Podcast reframes veterinary burnout around purpose, not pressure

Veterinary burnout remains a live issue across the profession, but a new dvm360/Vet Blast podcast episode argues that the field may be asking the wrong first question. In “From ‘I should’ to ‘Why?’: A different approach to burnout,” The Resilient Vet cohosts Aaron Shaw and Jennifer Edwards say the problem isn’t simply a lack of wellness education. Instead, they point to cultural norms, personal barriers, and a mismatch between external “shoulds” and an individual’s real motivations as reasons burnout persists despite abundant CE, seminars, and clinic wellbeing messaging. The episode reframes burnout support around helping veterinary professionals identify their underlying “why,” then take more personalized action. (dvm360.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the message lands at a time when burnout indicators remain stubbornly elevated. The AVMA’s 2025 Economic State of the Profession report found the average burnout score for veterinarians in 2024 was 26.4 out of 50, unchanged from 2023, while relief veterinarians have seen burnout trend upward in recent years. Broader wellbeing guidance from CDC and AVMA has also emphasized that individual resilience tools alone rarely solve the root problem, and that leadership-led, operational changes, such as staffing, scheduling, communication, and reducing barriers to support, matter more for durable improvement. That makes the podcast’s “why” framework notable as part of a wider shift away from generic self-care advice and toward more targeted, practical interventions. (ebusiness.avma.org)

What to watch: Expect continued focus on burnout solutions that combine individual coaching or mentorship with practice-level changes, especially as workforce shortages and retention pressures keep wellbeing high on the profession’s agenda. (avma.org)