Unconditional Respect for
The Veterinary
Profession
Veterinarians are inspirational
Veterinarians share their knowledge to treat and serve the needs of animals and those who care for them. They support and champion those who find love and joy in their pets, and those who ensure our food supply. At Merck Animal Health, we stand behind our veterinarians and the veterinary profession and applaud their important contributions to animal health.
Our Commitment to Veterinarians of Today and Tomorrow
It’s time to talk about Mental Health in Veterinary Medicine
We are helping tackle the issue of mental health in the workplace and more specifically within the veterinary profession.
One in four Canadian veterinarians and technologists have reported suicidal thoughts, depression, and burnout.1
In order to provide veterinary professionals with skills to help them care for their own mental health and recognize when others may need help, we launched Time to Talk in 2018 in partnership with the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. This national initiative offers a community of support, tools, training and conversations needed to break the stigma of mental health in Canada.
To better understand the needs of veterinary professionals, we routinely conduct a veterinary well-being study and make recommendations based on its findings. The third comprehensive study was conducted in the fall of 2021. The study highlights the challenges affecting the veterinary profession and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on practitioners and staff.
1. Perret, J., Best, C., Coe, J. et al. Prevalence of mental health outcomes among Canadian veterinarians. 2020; Accessed online at https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/256/3/javma.256.3.365.xml in December 2022.
Download these helpful resources:
Recognizing the Signs of Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
Mental Health Resource List
Access more tools and resources from the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA).
Veterinary Student Rotation
In 2022, we hosted our first credited, two-week veterinary student rotation in partnership with the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. The goal of the program is for students in their final year to explore alternative career paths within the animal health industry, which is something they may not get exposure to during their educational curriculum. They also have the opportunity to network with future colleagues.
Expanding Education to Veterinarians Around the World
The Richard T. Clark Fellowship for Global Health (RTC Fellowship) provides our employees with the opportunity to share their world-class talents and skills with the world. Through this three-month pro bono program, Fellows partner with a participating non-governmental organization (NGO) to help build their capacity and provide increased access to health services and education in the communities they serve.
Since 2012, the RTC Fellowship program has allowed 251 Fellows from 39 countries to work with 40 nonprofit organizations from around the world. The most recent Fellowship projects were completed virtually and helped benefit NGOs and communities in Africa, India and Southeast Asia. The programs helped local communities in need advance important health-related projects and contributed positively to their most pressing health issues.
Spaying and neutering education: Dr. Marianne Pashley and Dr. Maria Syska Garrett
Dr. Marianne Pashley and Dr. Maria Syska Garrett partnered with Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) to help provide veterinarians around the globe with access to high-quality, engaging and relevant educational content. The two worked with the NGO to develop an online certificate in spaying and neutering, reimagining the training offered through its International Training Centres. The project helped accelerate the launch of WVS’s first online course and established a framework for future courses.
Engaging communities on the Galapagos Islands: Wilson Beltran
The objective of this project was to analyze ways to engage pet owners to reduce pressure on local wildlife through responsible pet ownership. The outcome of the study will help the community better understand their role and the role their pets play in the conservation and protection of the unique wildlife of the Galapagos ecosystem.
Student Ambassador Program
Several years ago, we launched the Student Ambassador Program at veterinary schools across North America, including several Canadian colleges. The student ambassador acts as a liaison between Merck Animal Health, the veterinary student body, and the members of the academic community. They also attend industry activities at the school as our representative. The goal of the program is to support the development of our future leaders in the veterinary profession, create a network of student ambassadors across Canada, give veterinary students the opportunity to gain more insight into the veterinary industry, and demonstrate our commitment to the profession by showing the role that industry partners play in supporting the veterinary profession.
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