Your Vet Book Club: A Compassionate Calling by Dr. Marie Holowaychuk

February 23
26 mins

Episode Description

We're launching the very first Your Vet Book Club with a heartfelt conversation about A Compassionate Calling by Dr. Marie Holowaychuk. In this episode, we explore the emotional realities of veterinary medicine, from exhaustion and burnout to empathy, grief, and resilience. Dr. Holowaychuk shares evidence-based research through her personal stories to reveal both the struggles and the hope within the veterinary profession. We also discuss the growing role of veterinary social work, the impact of autonomy on burnout, and how pet owners can better understand the human side of veterinary care.

  • Wellbeing is essential to safe, sustainable patient care. Rest and boundaries are not optional.
  • Empathy is a strength, but learning to separate compassion from personal distress protects against burnout.
  • Greater autonomy and ownership in practice may help reduce professional burnout.
  • Veterinary social workers provide critical emotional support for both pet owners and veterinary teams.
  • Compassion must go both ways. Positive client–veterinarian relationships strengthen care for animals.

A Compassionate Calling by Dr. Marie Holowaychuk: https://acompassionatecalling.com

Handouts: Book club discussion and 10 Things Your Veterinarian Wishes You Knew: https://acompassionatecalling.com/book-club/#free-pdf-handouts

Gretchen Rubin: The Happiness Project & Happier Podcast: https://gretchenrubin.com

Our vision is for Your Vet Wants You to Know to be a resource for veterinarians to improve client communication by introducing a discussion about a common topic during the vet visit, then directing the client to a reliable source of engaging, understandable, and accessible information.  

By doing so, we strive for:
1) increased pet health literacy among pet owners,  
2) improved partnership between clients and the veterinary team,  
3) improved medical outcomes for pets, and  
4) improved quality of life and efficiency for veterinarians.   Help support our mission through BUY ME A COFFEE: https://buymeacoffee.com/yourvet

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