This week, the third veterinary wellbeing study from Merck Animal Health and the AVMA, which was taken during the height of the pandemic, was rolled out with some very sad news.  Ninety-two percent of respondents rated increased stress as one of their top mental health challenges, 88% cited student debt and concerns about the risk of suicide as leading stressors for veterinarians. It is no surprise that the pandemic impacted many veterinarians and clinic staff, including veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, practice managers and client service representatives. Add to that, the percentage of veterinarians with serious psychological distress has increased to 9.7% in 2021 as measured by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, compared to 6.4% in 2019.

On this episode of the Desk Wench Confessions, Caitlin Palmer gets real with Dr. Stacey Cordivano, an equine veterinarian who is on a mission to bring happiness back to our profession.  Dr. Stacey talks about her life and her seven secrets to making your wellbeing a priority.