Zoetis Sponsors 2015 Veterinary Wellness & Social Work Summit

For the third year, Zoetis proudly served as the lead sponsor of the Veterinary Wellness & Social Work Summit (VWSWS). This year's conference was recently hosted by The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Social Work and was attended by more than 200 participants from the U.S. and Canada.

This annual conference gathers deans and faculty from colleges of veterinary medicine, veterinary association leadership, and mental health experts to further education and potential solutions around wellness for veterinary professionals. Recent focus on veterinary wellness is a result of growing evidence that veterinary professionals experience a higher rate of mental illness, depression, and suicidal tendencies than the general population.

Each year, this inter-professional meeting aims to accomplish the following:

• Develop a common understanding of the health and wellness issues faced by veterinary medical students and recent veterinary graduates
• Engage in inter-professional dialogue about health and wellness factors in the veterinary profession
• Share and formulate interventions for enhancing and protecting health and wellness within the veterinary profession

Commitment to the Veterinary Profession

“At Zoetis, we are committed to standing by the veterinary profession to help ensure the long-term growth, success and overall wellness of practicing and student veterinarians,” said Christine Jenkins, Sr. Director of U.S. Veterinary Medical Services & Outcomes Research at Zoetis.  "As we approach 2016, we'll be extending our efforts - beginning with an upcoming round table discussion hosted by AVMA.  Zoetis will participate in the event, which will focus on finding new ways our industry can work collaboratively to provide effective intervention strategies."

As a lead sponsor, Zoetis was on-site at the 2015 VWSWS to encourage attendees to pledge their commitment to veterinary wellness and to post about their summit experience on social media, using the hashtag #PledgeWellness. Here is a sampling of pictures from the event:

As the leader in animal health, Zoetis supports a variety of programs each year concentrated on improving the wellness of veterinarians such as the AVMA's Future Leaders program. Additionally, the Zoetis Commitment to Veterinarians Facebook page continues to be an ongoing resource to help broaden the awareness of cross-industry wellness initiatives and intervention solutions.