A closeup look at Veterinary Humor

Veterinary humor's canine mascotWhy did you start the page?

A well-meaning client said something that made me facepalm. I thought it would be great to have an outlet to share these occurrences with other like-minded vet med people. People who understand that we love our clients, even when they make our lives difficult.

Do you think of veterinary practice as an emotionally tough job? 

There are certainly days that are beyond emotionally draining. Watching friends, family, beloved clients or even perfect strangers who have to say goodbye to their cherished pets would be draining on anyone. You have to find a good balance to be able to grieve with them, but hold yourself together enough to go right into your next appointment. So yes, it's emotionally draining, but also incredibly rewarding.

Have you ever felt burned out or suffered compassion fatigue? 

Absolutely. I worked for a few months at my home state's humane society. About 75 percent of that time was as a euthanasia technician. When your job is ending animal lives 40 hours a week, it'd be next to impossible to not experience burnout, fatigue and all sorts of troubles. 

I've worked with some really tough people, too. Worked with some people who make it tough to enjoy going to work anymore.

I've found several ways to cope, one of which is the Veterinary Humor Facebook page. I'd bet if you took a poll of vet med staffers, most of them would agree that having a sense of humor is a necessity. 

I also think it's really important to show your coworkers that they're appreciated. This goes from doctors down through the chain of kennel staff, technicians, receptionists and other team members. I've given a gift card to a coworker simply for helping me with an especially messy clean-up. Knowing that your coworkers appreciate what you're doing can go a long way to help prevent frequent burnout episodes.

Want more? Check out the Veterinary Humor page on Facebook.