21 min

Pawareness Podcast # 30 | Mental Health in Veterinary Practice | Traveling Dogtor Pawareness Podcast

    • Pets & Animals

In this episode of the Pawareness Podcast, we welcome Shelby Baden, the Executive Director and Founder of the Traveling Dogtor blog. Through her blog, Shelby raises awareness about mental health for healthcare and veterinary students and professionals. She shares how she started Traveling Dogtor as a blog that would give tips to vet students while she was in vet school. But it later evolved into a more promising venture where she explored the relevant topics on mental health. This is partly due to the experiences that many vet students go through.

Shelby also recommends activities that will help people cope with mental health stresses. One of these includes journaling, yoga and meditation, and reading. She maintains awareness by sharing her mental health struggles in her blog where she keeps encouraging people to know that they are not alone with their struggles. Shelby also emphasizes the advantage of building a community on social media where people can engage and interact to discuss the common struggles associated with mental health. This applies not only among vet students and professionals in the healthcare industry, but also among individuals going through tough experiences and moments.

Find good mentors. Find someone who loves being a vet. If it’s your passion, you don’t want to be discouraged from that. Maintain  and foster relationships with your mentors. At the end of the day, no matter where you go, you’re gonna need a recommendation for a job. Connections are important.  - Shelby Baden

Tune in to know more about how vet students and professionals, or people in general, can help cope with their mental health struggles through wellness and encouragements.

Did you know? 🡪 One factor that contributes to loneliness and grief in the veterinary practice is euthanizing animals.

Visit The Traveling Dogtor website: https://travelingdogtor.com/

Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traveling_dogtor/

Connect with them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelingdogtor/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@traveling_dogtor?lang=en

Email Shelby: travelingdogtor@gmail.com

Visit our website: www.pawareness.org

Where to find the Pawareness Podcast: www.linktr.ee/pawareness

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/pawareness_official

Submit for Pet of the Week: www.pawareness.org/pet-of-the-week

Episode Timeline


[00:44] Introducing Shelby Baden, Executive Director and Founder of the Traveling Dogtor Blog
[01:59] Life in vet school
[03:30] The relevance of mental health awareness in vet school and the profession
[05:50] Recommendations to cope with mental health issues
[10:05] May is mental health awareness month
[12:04] When people reach out[14:10] Plans for the mental health advocacy
[17:04] Advice for vet students and people who plan to go to vet school
[19:00] Where can people reach The Traveling Dogtor?

In this episode of the Pawareness Podcast, we welcome Shelby Baden, the Executive Director and Founder of the Traveling Dogtor blog. Through her blog, Shelby raises awareness about mental health for healthcare and veterinary students and professionals. She shares how she started Traveling Dogtor as a blog that would give tips to vet students while she was in vet school. But it later evolved into a more promising venture where she explored the relevant topics on mental health. This is partly due to the experiences that many vet students go through.

Shelby also recommends activities that will help people cope with mental health stresses. One of these includes journaling, yoga and meditation, and reading. She maintains awareness by sharing her mental health struggles in her blog where she keeps encouraging people to know that they are not alone with their struggles. Shelby also emphasizes the advantage of building a community on social media where people can engage and interact to discuss the common struggles associated with mental health. This applies not only among vet students and professionals in the healthcare industry, but also among individuals going through tough experiences and moments.

Find good mentors. Find someone who loves being a vet. If it’s your passion, you don’t want to be discouraged from that. Maintain  and foster relationships with your mentors. At the end of the day, no matter where you go, you’re gonna need a recommendation for a job. Connections are important.  - Shelby Baden

Tune in to know more about how vet students and professionals, or people in general, can help cope with their mental health struggles through wellness and encouragements.

Did you know? 🡪 One factor that contributes to loneliness and grief in the veterinary practice is euthanizing animals.

Visit The Traveling Dogtor website: https://travelingdogtor.com/

Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traveling_dogtor/

Connect with them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelingdogtor/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@traveling_dogtor?lang=en

Email Shelby: travelingdogtor@gmail.com

Visit our website: www.pawareness.org

Where to find the Pawareness Podcast: www.linktr.ee/pawareness

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/pawareness_official

Submit for Pet of the Week: www.pawareness.org/pet-of-the-week

Episode Timeline


[00:44] Introducing Shelby Baden, Executive Director and Founder of the Traveling Dogtor Blog
[01:59] Life in vet school
[03:30] The relevance of mental health awareness in vet school and the profession
[05:50] Recommendations to cope with mental health issues
[10:05] May is mental health awareness month
[12:04] When people reach out[14:10] Plans for the mental health advocacy
[17:04] Advice for vet students and people who plan to go to vet school
[19:00] Where can people reach The Traveling Dogtor?

21 min