She did not have the energy to cook meals or call her family on the phone. It was the culmination of the pandemic and the BC-based Nanaimo-based veterinarian not only dedicated the 12-hour days, but absorbed the emotion of treating sick animals and treating their often demanding owners.
He could not stand it.
“I could not become the vet I wanted and I burned,” said Mitchell, 28. “It was really frustrating to realize that I could not do it anymore.”
Mitchell quit her full-time job as a veterinarian in April 2021 and now works in different clinics, where she can control her workload.
“I love my job, but I’m nervous about the future of my profession unless there are changes, especially with the vet [technician] and the shortages of veterinarians “.
COVID-19 exposed cracks in many parts of the medical system, including animal care, which were on the brink of crisis before the pandemic.
Cleo, a recent client at Skyline Veterinary Hospital in North Vancouver, is recovering from surgery. (Lyndsay Duncombe / CBC)
There are not enough veterinarians and pets and animal care staff across the countryeven as the number of pets – and the intensity of people attaching to them – increases.
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association estimates that 30 percent of Canadian veterinarians and 50 percent of technical veterinarians are in the advanced stages of burnout.
“I’ve seen tears, people who want to quit, and people who quit,” said Dr. Rocky Lis, who runs Skyline Veterinary Hospital, a new North Vancouver practice, with two other associates.
“Something has to give”
Skyline opened in September and is one of the only clinics in the area to receive new patients. As a result, Lis’s days are full.
“I’ve seen tears, people who want to quit, and people who quit,” said Dr. Rocky Lis, who runs Skyline Veterinary Hospital in North Vancouver. (Lyndsay Duncombe / CBC)
One Wednesday, Lis removed a potentially cancerous mass from a cat, evaluated two other felines, had large dates with many dogs, and even x-rayed a lethargic backyard chicken with a sore leg.
It’s an unsustainable pace, says Lis. “Something has to give.”
It’s not just the workload. Veterinary medicine is unique in that highly motivated, compassionate professionals go through intense and competitive animal care training, but end up spending a lot of time dealing with owners who may not be able – or want to – pay for services.
“A lot of the veterinarians who leave the veterinary school γρήγορα get frustrated pretty quickly,” Liss said. This is because they may not realize that “there would be a component to these discussions [with clients] every day, saying “That’s how much the veterinary medicine costs”.
Another client at Skyline Veterinary Clinic in North Vancouver. (Lyndsay Duncombe / CBC)
This is especially true in Canada, he says, where universal healthcare means that people do not understand the costs associated with medicines, even though animal care is much cheaper.
Mitchell agrees that this was part of the reason she was burned.
“The money from [a customer’s] The bill does not only go directly to the veterinarians’ pockets, but to pay for the medicines and supplies and the resources we use. “
Supply can not meet the growing demand
The reality is that despite the large number of patients, being a veterinarian is very unlikely to make anyone rich.
Salaries vary by location and type of practice, but most pet veterinarians can expect to make between $ 90,000 and $ 100,000 a year.
This is closer to a teacher than to a doctor, and many veterinarians work or own small businesses with minimal, if any, benefits.
Nanaimo veterinarian Karissa Mitchell not only dedicated the 12-hour day, but absorbed the emotion of treating sick animals and treating their often demanding owners. (Michael McArthur / CBC)
Not only that, but some young veterinarians are entering the profession with dizzying debts.
This is partly because the way Canada trains veterinarians is different from any other profession. There are five colleges across the county and students can only attend the program in the area where they live.
Provincial governments fund places at the institution, but the number of graduates does not always match the size of the population.
With the exception of international students, who may or may not stay in Canada, approximately 380 veterinarians graduate from Canada each year. This percentage barely keeps pace with expected retirement, not to mention growing demand.
The high cost of education
The Alberta government recently announced plan to double the number of veterinarians graduatingin order to address the shortage.
In Saskatchewan, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) came up with a different plan. Up to 30 students will be admitted each year without provincial funding – essentially allowing Canadian students to pay the same tuition as international students.
This means that eligible students will have to pay for full, non-subsidized tuition – a huge difference in cost. A student with provincial funding can expect to pay $ 12,717 in annual tuition, while those without funding will pay $ 67,717 each year for the same education.
“When I entered veterinary school, it was a dream come true and it was also devastating,” said Ruth Patten, of Kelowna, BC, who is in her second year at WCVM.
She did not qualify for one of BC’s 20 funded seats, so she estimates that with living expenses, her education will cost somewhere between $ 300,000 and $ 350,000 a year.
“It will be difficult to repay that amount of money in this profession,” he said.
In fact, given the bank lending limits and state-owned student loans, Patten is unsure if it will even be able to raise enough cash to fund its education.
“When I entered veterinary school, it was a dream come true, and it was also devastating,” said Ruth Patten, who is in her second year at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatchewan. (Don Somers / CBC)
It is part of an effort to put pressure on the BC government to pay for the training of more veterinarians. A report has been compiled requesting additional funding more than 2,000 signatures.
She does not believe that the cost of education is fair, especially when there is such a need for veterinarians in her homeland. “I do not think it is fair for BC residents, I do not think it is fair for BC animals, I do not think it is fair for BC people who have pets that need to see a doctor.”
“It’s a complex problem”
Patten knows that her debt will probably mean a stressful start to a career in an already stressful industry. That said, he can not imagine doing anything else.
“It’s a crisis, but we have to get involved, something has to change and I do not think leaving and moving to a different profession will help,” he said.
One thing that is changing is the way veterinarians are trained. Due to the mental health crisis in the field, WCVC has added emphasis to well-being in the curriculum. Students now learn about personal and business finances, communication and teamwork.
From next year, there will also be a specific endurance program, according to Dr. Chris Clark, the program’s deputy dean.
“This is a really comprehensive program that focuses on learning the skills that you will eventually develop through your profession and help you deal with difficult situations and challenging people that are constantly happening in veterinary medicine,” Clark said.
The Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatchewan is introducing a specific resilience program for its students, according to Dr. Chris Clark, the program’s deputy dean. (Don Somers / CBC)
He says the crisis means plenty of job opportunities for his students. Everyone in this year’s graduation class is expected to have a job after graduation. many already do.
“Right now, they will have more choices than any generation that has ever graduated,” he said.
But Clark worries that many of his students will enter clinics without the guidance and support needed by young veterinarians.
Karissa Mitchell chose to stay in veterinary medicine, but as a so-called locum veterinarian, she controls how much and when she works. She takes care of lunch breaks and has a break.
“I just feel more energized, I’m excited to be coming to work,” he said. “I love my job, I like working as a team, I love animals.”
But wherever he goes, he sees evidence of a system at a tipping point. Mitchell says that no clinic she works for has enough staff.
“It’s a complex problem and it needs a complex solution.”
title: “Canada S Veterinarians Are Not Ok Overwork Pet Owners Debt Load Leading To Burnout " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-06” author: “John Green”
She did not have the energy to cook meals or call her family on the phone. It was the culmination of the pandemic and the BC-based Nanaimo-based veterinarian not only dedicated the 12-hour days, but absorbed the emotion of treating sick animals and treating their often demanding owners.
He could not stand it.
“I could not become the vet I wanted and I burned,” said Mitchell, 28. “It was really frustrating to realize that I could not do it anymore.”
Mitchell quit her full-time job as a veterinarian in April 2021 and now works in different clinics, where she can control her workload.
“I love my job, but I’m nervous about the future of my profession unless there are changes, especially with the vet [technician] and the shortages of veterinarians “.
COVID-19 exposed cracks in many parts of the medical system, including animal care, which were on the brink of crisis before the pandemic.
Cleo, a recent client at Skyline Veterinary Hospital in North Vancouver, is recovering from surgery. (Lyndsay Duncombe / CBC)
There are not enough veterinarians and pets and animal care staff across the countryeven as the number of pets – and the intensity of people attaching to them – increases.
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association estimates that 30 percent of Canadian veterinarians and 50 percent of technical veterinarians are in the advanced stages of burnout.
“I’ve seen tears, people who want to quit, and people who quit,” said Dr. Rocky Lis, who runs Skyline Veterinary Hospital, a new North Vancouver practice, with two other associates.
“Something has to give”
Skyline opened in September and is one of the only clinics in the area to receive new patients. As a result, Lis’s days are full.
“I’ve seen tears, people who want to quit, and people who quit,” said Dr. Rocky Lis, who runs Skyline Veterinary Hospital in North Vancouver. (Lyndsay Duncombe / CBC)
One Wednesday, Lis removed a potentially cancerous mass from a cat, evaluated two other felines, had large dates with many dogs, and even x-rayed a lethargic backyard chicken with a sore leg.
It’s an unsustainable pace, says Lis. “Something has to give.”
It’s not just the workload. Veterinary medicine is unique in that highly motivated, compassionate professionals go through intense and competitive animal care training, but end up spending a lot of time dealing with owners who may not be able – or want to – pay for services.
“A lot of the veterinarians who leave the veterinary school γρήγορα get frustrated pretty quickly,” Liss said. This is because they may not realize that “there would be a component to these discussions [with clients] every day, saying “That’s how much the veterinary medicine costs”.
Another client at Skyline Veterinary Clinic in North Vancouver. (Lyndsay Duncombe / CBC)
This is especially true in Canada, he says, where universal healthcare means that people do not understand the costs associated with medicines, even though animal care is much cheaper.
Mitchell agrees that this was part of the reason she was burned.
“The money from [a customer’s] The bill does not only go directly to the veterinarians’ pockets, but to pay for the medicines and supplies and the resources we use. “
Supply can not meet the growing demand
The reality is that despite the large number of patients, being a veterinarian is very unlikely to make anyone rich.
Salaries vary by location and type of practice, but most pet veterinarians can expect to make between $ 90,000 and $ 100,000 a year.
This is closer to a teacher than to a doctor, and many veterinarians work or own small businesses with minimal, if any, benefits.
Nanaimo veterinarian Karissa Mitchell not only dedicated the 12-hour day, but absorbed the emotion of treating sick animals and treating their often demanding owners. (Michael McArthur / CBC)
Not only that, but some young veterinarians are entering the profession with dizzying debts.
This is partly because the way Canada trains veterinarians is different from any other profession. There are five colleges across the county and students can only attend the program in the area where they live.
Provincial governments fund places at the institution, but the number of graduates does not always match the size of the population.
With the exception of international students, who may or may not stay in Canada, approximately 380 veterinarians graduate from Canada each year. This percentage barely keeps pace with expected retirement, not to mention growing demand.
The high cost of education
The Alberta government recently announced plan to double the number of veterinarians graduatingin order to address the shortage.
In Saskatchewan, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) came up with a different plan. Up to 30 students will be admitted each year without provincial funding – essentially allowing Canadian students to pay the same tuition as international students.
This means that eligible students will have to pay for full, non-subsidized tuition – a huge difference in cost. A student with provincial funding can expect to pay $ 12,717 in annual tuition, while those without funding will pay $ 67,717 each year for the same education.
“When I entered veterinary school, it was a dream come true and it was also devastating,” said Ruth Patten, of Kelowna, BC, who is in her second year at WCVM.
She did not qualify for one of BC’s 20 funded seats, so she estimates that with living expenses, her education will cost somewhere between $ 300,000 and $ 350,000 a year.
“It will be difficult to repay that amount of money in this profession,” he said.
In fact, given the bank lending limits and state-owned student loans, Patten is unsure if it will even be able to raise enough cash to fund its education.
“When I entered veterinary school, it was a dream come true, and it was also devastating,” said Ruth Patten, who is in her second year at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatchewan. (Don Somers / CBC)
It is part of an effort to put pressure on the BC government to pay for the training of more veterinarians. A report has been compiled requesting additional funding more than 2,000 signatures.
She does not believe that the cost of education is fair, especially when there is such a need for veterinarians in her homeland. “I do not think it is fair for BC residents, I do not think it is fair for BC animals, I do not think it is fair for BC people who have pets that need to see a doctor.”
“It’s a complex problem”
Patten knows that her debt will probably mean a stressful start to a career in an already stressful industry. That said, he can not imagine doing anything else.
“It’s a crisis, but we have to get involved, something has to change and I do not think leaving and moving to a different profession will help,” he said.
One thing that is changing is the way veterinarians are trained. Due to the mental health crisis in the field, WCVC has added emphasis to well-being in the curriculum. Students now learn about personal and business finances, communication and teamwork.
From next year, there will also be a specific endurance program, according to Dr. Chris Clark, the program’s deputy dean.
“This is a really comprehensive program that focuses on learning the skills that you will eventually develop through your profession and help you deal with difficult situations and challenging people that are constantly happening in veterinary medicine,” Clark said.
The Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatchewan is introducing a specific resilience program for its students, according to Dr. Chris Clark, the program’s deputy dean. (Don Somers / CBC)
He says the crisis means plenty of job opportunities for his students. Everyone in this year’s graduation class is expected to have a job after graduation. many already do.
“Right now, they will have more choices than any generation that has ever graduated,” he said.
But Clark worries that many of his students will enter clinics without the guidance and support needed by young veterinarians.
Karissa Mitchell chose to stay in veterinary medicine, but as a so-called locum veterinarian, she controls how much and when she works. She takes care of lunch breaks and has a break.
“I just feel more energized, I’m excited to be coming to work,” he said. “I love my job, I like working as a team, I love animals.”
But wherever he goes, he sees evidence of a system at a tipping point. Mitchell says that no clinic she works for has enough staff.
“It’s a complex problem and it needs a complex solution.”
