"What Being a Veterinarian Really Takes"

Melanie Bowden​

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Dr. Melanie Bowden is a passionate advocate for change in the veterinary industry. A graduate of Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, she holds active licenses to practice in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Maine, and New Hampshire. Throughout her career, Dr. Bowden has worked in corporate, family, and emergency veterinary clinics, gaining firsthand experience with burnout, compassion fatigue, and emotional exhaustion—challenges that many veterinarians face.

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In 2020, she founded Vacation Vet LLC, a company dedicated to providing relief veterinary services across the Pacific Northwest and New England. Her mission is to help veterinarians achieve better work-life balance, while raising awareness about burnout and suicide in the veterinary profession.

In her TEDx talk, "What Being a Veterinarian Really Takes," Dr. Bowden shares insights into these challenges and highlights the need for stronger partnerships between veterinarians and pet owners to build a brighter future for the profession and the animals they serve.