The Tufts chapter of the VBMA was pleased to host Dr. Lisa Moses for a lunchtime talk on the topic of Compassion Fatigue. Dr. Moses described compassion fatigue as a subset of post-traumatic stress disorder, and explained how veterinarians can be particularly prone to compassion fatigue due to the emotionally draining nature of their work. Some risk factors in veterinary medicine include critical incidents (emotionally traumatizing situations, ethical dilemmas, access to drugs (danger of self-medication), lack of training in communication, and the need to balance distance and empathy with patients.

Dr. Moses provided several examples of methods students can use to take care of themselves in order to prevent or recover from compassion fatigue. These included setting limits (not valuing work over the rest of life), reconnecting with non-client people and non-patient animals, exercising (reducing stress hormones), maintaining good nutrition and sleep habits, and actively practicing a "relaxation response," a meditation exercise.