In my last blog post, I introduced depression and burnout in new graduates with some background on compassion fatigue, and I explained some reasons for the problem, such as the James Herriot Syndrome and generational differences. To get caught up, follow this link: leasheslariatsandlipstick.weebly.com/blog/depression-and-burnout-in-new-graduates-part-1 I’ll continue with that topic, part two in a three part series, with isolation, financial burdens, and the changing gender makeup of veterinary medicine. Hopefully you found last week’s post helpful and tried some of the tips posted, whether you’re a new grad, a long time practicing vet, or just someone that needs help separating their life from their job. Like I said in my last post, if you’re feeling burnout, just try one thing at a time. You’ll be amazed how much can change just by shaking it up a little. Isolation The transition from veterinary student to veterinarian can be an exciting but also challenging time. Most students transition from hanging out with their classmates and best friends at veterinary school every day to likely living in a new town with no friends, far away from any of their classmates. Being a brand new graduate can be isolating. Couple that with a 60-hour work week, and it can be hard to stay in touch with your fellow classmates or “battle buddies” as a friend put it. As a new graduate, I eventually got used to this feeling of isolation. I seemed to forget that my fellow classmates and best friends were still there for me even though they were practicing from a far distance. I would find myself fretting about a certain case or situation for weeks. When our crazy work schedules would finally allow me and some of my nearby classmates to have a get-together, we found ourselves talking about veterinary medicine constantly. It was like therapy. After talking to them about a difficult case or situation at work, I would often find that they experienced the exact same thing, and they often even had advice for me. I found myself wishing I would have talked to them weeks ago and kept in touch better. For new graduates, I can’t stress enough the importance of keeping in touch with your close classmates. They are the only ones that understand the transition. I know I said in the last post to put away the smartphone, but maybe a quick chat with a veterinary friend might just lift your spirits. While you’re at it, schedule a night out with your friends. Who cares if it’s a long distance? What else are you going to do in your 48 hours off. Technically, your house doesn’t have to be clean. It will be like therapy to spend time away and be able to vent. At first you might hesitate to even tell your friends if you’re having a rough time, but once you do, you’ll likely realize that everyone feels the same. There’s a lot of comfort in that. Financial Burdens A unique challenge that my generation faces is our ever increasing debt-to-income ratio. The average debt of my class at the University of Missouri, a relatively inexpensive school compared to other veterinary schools, was $145,000. In a 2012 survey done by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the average starting salary of a veterinarian was $65,000. That may seem like a pretty healthy wage to most, but if you factor in debt load, many new graduates are surprisingly broke. The high debt load of new graduates could not only contribute to added stress, but also prevent us from achieving things we want, like a first home purchase or even vacations, which help a lot with stress relief. At some point, I will likely devote an entire blog post to this topic as there’s too much to cover here. It’s hard to find a practical solution to this problem or even decide whose responsibility it is to solve this problem. Should veterinary students be more wise about their spending before and during veterinary school and make more of an effort to keep debt low? Should veterinary schools find ways to reduce costs? That’s tricky with less and less state funding. Should states start funding such programs more to cover costs? Should the veterinary national and state organizations get involved? All of these things require extensive discussion, which is too involved to cover in this blog post. But don’t worry, I’ll return to this subject in the future. To relieve stress on this point is hard because like most people, you’re not going to feel better about it until it’s gone. I can only tell you what you’ve heard before, consolidate your loans, research your loans so you know as much as you can, and if you have to, pick an income based repayment plan, but only if you can’t survive any other way. Interest still accrues, that sadly doesn’t change. Need to save money? Take a vacation at a state park, head to a garage sale, and eat eggs, eggs are very cheap. By the way, Aldi’s also has $2 wine and a bunch of other deals, but don’t forget to bring your quarter! When dealing with financial burden, take a deep breath, and remember that you’re not alone. Haven’t you heard the news? Most of us are in the same boat. This might also be an opportunity for you to share your story with veterinary students, state and national organizations, or even your local politicians. This system will have to be changed, and it might make you feel proactive to get involved. Changing Gender Makeup
As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, the face of the veterinary profession is changing. My graduating vet school class in 2012 was roughly 85% female, which seems to be pretty consistent in most veterinary schools. Women face a number of unique challenges in the profession that could contribute to the changing stats on depression and burnout. A colleague of mine noted, “It’s been frustrating to me to feel like my career has prevented me from other life goals like starting a family.” As a young female professional, I can certainly sympathize. After graduating veterinary school, I knew practice ownership was in the cards for me. I made the decision to prioritize my career for a few years before starting a family. I wanted to be taken seriously at work, by both my clients and my co-workers. I didn’t want to be known as the mom at work that also happened to be a veterinarian. Almost four years after graduating veterinary school when my husband and I decided to try to start a family, I still questioned if it was too soon or if we were jumping the gun. Now, of course, we’re ecstatic about our new family addition that is coming in November. I don’t regret my decision to wait to have kids, but I do think it’s sad that women in my profession (myself included) lay awake at night wondering how their family planning is going to affect them professionally. Starting a family is a beautiful thing, and you shouldn’t have to feel guilty or worried about your career at that time. Studies have shown that having a family can also put more strain on young female professionals. Women who work full-time, on average, do 60% of the house chores and 80% of the childcare. Taking on so much responsibility in the home can be stressful for someone who is already working long hours. Add the guilt of working long hours and spending “too much time” away from your children, and it’s no wonder that mothers may feel overstretched and even depressed. If practice owners are wondering why women seem to demand more time off or a work/life balance, the likely reason is they have to for survival. My advice to all women, especially those that want to be working mothers, is to choose a partner that values equality, both in the world and the home. I thank my lucky stars that I married a man that can cook. The cleaning? We still need a little training on that part, but I’m working on it. However, I can’t stress enough the importance of having a partner that plays an active role in the home and child rearing. If you don’t have a partner that values equality, and you are expected to do most of the chores and child rearing, then you need to voice your concerns. It may be that you haven’t asked for help, and they may be oblivious to the fact that you're struggling because you hide it so well or that’s how they were raised. If they still don’t want to put more effort in, then you’ve got a bigger problem than a stressful work situation, and only you can fix that one. It’s far too much of a burden for one person to bear. For all the single mothers out there, including my own mother, I raise my glass to you. I don’t know how you do what you do. Other challenges women sometimes face in our profession is sexual harassment, clients taking them less seriously than their male colleagues, lower wages (yes, the AVMA found on average that new female graduates make about $3,000 less for their starting salary), and less opportunities for advancement. It’s the 21st century and we’ve made a lot of progress, but the fact remains that many leaders in our profession are completely out of touch with the challenges many of us face. For those of us interested in leadership, it can make you feel like you’re banging your head against a wall. A female colleague of mine describes a time at a leadership convention: She said, “I could not get the white haired men in blue blazers to listen. I told them it was okay, we would celebrate progress one retirement at a time.” There is a lot of truth to that. There will come a time when more and more women reach the point in their careers where they’re established enough to take on upper levels of leadership in organized veterinary medicine. The older generation of veterinarians, typically our leaders of the profession, is still predominantly male, which is why, in my opinion, women remain underrepresented and misunderstood at the leadership level. There’s no doubt in my mind this will change with time. But again, progress is often slow and painful, especially in our profession. Leadership roles are stressful but also empowering. If you feel like the lack of representation is causing some of your burnout with the profession, then get more involved. I know, your schedule is insane, but making some changes at the top of our profession will help all the little minions at the bottom. I have found my own involvement in organized veterinary medicine to be quite empowering and rewarding. Not to mention, it’s an opportunity to discuss issues with other newer graduates involved, which helps with the feeling of isolation we mentioned earlier. Many of you may also be surprised how little of a time commitment it takes. A great place to start is to get involved with your regional or state veterinary medical association. Become an officer in your regional VMA or find a committee that interests you at the state level. Changes and progress in the system require participation. To sum it up so you can try one thing at a time, these are some strategies that may help you out: 1.) Schedule a night out or a phone call with friends. All work, no play, makes you a boring vet. You need to relieve stress and bounce ideas off of your school friends that may be in the same position as you. 2.) Research your student loans to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible. And take a deep breath. 3.) Try to make changes to your work life that fit you. Change is not a bad thing! 4.) Try out a leadership role to make change in your field. You’ll feel empowered and you’ll be a part of making necessary changes. Take something from today’s post, something small, and try to make a change for the positive. Call a friend right now and set up a dinner date. Ask your spouse with a little help with dinner and the dishes. Go buy some eggs! The next blog post will wrap up my discussion of depression and burnout with mistakes, high standards, and neuroplasticity.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Jessica Stroupe, DVM
Archives
August 2017
|