We have recently learned that the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota will remove its licensed counselor and stop providing mental health care to students. We have serious concerns about this change and the detrimental impact it will have on student well-being as well as issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. Mental health has become an increasingly serious concern in the veterinary profession, and students are no exception. Having easily accessible mental health care provided throughout veterinary school allows students to thrive during the curriculum and provides them with the necessary tools required to succeed and excel after graduation. For many, the current counselor is the only accessible and long-term provider available for appropriate mental health care without high copays or excessive demands on their limited time and resources. 

      Eliminating our mental health care lifeline will reduce the quality of life for the many students who rely on this care and may lead to severe outcomes. Given the high suicide rate within the veterinary profession, a lack of easily accessible mental health triage and care will put students in real danger, and studies indicate younger veterinary professionals have higher rates of mental distress (1,2). Mental health has become such a pervasive issue within this profession that the American Veterinary Medical Association’s three-tiered approach to well-being, outlined in the “AVMA and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Joint Statement on Veterinary Mental Health and Wellbeing,” includes steps for prevention, protection and support. The supportive approach states that the AVMA is supporting mental health by “ensuring suitable expert support is available to veterinary professionals who need it, provided in a confidential and safe environment, and accessible without fear of judgement.” The social worker at the College of Veterinary Medicine provides this expert support and essential long-term, accessible counseling services for students who either enter the program with mental health care concerns or who end up needing support during the program.

We are petitioning for the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine to retain a licensed mental health professional who can provide long-term mental health support and to increase transparency regarding well-being decisions within the college. It is imperative that mental health care is restored as soon as possible for the health of our Student Body.

1. Gyles C. (2018). Surprising new findings on veterinarians' mental health and well-being. The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne, 59:10, 1041–1043. 

2. Drake AAS,Hafen M, Rush BR. (2017). A decade of counseling services in one college of veterinary medicine: veterinary medical students’ psychological distress and help-seeking trends. J of Vet Med Educ. 44: 157-65.

Co-Signed,

Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment (VOICE), University of Minnesota

Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA), University of Minnesota

College of Veterinary Medicine Student Council, University of Minnesota