Breaking the High Achiever’s Loop in Vet Med | Episode 94 | Reviving Vet Med

Breaking the High Achiever’s Loop in Vet Med | Episode 94 | Reviving Vet Med

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2011463/fan_mail/new] As veterinary professionals, we are conditioned to believe that the next surgery, the next certification, or the next "thank you" from a client will finally make us feel successful. But for many of us, that feeling of "enoughness" never arrives. Instead, we find ourselves stuck in the High Achiever’s Loop—a cycle of perfectionism and overworking that leads straight to burnout. In this episode, DVM and leadership coach Dr. Jennifer Edwards joins us to deconstruct why our drive for excellence so often turns into a pattern of self-sacrifice. Jennifer draws on 25 years of practice ownership and her expertise in energy work to explain how our early identity patterns shape our current leadership styles. We explore why achievement only provides temporary relief from anxiety, the difference between "fixing" yourself and shifting your patterns, and how to reclaim your clarity and ease without losing your professional edge. Watch the Video Version of this Episode https://youtu.be/3xTZVxTpNgU Resources Follow Dr. Jennifer Edwards on social media: www.linkedin.com/in/drjenniferedwards, https://www.instagram.com/drjenniferedwards/, https://www.facebook.com/drjenniferedwards/  Visit Dr. Jennifer Edwards’ website: www.drjenniferedwards.com Thank you to our sponsor Hill’s Pet Nutrition For more information about Hill's products and nutritional philosophy, please visit HillsPet.com or HillsPet.ca. Veterinary Leadership Collective Leadership doesn't have to be lonely. Join Dr. Marie Holowaychuk's facilitated peer coaching community for veterinary practice owners, managers, medical directors, and team leads. Learn more and join the waitlist: revivingvetmed.com/collective.  Newsletter For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter Online Resources To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources Questions, Suggestions, or Sponsorship Opportunities Email: podcast@revivingvetmed.com  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2011463/support]

Moral Distress and Behavioral Euthanasia in Vet Med | Episode 93 | Reviving Vet Med

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2011463/fan_mail/new] Behavioral euthanasia is one of the most emotionally complex and least supported aspects of veterinary medicine. It sits at the intersection of medical ethics, human safety, and the human-animal bond, often leaving veterinary teams grappling with moral injury. In this episode, we’re joined by Valerie Bogie, an animal trainer and Veterinary Social Worker, to discuss how we can better support both the pet owners and the professionals providing the care. Drawing from her 20 years of experience and her work as the Director of Human Support Services at Insight Animal Behavior Services, Valerie explores how behavior science and social work principles can protect our mental health. We discuss the "Pain Connection", the fact that up to 80% of behavior cases have an underlying medical cause, and how a thorough workup can provide the "why" that alleviates a team’s moral distress. We also dive into the "Person-in-Environment" framework to help mitigate judgment and burnout, and the practicalities of "Emotional CPR" for teams after a heavy case. Valerie also shares insights into the "invisible labor" clients perform before reaching a crisis point and how a supportive, non-judgmental response from the veterinary team can shape a professional’s own sense of identity. This conversation offers an essential perspective for anyone in veterinary medicine who wants to navigate behavioral loss with more compassion, less shame, and a stronger commitment to team longevity. Watch the Video Version of this Episode https://youtu.be/QfHV6bKjEUM Resources Connect with Valerie Bogie on social media: www.instagram.com/valerie_bogie [http://www.instagram.com/valerie_bogie], www.facebook.com/valeriebogievsw [http://www.facebook.com/valeriebogievsw], www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-bogie/ [http://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-bogie/]  Visit Valerie’s website: https://linktr.ee/valeriebogievsw [https://linktr.ee/valeriebogievsw]  Valerie’s additional resources: https://revivingvetmed.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Behavioral-euthanasia-resources-for-Reviving-Vet-Med-show-notes.pdf [https://revivingvetmed.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Behavioral-euthanasia-resources-for-Reviving-Vet-Med-show-notes.pdf]  Thank you to our sponsor Scribenote See how Scribenote works: https://www.scribenote.com?utm_campaign=RVM&utm_source=rvm-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=MARK-402 [https://www.scribenote.com?utm_campaign=RVM&utm_source=rvm-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=MARK-402]  Book a Demo: https://calendly.com/d/4zm-dsr-wfh/scribenote-demo [https://calendly.com/d/4zm-dsr-wfh/scribenote-demo]  Start with a Free 14-Day Trial Today: https://app.scribenote.com/auth/register?utm_campaign=RVM&utm_source=rvm-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=MARK-402 [https://app.scribenote.com/auth/register?utm_campaign=RVM&utm_source=rvm-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=MARK-402]  Newsletter For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter [https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter] Online Resources To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources [https://revivingvetmed.com/resources]  Questions, Suggestions, or Sponsorship Opportunities Email: podcast@revivingvetmed.com [podcast@revivingvetmed.com] Thank you to our sponsor Scribenote [https://www.scribenote.com] The first AI-powered veterinary SOAP creator that builds accurate medical records effortlessly. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2011463/support]

Comparing Burnout Among General and Emergency Veterinarians | Episode 92 | Reviving Vet Med

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2011463/fan_mail/new] Burnout is a universal challenge in veterinary medicine, but does the practice environment change the experience? In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Emily Li, an Emergency and Critical Care specialist based in Melbourne, Australia. Emily’s interest in mental health was forged on the front lines of emergency medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Driven by her own lived experience and the challenges she saw in the clinic, she dedicated her Master’s thesis to comparing burnout drivers among general practitioners and emergency veterinarians across Australia. During this episode, we discuss how workplace structures and workload predictability impact both groups. We also explore what surprisingly does not differ between general practice and ER burnout, and why Emily believes systemic changes, rather than just individual resilience, are the only way forward for the profession. Emily shares a grounded, evidence based perspective on the real drivers of exhaustion and highlights the importance of the person in environment fit. Watch the Video Version of this Episode https://youtu.be/ycynLHKEEHc Resources Follow Dr. Emily Li on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-li-b59309137/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-li-b59309137/]   Read Dr. Li’s papers: A comparison between veterinary small animal general practitioners and emergency practitioners in Australia Part 1 (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10993158/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10993158/]) and Part 2 (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10932987/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10932987/])   Thank you to our sponsor Hill’s Pet Nutrition For more information about Hill's products and nutritional philosophy, please visit HillsPet.com [http://hillspet.com] or HillsPet.ca [http://hillspet.ca]. Thank you to our sponsor Co-Vet For a free trial of Co-Vet, please visit https://www.co.vet/ [https://www.co.vet/]. And follow Co-Vet on social media: Instagram: @covet.ai, Facebook: @coVetAIApp, LinkedIn: @CoVet  Newsletter For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter [https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter] Online Resources To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources [https://revivingvetmed.com/resources]  Questions, Suggestions, or Sponsorship Opportunities Email: podcast@revivingvetmed.com [podcast@revivingvetmed.com]  Thank you to Hill’s Pet Nutrition [https://HillsPet.com] For more information about Hill's products and nutritional philosophy, please visit HillsPet.ca. Thank you to our sponsor CoVet [https://www.co.vet/] CoVet helps generate your records and automate your admin work so you can focus on your medicine. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2011463/support]

Why We Need to Talk About Medical Errors in Veterinary Medicine | Episode 91 | Reviving Vet Med

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2011463/fan_mail/new] Medical error is one of the most challenging and least discussed realities in veterinary medicine, yet it has profound implications for the mental health and career longevity of the professionals involved. In this episode, Dr. Rochelle Low, veterinarian and Global VP of Quality and Patient Safety at Mars Veterinary Health, joins us to explore why patient safety is actually a vital pillar of team wellbeing. Drawing from her research on the "Second Victim" experience and her 2025 global study of over 64,000 safety events, Rochelle shares how a systems-based approach can shift the focus from individual shame to collective learning. We discuss the emotional trajectory teams face after an adverse event, why errors are often rooted in system design rather than personal failure, and the specific types of support, like peer connection and psychological safety, that help professionals recover and stay in the field. Rochelle also reflects on a personal medication error case and how an immediate, supportive leadership response shaped her own professional identity. This conversation offers a powerful and practical lens for anyone in veterinary medicine who wants to move past "blame and shame" to build a culture that truly protects both our patients and our people. Watch the Video Version of this Episode [Link pending] Resources Connect with Dr. Rochelle Low on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochelle-low-53ab0091/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochelle-low-53ab0091/]   Read Dr. Low’s research papers: Veterinary healthcare needs to talk more about error: For the wellbeing of our patients and medical teams: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9708451/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9708451/]  Patient safety events cause harm across a variety of veterinary care settings: a global retrospective analysis: https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/263/7/javma.24.08.0523.xml [https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/263/7/javma.24.08.0523.xml]  Personal resilience, good leadership, and a psychologically safe culture play a mitigating role on the impact of patient safety events: https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/263/3/javma.24.09.0620.xml [https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/263/3/javma.24.09.0620.xml]  Thank you to our sponsor Scribenote See how Scribenote works: https://www.scribenote.com?utm_campaign=RVM&utm_source=rvm-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=MARK-402 [https://www.scribenote.com?utm_campaign=RVM&utm_source=rvm-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=MARK-402] Book a Demo: https://calendly.com/d/4zm-dsr-wfh/scribenote-demo [https://calendly.com/d/4zm-dsr-wfh/scribenote-demo] Start with a Free 14-Day Trial Today: https://app.scribenote.com/auth/register?utm_campaign=RVM&utm_source=rvm-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=MARK-402 [https://app.scribenote.com/auth/register?utm_campaign=RVM&utm_source=rvm-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=MARK-402] Newsletter For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter [https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter] Online Resources To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources [https://revivingvetmed.com/resources] Questions, Suggestions, or Sponsorship Opportunities Email: podcast@revivingvetmed.com [podcast@revivingvetmed.com] Thank you to our sponsor Scribenote [https://www.scribenote.com] The first AI-powered veterinary SOAP creator that builds accurate medical records effortlessly. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2011463/support]

BONUS Meditation: Cultivating Equanimity: A Guided Meditation for Veterinary Professionals | Episode 90 | Reviving Vet Med

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2011463/fan_mail/new] In this bonus episode, Dr. Sonja Olson guides you through a meditation designed to cultivate equanimity and radical acceptance; powerful tools for maintaining emotional balance, compassion, and clarity amidst the challenges of veterinary practice and caregiving roles. This 10-minute meditation offers practical strategies to reduce reactivity, stay grounded in difficult interactions, and nurture resilience in both your professional and personal life. Through gentle guidance, you’ll explore ways to bring kindness and calm to yourself, your patients, your colleagues, and even those you find challenging. Take a few minutes to pause, breathe, and reconnect with a sense of balance. Perfect for your breakroom, office, or anywhere you need a moment of calm. Share this meditation with a colleague who could use the support, and check out additional thoughts and teachings from Dr. Sonja Olson on her YouTube channel.  Resources Visit Sonja’s website: https://www.sonjaolsondvm.com [https://www.sonjaolsondvm.com]    Visit Sonja’s YouTube channel @KindfulMomentswithDrSonja: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1KtsXn4EfTgAs_vDh4rxxQ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1KtsXn4EfTgAs_vDh4rxxQ] Newsletter For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter [https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter]  Online Resources To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources [https://revivingvetmed.com/resources]  Questions, Suggestions, or Sponsorship Opportunities Email: podcast@revivingvetmed.com [podcast@revivingvetmed.com]  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2011463/support]