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MMI International Vital Transitions project

The Vital Transitions project brings together key representatives from international veterinary organisations with responsibility for supporting early career veterinary professionals to explore how they can nurture the shift from education and training to a veterinary professional's first working position

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About the Vital Transitions project

A smooth transition from veterinary education and training into a graduate/newly-qualified veterinary professional's first working role is essential in helping foster success and longevity throughout their career.

Research can help inform and support good practice and innovation in this area, and MMI International aims to play a role in identifying and sharing this. By bringing together key global organisations and experts, the project will build a collaborative space where research can be digested and its potential impact turned into reality through collaboration, pilot programmes, targeted initiatives and reporting.

What are we doing?

The deconstructed symposium – a staged series of events – will focus on the ‘vital transition’ from veterinary education or training into the veterinary workplace, and how we can better support the mental health of new graduates and those recently qualified as they make this important move. This will include a focus on final-year students as well as those in the first two years of their first role. This includes veterinary surgeons, nurses and technicians.

The initial plenary event, taking place on 30 September (online) will bring together representatives of international veterinary organisations with responsibility for supporting early career veterinary professions, including employers, regulators, professional associations, wellbeing leads and educators. It is not intended for individual veterinary professionals. The initial event will focus on creating a common understanding of some of the key themes and issues, through a series of presentations.

This will be followed by a series of regional events in UK/Europe, North America and Australasia, which will support more localised insight, reflection and discussion.  

MMI signatories and other key veterinary stakeholders will reconvene for a final online plenary in early 2027 (date TBC), where MMI International aims to finalise key commitments and publish an agreed action plan.

Research summary

This review considers the transition from veterinary education and training into graduate and newly qualified roles. While evidence relating to veterinary nurses, veterinary technicians and the wider veterinary professions were included where available, much of the literature identified focuses on veterinary students and veterinary surgeons. The findings therefore be interpreted in light of this evidence gap, and further research is needed to understand the transition experiences and support needs of other veterinary professionals. Nonetheless, focusing on the transition period is particularly important within the veterinary profession, with stress, poor psychological wellbeing and early-career difficulties having been reported internationally, including in the UK (Allister, 2020), the Netherlands (Sonneveld et al., 2023), Italy (Panzer et al., 2026), the US (Reinhard et al., 2021), Austria (Neubauer et al., 2024), Pakistan (Zahoor et al., 2026) and Ghana (Godwin et al., 2026).

Factors affecting mental health during transition

Research identifies several factors that may affect mental health and wellbeing during the transition from education and training to veterinary practice:

Work conditions and demands: Inflexible schedules, high workloads and workplace pressures can contribute to stress and burnout and reduce job satisfaction among early career veterinarians.
Client interactions: Emotionally challenging conversations surrounding euthanasia, complaints and financial constraints can be significant sources of stress, particularly while client communication skills are still developing.
Preparedness, confidence and support: Limited clinical, psychological and social support support during challenging work can increase stress and dissatisfaction. Feeling adequately prepared for practice may also influence early experiences and longer-term career perceptions.
Professional identity: New graduates may struggle to reconcile their developing professional identity with the realities of clinical practice, particularly when financial constraints conflict with values around responsibility, care and providing the best possible treatment.

Supporting graduates in their transition to the workplace

Although several factors can negatively affect wellbeing during transition, research also highlights approaches that can support a positive transition:

Social support and connectedness: Maintaining supportive relationships, work-life balance and interests outside of work can protect wellbeing and promote psychological satisfaction.
Creating supportive and inclusive workplace cultures: Responsibility for wellbeing should not rest solely with graduates. Supportive workplace cultures, proactive approaches to burnout, and opportunities to shadow, ask questions and access experienced colleagues are particularly valuable for new graduates.
Preparing students for entry into the workforce: Developing resilience, self-compassion, communication and coping skills during education can better prepare students for practice. Structured programmes, such as VetGDP, can also help bridge the gap between education and employment.

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

EDI considers how people’s different backgrounds and characteristics may shape their experiences, opportunities and support needs. Transitions into practice may not be experienced equally. A 2021 BVA study of 825 respondents found that discrimination was reported across different demographic groups. Although the relatively small sample means findings should be interpreted with caution. Experiences of discrimination and harassment have also been reported internationally, including in the United States and the Netherland, although much of the literature identified in this review focuses on the UK populations. Support should therefore recognise the diverse experiences and needs of graduates, with emerging evidence suggesting that EDI-focused mentoring may promote belonging and wellbeing.

Conclusion

The transition into veterinary practice can present significant challenges to mental health and wellbeing. However, supportive workplaces, strong social networks and structured transition programmes can help mitigate these risks. Support should also reflect the diverse experiences and needs of graduates and newly qualified professionals, with successful transitions requiring shared responsibility across education providers, employers and the wider veterinary profession.

Chapman et al., 2026; Gresele et al., 2025
AAVMC, 2020; Reinhard et al., 2021
Chapman et al., 2026; De Vincenzo & Testoni, 2025; Romao et al., 2026
Reinhard et al., 2021
Allister, 2020; AAVMC, 2020
Gilling & Parkinson, 2009
Armitage-Chan & May, 2018; Armitage-Chan, 2020; Allister, 2020; Cardwell & Lewis, 2017
Allister, 2020; McDavid & San Miguel, 2025
Chapman et al., 2026; Romao et al., 2026; Allister, 2020
Hernandez-Esteve et al., 2024; McArthur et al., 2017; Timmenga et al., 2022
BVA, 2021
Timmenga et al., 2022

Plenary event details

Professor of Higher Education, Royal Veterinary College, UK

Following ten years as a veterinary anaesthesiologist, Liz now works as an educationalist at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) where she is Professor of Higher Education and Director of the LIVE Centre for Veterinary Education. She first published research from her doctoral thesis on veterinary professional identity in 2018, observing identity differences within a small cohort of new UK veterinary graduates that appeared to influence professional wellbeing.

Since then, she has researched professional identity across different contexts, examining the various ways this is formed both within and outside the veterinary profession. She is the course director for the RVC’s Master's in Veterinary Education, supervising students across a wide variety of pedagogical projects and advising extensively on qualitative research methods, including as a past member of the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education editorial board. She is also a member of numerous international veterinary education committees, exam boards and curriculum review groups.

What is the relationship between professional identity formation in early career veterinary professionals and their successful transition to work?

Professional identity has become a hot topic in professions education: Semantic Scholar can find 155000 references to professional identity published this year, and professional identity as a concept is present in the competence domains of accreditors including the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC).

Research into veterinary and veterinary nursing professional identity echoes that from across the professions: professional identity is widely understood to be important, but there is great diversity in research angles and observations. Educators, mentors, and policy developers thus encounter challenges in finding cohesive, evidence-based solutions for what to do or how to do it. What is clear from medical and nursing education is that the transition to work represents a critical moment not only for the formation of professional identity, but also for its impact. Entry to the clinic as a new medical or nursing graduate represents a time of acute identity disorientation that can leave emerging professionals confused, frustrated, overwhelmed, dejected, and questioning how to make sense of their role and place within the profession.

How can we take an appreciative approach to the evidence and find what works in terms of professional identity and successful transition?

Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain

Manel Lopez-Bejar is Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), where he is also Professor of Anatomy and Embryology. His academic career has combined teaching and research with university leadership, with particular interests in veterinary education, animal welfare and ethics, and the development of the professional competencies required of future veterinarians.

He has extensive experience in veterinary education in both Europe and the United States. He previously served as Executive Associate Dean at Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine in California. He is also actively involved in international veterinary education, quality assurance and accreditation, contributing to initiatives aimed at strengthening veterinary training and ensuring that graduates are prepared for an increasingly complex professional environment.

In recent years, Manel has placed particular emphasis on student wellbeing and on the transition from veterinary education into professional practice. At UAB, he has promoted initiatives to better understand students’ wellbeing and the challenges they experience throughout their veterinary education, using this evidence to inform educational and institutional responses.

These initiatives include strengthening mentoring and student support, integrating communication and professional skills into veterinary training, and introducing approaches focused on emotional intelligence, self-awareness and interpersonal competencies. His particular interest is in how veterinary schools can combine scientific and clinical excellence with the development of confidence, professional identity and the human skills needed to help graduates navigate the transition from student to veterinary professional and build sustainable careers.

Fostering Student Well-being, Confidence and Professional Identity in Veterinary Education

The transition from veterinary education into professional practice does not begin on graduation day. Veterinary schools have an important role in preparing students not only with the scientific and clinical competencies required to practise, but also with the confidence, professional identity and interpersonal skills needed to navigate the emotional and professional realities of veterinary work.

This presentation will share the experience of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) in developing an institutional approach to student wellbeing. Drawing on data collected from veterinary students and on subsequent focus groups, the initiative identified important challenges related to emotional exhaustion, anxiety, academic pressure, confidence and reluctance to seek support.

Rather than viewing these challenges solely as individual issues requiring greater personal resilience, UAB has sought to address them through institutional and educational change. Initiatives include more accessible mentoring through informal “Café-Tutories”, changes to academic organisation, psychological support, and training in communication, emotional self-regulation, conflict resolution, time management, empathy and compassion resilience.

Particular attention is being given to the later stages of veterinary education, when students begin to face clinical responsibilities and approach the transition into professional life. The presentation will explore how embedding wellbeing, communication and professional skills within veterinary education can help students develop confidence and a sustainable professional identity, while strengthening continuity between university education and the support available to early-career veterinary professionals.

RCVS Veterinary Nursing Progression and Development Lead, UK

Jill and is currently Veterinary Nursing Progression and Development Lead at the RCVS, where she leads projects focused on strengthening and progressing the veterinary nursing profession.

Jill began her career in primary care practice where she spent 12 years as a lead nurse, supporting and developing nursing teams. Her experience spans clinical practice, education, research and professional development. At the University of Liverpool Vet School, she established and delivered postgraduate veterinary education and contributed to undergraduate teaching in professional and communication skills. Later, she founded an online CPD company and led research resulting in the first communication guide specifically for veterinary nurses.

She is a contributing author to veterinary nursing texts and a passionate advocate for the progression and development of veterinary nurses. Jill has dedicated much of her career to advancing the veterinary nursing role and the contribution veterinary nurses can make to patient care and the wider veterinary team.

Vision or Necessity? Building more collaborative veterinary teams for a healthier profession

The RCVS Vision or Necessity? Strengthening the role of veterinary nurses in team-based veterinary healthcare project explores how veterinary nurses can become more fully integrated into team-based veterinary healthcare, with veterinary professionals and wider veterinary teams across the UK contributing to the development of a shared vision for the future. Through stakeholder workshops, the project has explored the outcomes needed to create meaningful and sustainable change, with themes emerging around collaboration, shared workloads, communication, trust, role clarity, career development and job satisfaction.

This presentation will explore how strengthening the veterinary nurse role could contribute not only to more effective patient and client care, but also to improved wellbeing across the wider veterinary team. Enabling team members to contribute according to their skills and expertise, sharing responsibility and workload, and creating greater opportunities for professional development and clinical involvement may help to create more satisfying and sustainable roles. The discussion will also consider what this means for the next generation of veterinary professionals. If we want new graduates to enter a profession where collaborative working, role clarity and shared responsibility are embedded from the outset, we need to consider how education, workplace culture and team structures prepare them for this way of working.

Ultimately, Vision or Necessity? asks us to look beyond individual roles and consider how we can create veterinary teams in which people feel valued, supported and able to contribute fully - creating a more collaborative and sustainable profession for both current and future generations.

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of British Columbia, Canada

Emily is a postdoctoral fellow in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia. Her broader research interest is the well-being of those of us who work with animals, including veterinarians, animal-welfare researchers, farmers, and others across animal-care systems. She is particularly interested in how people develop professional identities, find meaning in their work, and sustain their wellbeing while navigating emotionally and ethically complex roles.

Emily completed her doctoral research at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada. Her interdisciplinary work brought together psychology, veterinary medicine, and epidemiology to examine how early-career veterinarians experience the transition from veterinary school into practice. She also co-created a curriculum-based wellbeing intervention with veterinary students. Her current research extends this work into animal welfare and agriculture, using mixed methods and participatory approaches to understand lived experiences, and support both human and animal well-being.

“I had no idea how much I didn’t know”: What early-career veterinarians across Canada can teach us about veterinary education

The transition from veterinary school to clinical practice can be an exciting period, but it can also challenge new veterinarians’ confidence and wellbeing. Drawing on interviews with 21 early-career veterinarians across Canada, this session explores how veterinary education shaped participants’ preparedness for the realities of practice. Their experiences highlight the erosion of self-confidence, the importance of communication skills, the pressures created by perfectionism and expectations around standards of care, and gaps in mental health support during the transition. The session will consider how veterinary education can better prepare graduates for the emotional, ethical, and interpersonal complexities of clinical work while supporting the development of confidence and well-being.

Regional event details

Final plenary event details

Report and action plan

Resources

Check back for regular resource updates.

Allister, R. J. (2020). The Veterinary Transition Study: Investigating the Transition from Veterinary Student to Practising Veterinary Surgeon: Prospective Cohort Study (Doctoral dissertation, University of Edinburgh).

Allister, R. (2021). It's good to talk, but it matters how we do it'. Veterinary Record, 188(6), 235-235.

Armitage‐Chan, E. (2020). ‘I wish I was someone else’: complexities in identity formation and professional wellbeing in veterinary surgeons. Veterinary Record, 187(3), 113-113.

Armitage‐Chan, E., & May, S. A. (2018). Identity, environment and mental wellbeing in the veterinary profession. Veterinary Record, 183(2), 68-68.

Armitage-Chan, E., Bell, M., Cake, M., Cobb, K. A., Janicke, H. J., Kelly, S., ... & Warman, S. M. (2024). “Going from strength to strength”: delving into professional identity formation of veterinary curriculum leaders: a narrative inquiry. Journal of veterinary medical education, 52(1), 123-131.

Campbell, B., Roberts, C. P., & Robinson, D. (2024). The 2024 survey of the veterinary nursing profession. Institute for Employment Studies, 61.

Cardwell, J. M., Lewis, E. G., Smith, K. C., Holt, E. R., Baillie, S., Allister, R., & Adams, V. J. (2013). A cross‐sectional study of mental health in UK veterinary undergraduates. Veterinary Record, 173(11), 266-266.

Chapman, A. J., Rohlf, V. I., Moser, A. Y., & Bennett, P. C. (2024). Organizational factors affecting burnout in veterinary nurses: a systematic review. Anthrozoös, 37(4), 651-686.

Chapman, A. J., Bennett, P. C., & Rohlf, V. I. (2025). Workplace strategies to reduce burnout in veterinary nurses and technicians: A Delphi study. Animals, 15(9), 1257.

Chapman, A. J., Rohlf, V. I., & Bennett, P. C. (2025). Understanding veterinary technician burnout, part 1: burnout profiles reveal high workload and lack of support are among major workplace contributors to burnout. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 263(S2), S16-S25.

Chapman, A. J., Rohlf, V. I., Moser, A. Y., & Bennett, P. C. (2025). Understanding veterinary technician burnout, part 2: addressing veterinary technician burnout requires tailored organizational well-being initiatives. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 263(S2), S26-S35.

Dalum, H. S., Tyssen, R., Moum, T., Thoresen, M., & Hem, E. (2022). Professional help-seeking behaviour for mental health problems among veterinarians in Norway: a nationwide, cross-sectional study (The NORVET study). BMC public health, 22(1), 1308.

Dugmore, J., and Macdonald, J. (2025) ‘The future of veterinary nursing: challenges, opportunities and a vision for progress.’ The Veterinary Nurse. Vol.16 (10), pp 228-234.

Gates, M. C., McLachlan, I., Butler, S., & Weston, J. F. (2021). Experiences of employers, work colleagues, and mentors with new veterinary graduates and preferences towards new graduate support programmes. New Zealand veterinary journal, 69(1), 38-50.

Gates, M. C., McLachlan, I., Butler, S., & Weston, J. F. (2021). Practices, preferences, and opinions of New Zealand veterinarians towards continuing professional development. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 69(1), 27-37.

Harniman, S. (2023). A qualitative study of why students choose to study veterinary nursing. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 51(4), 522-527.

Hilton, K. R., Burke, K. J., & Signal, T. (2023). Mental health in the veterinary profession: an individual or organisational focus?. Australian veterinary journal, 101(1-2), 41-48.

Jansen, W., Lockett, L., Colville, T., Uldahl, M., & De Briyne, N. (2024). Veterinarian—Chasing a dream job? A comparative survey on wellbeing and stress levels among European veterinarians between 2018 and 2023. Veterinary Sciences, 11(1), 48.

Keyes, L. S. (2026). Beyond Ticking Boxes: A Narrative Exploration of the Placement Experiences of Veterinary Nurses and their Transition to Professional Practice (Doctoral dissertation, Dublin, National College of Ireland).

King, N., Lewis, E. G., Kinnison, T., Langridge, A., Civai, C., May, S. A., & Cardwell, J. M. (2024). Mental health of veterinary nurses and student veterinary nurses: A scoping review. Veterinary Record, 194(9), no-no.

King, N. (2021). Career pathways of New Zealand veterinary graduates: influences, experiences, and decisions: a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Science at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand (Doctoral dissertation, Massey University).

King, N., Cardwell, J. M., Lewis, E. G., Patel-Cook, N. R., Thuranira-McKeever, C., Crossley, V. J., & Partheeban, N. (2025). “It shreds me from within”: thematic analysis of the impact of racism on veterinary professionals and students in the United Kingdom. BMC psychology, 13(1), 585.

Kittisiam, T., Ritter, C., Morabito, E., Gillis, D., Stacey, A., Khosa, D., & Jones, A. (2026). Thriving or surviving? A latent profile analysis of resilience, psychological wellbeing and professional quality of life in early‐career veterinarians in Canada. Veterinary Record, 199(4), e168-e176.

Kittisiam, T., Ritter, C., Morabito, E., Stacey, A., Khosa, D., & Jones, A. (2026). Improved mental health, social support, and time outdoors are associated with higher emotional intelligence in early-career veterinarians: a longitudinal study. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 264(5), 1-8.

Morabito, E. (2026). Supporting early-career veterinarian well-being through positive psychology and participatory action research (Doctoral dissertation, University of Prince Edward Island).

Morabito, E., Jones, A., Kittisiam, T., Cake, M., & Ritter, C. (2025). “This is my why.” Exploring the concept of meaningful work in early-career veterinarians across Canada. Frontiers in veterinary science, 12, 1595949.

Morabito, E., Jones, A., Kittisiam, T., Orendain Pelka, C., Cake, M., Stacey, A., & Ritter, C. (2026). “Wow, I Get It Now.” Early-Career Veterinarians’ Perspectives on Their Educational Experiences and Perceived Impacts on Well-Being. Journal of veterinary medical education, (aop), e20250050.

Panzer, A., Santoro, G., Pezzi, M., Macelloni, S., Brscic, M., Schianchi, A. & Musetti, A. (2026). Adult attachment, psychological stress, and quality of life: insight into Italian veterinary medicine students’ mental health. BMS Psychology, 14(1), 544

Paton, M. W., Kalemtzaki, E., Stoewen, D., Hameedunisha, T., Yang, H., Donlin, J., & Endenburg, N. (2024). WSAVA professional wellness guidelines. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 65(3), 153-175.

Pickles, K., Houdmont, J., Smits, F., & Hill, B. (2025). ‘Part of the team as opposed to watching from the outside’: Critical incident study of autistic veterinary surgeons’ workdays. Veterinary Record, 196(4), e4957.

Prescott-Clements, L., Soreskog-Turp, J., Crawford, B., & Williams, K. (2023). The development and implementation of a national veterinary graduate development programme (VetGDP) to support veterinarians entering the UK workforce. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 51(2), 209-214.

Prescott-Clements, L., Hecker, K. G., Bok, H. G., & Cake, M. (2026). The veterinary education and training landscape beyond graduation: Where is the evidence?. Journal of veterinary medical education, 53(4), 445-453.

Reinhard, A., Hanley, B., O’Reilly, A., Cavallaro, E., Tsontos, G., Brandt, J., Volk, J., Hahn, J., Vaisman, J., Martin, K., Craig, L., Holowaychuk, M., Hendricks, M., Spitznagel, M. B., Cordivano, S., & Corrigan, V. (2026). The veterinary wellbeing collective advances a coordinated approach to well-being in the veterinary profession. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 1–4.

Reissner, S., & Armitage-Chan, E. (2024). Manifestations of professional identity work: an integrative review of research in professional identity formation. Studies in Higher Education, 49(12), 2707-2722.

Reinhard, A. R., Hains, K. D., Hains, B. J., & Strand, E. B. (2021). Are they ready? Trials, tribulations, and professional skills vital for new veterinary graduate success. Frontiers in veterinary science, 8, 785844.

Rosolin, B., Roberts, C. P., & Robinson, D. (2024). The 2024 survey of the veterinary profession. Institute for Employment Studies, 33-34.

Slater‐Brown, R. (2026). Associations between transformational leadership, occupational stress and emotional exhaustion in UK veterinary professionals: A cross‐sectional study. Veterinary Record.

Smits, F., Houdmont, J., Hill, B., & Pickles, K. (2023). Mental wellbeing and psychosocial working conditions of autistic veterinary surgeons in the UK. Veterinary Record, 193(8), no-no.

Spendelow, J., Cripwell, C., Stott, R., Francis, K., Powell, J., Cavanagh, K., & Corbett, R. (2024). Workplace stressor factors, profiles and the relationship to career stage in UK veterinarians, veterinary nurses and students. Veterinary medicine and science, 10(4), e1547.

Standage, C., Smith, P., Jones, A., & Ritter, C. (2026). Mentoring matters to early‐career veterinarians' confidence, clinical growth and career retention: A qualitative interview study. Veterinary Record, 198(8), e322-e332.

Timmenga, F. S. L., Jansen, W., Turner, P. V., & De Briyne, N. (2022). Mental well-being and diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in the veterinary profession: Pathways to a more resilient profession. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9, 888189.

Vivian, S. R., Holt, S. L., & Williams, J. (2022). What factors influence the perceptions of job satisfaction in registered veterinary nurses currently working in veterinary practice in the United Kingdom?. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 49(2), 249-259.

Wakelin, K. E., Perman, G., & Simonds, L. M. (2023). Feasibility and efficacy of an online compassion‐focused imagery intervention for veterinarian self‐reassurance, self‐criticism and perfectionism. Veterinary record, 192(2), no-no.

Williamson, V., Murphy, D., & Greenberg, N. (2023). Veterinary professionals’ experiences of moral injury: A qualitative study. Veterinary Record, 192(2), no-no.

Zaneb, H., & Armitage-Chan, E. (2022). Professional identity of pakistani veterinary students: Conceptualization and negotiation. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 50(6), 685-693.