Over on Dr. Andy Roark’s website, they have a new blog post called “Veterinary Medicine, Are You OK?" by Sarah Boston, DVM, DVSC, Dipl ACVS. And she has this to say: “If you take a look at the recent social media posts on veterinary medicine, most of it is negative. Most of it would suggest that we are in trouble. A lot of trouble. We are unhappy with our careers and our choices. The blogs that talk about compassion fatigue, setting boundaries, work-life balance, depression, mental health issues in our profession, and general workplace misery, are the ones that resonate with our people. We can’t get enough of each other’s unhappiness because it makes us realize that we are not alone. #CompassionFatiguePorn” Now we’ve talked extensively about compassion fatigue, and have poked have some of the more miserable aspects. But Dr. Boston makes a great point in her article saying, “In the end, veterinary medicine is a job. Our lives need to be more than a job, even a great job.” Basically, our jobs shouldn’t leave us miserable and drained and unhappy. As my dad always liked to say, “your job isn’t worth the heart attack it’s going to try to give you.” While Boston is glad the veterinary community is discussing their problems, she wonders if it’s fixable. She recommends that it’s time to find solutions, from lowering expectations about the veterinary medicine career to setting boundaries. What do you think of Boston’s article? Let us know in the comments.
