Coffee Club
Coffee Club is a free, monthly Zoom meet-up for veterinary professionals who just need a space to be heard. No lectures, no pressure—just community, connection, and support.
This month’s Coffee Club opened with a reminder that this is a safe place for those in Vet Med to gather, connect, and support one another. After introductions, participants discussed a wide range of topics, including:
- The challenges of taking over from a founder-owner with limited transition time.
- Complications of working with new graduates before they’ve passed the NAVLE or been registered in Washington.
- The pressures on practice owners to “do it all,” from charts to operations, and the toll this takes on quality of life.
- Career transitions after stepping down from public service roles.
- The risks and realities of zoonotic infections—how little is known about many diseases, the stigma surrounding misunderstood conditions, and preparing for the possibility of long-term disability.
- The strain of relying on caregivers who may be frail themselves.
- Generational perspectives: the Baby Boomer “work harder, take on more” mindset vs. younger generations pushing back for balance.
- The role of curiosity in career growth, including Atul Gawande’s reflection in Being Mortal: “What are your hopes and what are your fears?”
- The rejuvenating benefits of the Vets Outdoors experience—a chance to unplug, reflect, and recharge.
- Resources for some of the above issues were discussed and shared. These included connections with Humane Societies, Mentor Vet, Ready Vet Go, the Veterinary Hope Foundation, Vets for Vets, Happy Doc and Scribe Vet (AI scribe tools), the book Internal Family Systems Therapy by Richard C. Swartz, and Life Boost Today (https://www.lifeboost.today/) a health coach and veterinarian.
The meeting closed with Dr. Sonja Olson’s reflection on impermanence—the reminder that both joy and hardship will pass, and our role is to ride life’s waves with resilience.
Led by the DEIW Committee volunteers Coffee Club will be meeting three more times over the few months on the following dates:
- Monday, September 29, 2025 – Post-PNWVC Decompress
- Monday, October 27, 2025 – Open Session
- Monday, November 24, 2025 – Holiday Planning & Check-In
Click here: to find out more.