Not One More Vet is a non profit that was started back in October 2014 after the suicide of Dr. Sophia Yin.
The veterinary field ranks number 4 in jobs with the highest suicide rate. That’s a terrifying fact.
When I started my career in veterinary medicine, I was eager to jump in. I was naïve about the emotional capacity I would need, to make this a long term journey though. In general practice we are lucky that a lot of our day is wellness exams and minor health issues. We often get to see a puppy grow into a toddler, teen, adult, then a senior. We are lucky enough to be there at the start and we are also lucky and honored to be there at the end. We often sit in silence with our clients as they say goodbye. It’s an amazing thing, when someone allows you to be apart of their story. This is what we signed up for and we are happy to do it.
Our willingness to do it however, doesn’t make the path any easier to walk. We often hurt for our clients, or the cases we couldn’t help and the patients we feel like we failed. During the holidays, we see an increase in euthanasias and it’s not uncommon to have that be your last appointment of the day. Then we leave work and we go home to our families…our kids, my kids…and I want nothing more than to be able to flip that switch, but sometimes it’s not possible. There are days when we have a difficult case and our doctors do their job by giving the client every option they have available for their pet. Then, some people say we are just trying to get their money and veterinary care shouldn’t cost what it does. If only they knew, how underpaid the profession as whole, is. They don’t see how hard the staff works, when most of the time we are understaffed, tired and emotionally spent. I wish they could and I wish they knew…we got into this profession because we LOVE animals AND the people that come with them. We may be exhausted, but we will always be committed to providing the BEST care for their animal.
Do I regret coming into this field, knowing what I do now? Nope. Not in the slightest. However, I worry about my team of doctors, techs and support staff daily. I worry about the heaviness of a day, clutching onto them as they leave to go home. I worry about them when they feel like they could have done more, even when it’s clear, they did everything they could.
I’ve committed to the Race Around the World with NOMV. I want my team that I'm lucky to be a part of and all the veterinary professionals in the world to know, THEY ARE NOT ALONE. Please support this cause that I’m so proud of, thank you!
