I miss my sturdy keyboard-containing Blackberry). It happened as I was passing my phone to the gate agent upon boarding my flight from Calgary to Toronto – the phone fell on the […]
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Is Facebook bad for the mental health of veterinarians?
For years, experts have questioned whether spending time on social media is helpful or hurtful to mental health. I use social media (i.e., Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter) for my business, to stay engaged with followers, share pertinent information, and form new connections. I also use a personal Facebook account to stay connected with friends and […]
