Mental health in veterinary medicine: A marathon, not a sprint

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It is nothing new to hear that the strain of everyday life as a veterinary professional can cause some to develop mental health issues due to tough clients, loss of a patient, and more.

In this episode, Kathryn Primm, DVM, CVPM, and Art Markman, PhD, sit down with Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, to take a closer look at the mental health issues veterinary professionals face, what causes them, and how to help improve mental health for your team.

Below is a partial transcript. Listen to the full podcast for more.

Art Markman, PhD: I think one of the things that happens is people who go into the medical profession, like people who go into the academic professions, are very driven. You excel in school and then go to more school. You want to be great at the things you do, [and] you start a practice. One of the things that happens when you do that is you have been sprinting for the first 25 years of your life, sprinting through your academic life in order to be great at what you do. What you have to remember is at some point life is a marathon, not a sprint, and that when you spend that extra hour working through lunch, that extra hour working late, you are actually mortgaging tomorrow for today.