MightyVet today rolled out the first phase of its initiative to promote the education and support of veterinarians, students, vet techs, and other veterinary professionals about the challenges and opportunities faced by those in the veterinary profession. According to the first mental health survey of U.S. veterinarians, one in six veterinarians have considered suicide. Further, study found that the profession has seen a growing trend in the level of veterinary burnout, compassion fatigue, ethics exhaustion, and decreased career satisfaction. To address these trends, the company has gathered resources and experience of passionate veterinarians from frontline practice, specialty and ER, universities, and pet health organizations to provide a resource for real-time sustainable change, according to Steve Weinrauch, BVMS, MRCVS, founder of MightyVet and chief veterinary officer at Trupanion. “MightyVet is an industry-wide movement that offers access to information not otherwise taught as universal core curriculum in veterinary school,” said Dr. Weinrauch. “Our profession can be physically and emotionally demanding, and despite the best efforts of so many, nothing has ever truly made a sustained and comprehensive difference. From veterinarian or tech student to retiree, these issues remain and are closer to us than most realize.” One organization the company has partnered with, Not One More Veterinarian (NOMV), is a veterinary support group with more than 15,000 veterinarian members. Future offerings To address the ongoing needs and challenges facing the veterinary profession, after the initial sign-up phase, the full range of MightyVet resources will include: RACE-approved continuing education webinars: Four on-demand CE webinars have taken place to date with nearly 10,000 enrollments by veterinary professionals, according to MightyVet. Past webinar topics have included Economic Limitations on Animal Welfare and Your Career Satisfaction, Ethics Exhaustion: When Your Sense of Right Is Wronged, and CPR for the Veterinary Soul: Is This Career Literally Killing Us? Mighty Mentor: This program offers veterinary professionals mentorship, networking, and support opportunities with thought leaders, industry experts, peers, and classmates. MightyVet Office Hours: Academics from veterinary and tech schools around the world will hold rotating office hours online to answer and ask questions of the veterinary community in real time to affect change in real time. The current education team is comprised of respected veterinarians from across multiple areas of expertise and includes Drs. Steve Weinrauch, Barry Kipperman, Kimberly Pope-Robinson, Sonnya Dennis, Carrie Jurney, Jason Sweitzer, and Nicole Blackmer-McArthur. To read team members’ full bios, learn more about available resources, receive updates of new CE courses, and other resources as they come online visit mightyvet.org.
