Katharina Buczek
All of these emotional challenges, coupled with day-to-day responsibilities in the office, have a tendency to impact veterinarians’ emotional states.
“You can say you are going to be stoic and put it out of your mind and say it’s part of being a veterinarian. But, the reality is that over time, that weighs on you,” said Dr. Will McCauley, a veterinarian from Texas.
And on September 28, 2014, the veterinary profession lost yet another beacon of light in the field– Dr. Sophia Yin.
Dr. Yin was a world-renowned veterinarian and behavioral specialist who advocated for the humane treatment of animals.
But, the forty-eight-year-old tragically took her own life in her Davis, California, home.
Dr. Yin’s death shook veterinarians around the world to their core.
But for one named Dr. Nicole McArthur, the tragic loss also sparked a new initiative aimed to help veterinarians combat their all-too-common mental health struggles.
Just a few days later, on October 1, 2014, Dr. McArthur launched a secret Facebook group and invited all of her veterinary friends.
There, she planned to foster an open support forum where vets could discuss their triumphs, challenges, and personal struggles.
Since then, the Facebook group has grown into a non-profit organization known as NOMV– Not One More Vet.
The Facebook forum now has over twenty-six thousand members, and NOMV offers a plethora of help outlets– including peer support, outreach, and awareness– as well as educational programs for veterinary professionals around the globe.
