Veterinary burnout discussion shifts from ‘should’ to personal why

A new dvm360 commentary is pushing back on a familiar pattern in veterinary burnout conversations: the assumption that more education will solve the problem. In the November 19, 2025, episode and article, From ‘I should’ to ‘Why?': A different approach to burnout, Aaron Shaw and Jennifer Edwards argue that veterinary professionals already know the basics of wellness. What often gets in the way, they say, is the gap between knowing what would help and having a personally meaningful reason, and a workable environment, to follow through. (dvm360.com)

That message lands in a profession that has spent years openly naming burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral stress, while still struggling to improve day-to-day working conditions. AVMA has described wellbeing as one of the profession's most important issues, and its 2025 economic report said burnout has declined somewhat from pandemic-era levels but remains a retention concern, with 8.6% of veterinarians considering leaving the field. The report also points employers toward practical steps such as flexible hours, protected break times, and encouraging staff to use leave benefits. (ebusiness.avma.org)

The dvm360 piece itself centers on a simple but pointed reframing. Instead of piling on more "shoulds" around exercise, nutrition, or stress management, Shaw and Edwards recommend that professionals identify the deeper reason they want change, whether that's being present for family, staying physically able later in life, or preserving a sustainable career. In their view, burnout persists not because the profession lacks seminars, CE, or posters, but because advice that isn't tied to a person's real priorities often doesn't stick. (dvm360.com)

That perspective is consistent with broader occupational health guidance. CDC's Impact Wellbeing campaign was launched specifically to move healthcare burnout efforts away from relying primarily on personal resilience and toward operational improvements led by institutions. CDC says hospital leaders, not individual workers alone, must address organizational contributors to burnout, and dvm360's earlier coverage of the campaign highlighted the same point for veterinary audiences: professionals don't want burnout solutions that stop at "take a yoga class" when staffing, schedules, and workload remain unchanged. (cdc.gov)

Recent veterinary data reinforce why that distinction matters. The 2024 JAVMA study on nonveterinarian practice employees found that while many team members were satisfied with their work, serious psychological distress was twice as prevalent among team members as among veterinarians, and financial stress appeared to be an important factor. Burnout levels were similar to veterinarians. That suggests the workforce conversation can't focus only on doctors, and it can't treat burnout as a purely mindset-based issue when compensation pressure and team structure are also in play. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

There is some evidence that structured support can help. AVMA's partnership announcement with MentorVet cited research showing that recent graduates in MentorVet programming had lower exhaustion and cynicism over time than nonparticipants. That's not proof that coaching alone fixes burnout, but it does suggest that mentorship and guided reflection may be more useful when they're connected to real-world support, accountability, and career development rather than generic wellness messaging. (avma.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the practical takeaway is that burnout interventions may work best when they operate on two levels at once. Individuals may benefit from values-based approaches like the "why" framework described by Shaw and Edwards, especially if it helps convert vague guilt into specific, meaningful action. But employers and leaders still have to address the structural side: staffing, workflow, break coverage, schedule design, financial stress, and psychological safety. Without that, asking clinicians and support staff to simply care for themselves better risks deepening frustration rather than reducing it. (dvm360.com)

What to watch: The next phase of veterinary wellbeing work will likely be judged less by how much awareness it raises and more by whether practices can show measurable changes in retention, workload, and team mental health. Expect continued interest in mentorship models, operational wellbeing frameworks, and burnout strategies that include the whole care team, not just veterinarians. (avma.org)