Using Art to Avoid Burnout

One of the most important strategies for avoiding burnout is “maintaining a healthy work-life balance.” That phrase encompasses many things and means different things to different people, but to me, it means not feeling guilty and allowing myself to recharge while pursuing activities outside veterinary medicine.

One of my favorite things is organizing free on-campus arts events. Last year we hosted a Middle Eastern dance demonstration, a mime workshop, and a wind orchestra concert, among other events. Many events we held during the lunch hour, so students and faculty could drop in after a morning of medicine to think about something completely different. Art also helps us keep in touch with our emotions too, which is important for our mental health.

So far this year we have sponsored an improv theater workshop, a talent show, and a make-up workshop held prior to the vet school’s annual winter ball. I really enjoyed the talent show, mainly because it engaged a huge portion of the 1^st and 2^nd years whom I rarely get to see. (And it’s always a treat to watch the V’19 dance group—I always laugh so hard at the ridiculousness.) I also enjoyed the opportunity to flex my acting muscles at the improv workshop—I had forgotten how much fun it is! But the best part about investing in an extracurricular so divergent from veterinary medicine is that it helps me remember who I am outside of being a student. For me, part of work-life balance is work-life separation, both in the physical and mental sense.

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Roberta

VS3 at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University

Roberta is a native Vermonter who grew up hiking local trails, skiing at the “Beast of the East”, and sailing on Lake Champlain. Although discovering a deep love for music and theater in high school, Roberta was inspired to pursue veterinary medicine by her aunt, who worked as a dairy vet for a decade in rural New York before transitioning to become a small animal practice owner and a Morgan Horse breeder. Roberta graduated magna cum laude in 2014 with B.S. degree in Animal Science from the University of Vermont, after a wonderful 4 years of chairing her substance-free housing program and performing as a member of the university’s band, choir, and Catamount Singers. Currently, Roberta is most interested in small animal and mixed animal practice, although she finds pretty much everything interesting. Roberta continues to enjoy volunteering for the Pet Loss Hotline, co-chairing the Arts & Culture Council, and watching Netflix with her cat Maisie.

Latest posts by Roberta (see all)

• Horseshoes – More Than Just Lucky - June 16, 2017
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• The Limping Stallion - June 6, 2017