Vet Students' 100-Hour Weeks: The Unspoken Crisis in Veterinary Education
Mon Aug 04 2025
I'm OBLIGED to 80-HOUR UNPAID, clinical WORK WEEKS as a vet STUDENT... 🚨 Yes, it sounds crazy to me too, and earlier this year, reports from Penn vet students working 100-hour weeks have brought to light a significant and often overlooked issue within veterinary education. As a current vet student, I find it alarming that the industry continues to overwork students to such extremes, under conditions that would be deemed unacceptable in most other professions. Especially as I get closer to my clinical year, I get more frightened than excited.
I do understand the necessity and reality of the veterinary profession, and with that I do feel like there are some things that are inevitable. Compassion fatigue is something that stays at large in our profession, and in a sense I think it's part of the culture of people who choose to be in our field. However, I don't think that the students, especially when burnout rates are high, should be forced to work extreme hours at the detriment of our well-being.
I'd really like to have conversations with people of all different generations and roles in the veterinary profession, so comment down below & let's talk.
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I'm OBLIGED to 80-HOUR UNPAID, clinical WORK WEEKS as a vet STUDENT... 🚨 Yes, it sounds crazy to me too, and earlier this year, reports from Penn vet students working 100-hour weeks have brought to light a significant and often overlooked issue within veterinary education. As a current vet student, I find it alarming that the industry continues to overwork students to such extremes, under conditions that would be deemed unacceptable in most other professions. Especially as I get closer to my clinical year, I get more frightened than excited. I do understand the necessity and reality of the veterinary profession, and with that I do feel like there are some things that are inevitable. Compassion fatigue is something that stays at large in our profession, and in a sense I think it's part of the culture of people who choose to be in our field. However, I don't think that the students, especially when burnout rates are high, should be forced to work extreme hours at the detriment of our well-being. I'd really like to have conversations with people of all different generations and roles in the veterinary profession, so comment down below & let's talk.