With mental health and burnout rising concerns among veterinarians, the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) has implemented a system to embed well-being into its programs and culture.

For the past 18 months, Johanna Holm has served as UCVM’s mental health and wellness manager. In this role, she supports students, faculty, and staff who are dealing with pressures such as animal suffering, grief, and loss.

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association says veterinarians’ mental health and rising burnout are contributing to attrition in a profession already facing a significant shortage.

Holm was drawn to the role because it allows her to support individuals while also helping drive broader change.

“I felt like this was such a unique role because I could support individuals while also contributing to structural change,” Holm says.

Her work extends beyond referrals and one-on-one support. Holm identifies recurring concerns and works to integrate well-being into UCVM’s programs, processes, and culture.

“If a faculty member is not well, a student is going to feel it. If a staff member is not well, the team is going to feel it,” she says. “Everything is integrated.”

A 20-year UCalgary veteran, Holm brought extensive experience in health-professions education to UCVM. Still, she did not assume a model developed for medicine could be transplanted in veterinary medicine.

She started by listening. Holm met with students, faculty, and staff to understand UCVM’s culture and challenges. That approach helped her identify the effects of cumulative emotional stress. When a UCVM team faced repeated euthanasia and animal loss, Holm helped arrange therapist-led team debriefs rather than waiting for team members to reach burnout or seek help on their own.

Her presence within the faculty also helps make early conversations easier. Holm says she wants students, faculty, and staff to know her “before they need her”.

Holm has led initiatives including Mental Health Awareness Week, Pause for Paws, Forum on Failure, and therapist-led workshops. These initiatives give students, faculty, and staff a chance to step away from work and discuss setbacks. By bringing these conversations into the open, Holm says, UCVM can reduce stigma and build a culture where vulnerability, learning, and mutual support are part of professional education.