Veterinary Wellbeing & Scholarships
While you’re busy taking care of your clients, don’t forget to take care of yourself.
Merck Animal Health is committed to the veterinary profession and proud of our role in conducting this landmark study in collaboration with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). We hope to help the AVMA bring critical awareness and solutions to this important matter to better meet veterinarians’ needs.
2023 Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Study IV
Merck Animal Health
Veterinary Wellbeing Study IV
January 2024
description
Merck Animal Health released findings of its fourth comprehensive veterinary wellbeing study in partnership with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) examining progress made in the areas of wellbeing and mental health of U.S. veterinarians since the company first launched its groundbreaking study in 2017. Conducted in the fall of 2023 and similar to previous benchmark studies (2017, 2019 and 2021), the goal of the fourth Veterinary Wellbeing Study was to identify and explore the state of veterinary professionals’ mental health, wellbeing and burnout in an effort to bring awareness to the challenges veterinarians and support teams face and more importantly, how they’re able to manage them with the support received from partners such as Merck Animal Health and AVMA. As a larger focus this year, the study took a deeper dive into veterinary team members – from veterinary technicians to office managers – with nearly five times more responses from these positions than the 2021 survey.
Meet the authors
John Volk,
BS
Senior Consultant Brakke Consulting
John Volk is the principal author of four landmark economic studies of the veterinary profession, has been widely published in veterinary journals and is a frequent speaker at veterinary conferences. He is a senior consultant with Brakke Consulting, the largest consulting firm serving the global animal health, veterinary and pet care markets.
Uli Schimmack,
BA, MA, PhD
Dr. Uli Schimmack is a professor in the psychology department at the University of Toronto, Mississauga. His research focuses on the scientific understanding of happiness with the ultimate goal of developing a causal theory that can be used to predict the impact of personal and societal changes on subjective wellbeing or happiness.
Elizabeth Strand,
PhD, MSSW, LCSW
Dr. Elizabeth Strand is the founding director of Veterinary Social Work (VSW) at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. She is a licensed clinical social worker, family therapist, mediator and grief counselor. Her areas of interest include the development of veterinary social work as a sub-specialty of social work practice.
Joseph Hahn,
DVM
Merck Animal Health
Dr. Joseph Hahn is Executive Director of US Companion Animal and Equine Professional Services. In his current role, he has been a champion for the enrichment of the veterinary profession helping to sponsor and advance initiatives from the AVMA, Not One More Vet, the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, MentorVet and others.
Addie Reinhard,
DVM, MS
MentorVet
Dr. Addie Reinhard is the Founder and CEO of MentorVet, an evidence-based mentorship and professional development program that promotes early career wellbeing. A veterinary wellbeing researcher, her research interests include developing and evaluating innovative interventions to support mental health and wellbeing within the veterinary profession.
Kate Stiefelmeyer,
MASc.
Vice President, Kynetec
Kate has extensive experience working with clients in the food and animal health sectors to better understand their consumers and clients’ needs and preferences. Kate utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to understand pricing, consumer behavior, advertising preferences and more. She is based in Guelph, Ontario.
Kevin Probyn-Smith,
M.Sc.
Senior Data Analyst, Kynetec
With a background in agricultural economics, Kevin works in Data & Marketing Sciences at Kynetec and focuses on modelling and statistics related to agriculture and animal health. Kevin is based in Guelph, Ontario.
Past Studies
Merck Animal Health
Veterinary Wellbeing Study III
January 2021
description
Merck Animal Health released findings of its third comprehensive veterinary wellbeing study in partnership with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) examining the wellbeing and mental health of U.S. veterinarians. Conducted in the fall of 2021, it is the first since the COVID-19 pandemic began with a goal to examine and bring critical awareness to the challenges impacting the veterinary profession, while highlighting the impact the pandemic has had on practitioners and staff. For the first time, the study includes responses from veterinary technicians and support staff and their perspectives on the challenges they are currently facing at work.
Merck Animal Health
Veterinary Wellbeing Study II
January 2020
description
Merck Animal Health announced the results of a second comprehensive study of wellbeing and mental health among U.S. veterinarians. Conducted in collaboration with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the study also examined job satisfaction, compensation, burnout, substance use disorder, cyberbullying and suicide among veterinarians while evaluating potential solutions.
Inaugural 2017
Veterinary Wellbeing Study
January 2017
description
A landmark study in the United States to explore mental health and wellbeing in the veterinary profession. A survey of practicing and nonpracticing veterinarians was conducted. The questionnaire and research protocol were submitted to the Chesapeake Institutional Review Board, Columbia, Md, for review and received a letter of exemption. For the survey, a random sample of 20,000 email addresses was obtained from the AVMA’s database of working US veterinarians. An email signed by AVMA president Dr. Michael Topper and executive vice president and CEO Dr. Janet Donlin was sent by the AVMA to alert recipients to the upcoming survey and encourage them to participate.
Videos
New Veterinary Wellbeing Research: How to reduce stress and avoid burnout
New findings and discussion topics for reducing stress and burnout in the veterinary profession.
This video is for veterinary professionals. Clicking the link will take you to Brainshark to log and watch.
Veterinary Team Wellbeing Research: Creating a happier, more energized veterinary team
New findings on veterinary wellbeing study led by Dr.’s Greene, Volk and Reinhardt.
This video is for veterinary professionals. Clicking the link will take you to Brainshark to log and watch.
No items to show.
Materials
Healthy Strategies for You and Your Practice
A print-friendly guide filled with ideas for you and your practice.
No items to show.
Tools
Big Personality Traits
Increase your knowledge about the five major factors of personality by reading the article on Verywell Mind.
Want to learn more about your personality?
Download the Big Five Personality Assessment used in the Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Study.
Stress Management Techniques and Resources
Learn how to manage stress more effectively from this article in DVM360 magazine.
AAHA Healthy Workplace Culture Initiative
The American Animal Hospital Association provides resources to create a healthy workplace culture.
AVMA Wellbeing and Peer Assistance
The American Veterinary Medical Association provides resources to address the emotional and mental health needs of veterinarians.
No items to show.