Abstract
An elevated risk for suicide among veterinarians has stimulated research into the mental health of the veterinary profession, and more recently attention has turned to the veterinary student population. This qualitative study sought to explore UK veterinary students' perceptions and experiences of university life, and to consider how these may affect well-being. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 students from a single UK school who were purposively selected to include perspectives from male, female, graduate-entry, standard-entry (straight from high school), and widening participation students across all 5 years of the program. Three main themes were identified: a deep-rooted vocation, navigating belongingness, and finding balance. Participants described a long-standing goal of becoming a veterinarian, with a determination reflected by often circuitous routes to veterinary school and little or no consideration of alternatives. Although some had been motivated by a love of animals, others were intrinsically interested in the scientific and problem-solving challenges of veterinary medicine. Most expressed strong feelings of empathy with animal owners. The issue of belongingness was central to participants' experiences, with accounts reflecting their efforts to negotiate a sense of belongingness both in student and professional communities. Participants also frequently expressed a degree of acceptance of poor balance between work and relaxation, with indications of a belief that this imbalance could be rectified later. This study helps highlight future avenues for research and supports initiatives aiming to nurture a sense of collegiality among veterinary students as they progress through training and into the profession.
Highlights
Recent years have seen an increasing focus on wellbeing in the veterinary profession, partly because of proportional mortality ratios (PMR) for suicide among veterinarians indicating increased risk for suicide in comparison even with other high-risk populations, including doctors and dentists[1, 2]
It is valuable to further our understanding of wellbeing in the veterinary student population
Studies using validated psychological scales have shown that UK and US veterinary students experience lower levels of wellbeing and poorer mental health than the general population[3,4,5,6]
Summary
Recent years have seen an increasing focus on wellbeing in the veterinary profession, partly because of proportional mortality ratios (PMR) for suicide among veterinarians indicating increased risk for suicide in comparison even with other high-risk populations, including doctors and dentists[1, 2]. This raises the question of where wellbeing in the profession begins. Another study found that veterinary students did not experience excessive stress, but did report greater levels of subjective stress[6]. As these studies involved single populations and did not directly compare with other student groups, it is unclear whether the experiences and mental health of veterinary students differ from those of other similar student populations
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