Identifying the unique challenges and successes experienced by Prince Edward Island’s veterinarians is the goal of a mental health research project currently underway at Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC).

Researchers at AVC and University of Prince Edward Island’s (UPEI’s) department of psychology in the faculties of arts and science are interested in hearing the personal and professional accounts of Island veterinarians to learn more about their experiences working in veterinary medicine.

The project, which is part of a Canada-wide study, will be led by UPEI doctor of psychology (PsyD) program student, Chaya Seale, as part of her dissertation.

“I hope to learn about both small and big challenges veterinarians have faced throughout their careers in clinical practice,” she says. “Having the opportunity to share and hear your own story can help with reflection, but it can also help other veterinarians feel less alone and isolated when facing similar difficulties.”

The research will be co-supervised by AVC assistant professor and Canada Research Chair in Social Epidemiology for Healthy Animals, Caroline Ritter, DVM, Dr. vet. med., PhD, and Yoshiyuki Takano, PhD, an assistant professor in UPEI’s department of psychology.

“Research has traditionally focused on the negative aspects of veterinarian mental well-being and reasons why veterinarians end up leaving clinical practice,” Dr. Ritter says. “However, we know there are veterinarians who successfully navigate the first years of clinical practice and have flourished. We are interested in speaking to veterinarians about how they overcame challenges and what helped them as they navigated their early careers.”

To be eligible, participants must currently be practicing as a veterinarian in a clinical setting and have graduated from a Canadian veterinary school within the past 15 years.

For more, contact Seale at ckseale@upei.ca or by phone at 902-237-4754.

To register, click here.