Authentic Conversations about Self-Care with Fourth-Year Veterinary Medical Students

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Psychology
• Education

Background:

• Growing recognition of psychological distress in veterinary professionals.
• Critique of existing interventions for overemphasizing distress and reactive measures.
• Need for proactive, strengths-based approaches to veterinary well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight a proactive, strengths-focused self-care intervention for fourth-year veterinary students.
• To increase student awareness of self-care during clinical training and professional transition.
• To offer an alternative to current stress management interventions that may not meet student needs.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of "authentic conversations about self-care" as a required part of clinical training.
• Private meetings between students and a behavioral scientist to discuss stress and coping.
• Focus on strengths and proactive strategies rather than solely on distress.

Main Results:

• Potential for increased student engagement during clinical training.
• Enhanced student awareness of self-care practices.
• Improved self-efficacy in maintaining well-being during training and professional practice.

Conclusions:

• Authentic conversations about self-care offer a valuable proactive intervention for veterinary students.
• This approach can better support students during the critical transition from training to professional practice.
• Integrating self-care discussions into clinical training fosters long-term well-being in the veterinary profession.