Supervisors’ Well-Being Resources
Why resident well-being matters
This information is intended to support program directors and resident advisors in the core “people management” aspects of their roles—areas in which most clinicians receive little or no formal training. The resource is structured to provide practical guidance on coaching and mentoring, supporting emotional wellness, delivering effective feedback, and establishing appropriate professional boundaries.
These components are critical to creating a healthy training environment. Across industries, poor management is consistently one of the leading drivers of turnover and burnout, making intentional support for supervisory skills essential to trainee success, retention, and overall program wellness.
Disclaimer
The resources listed on this page are provided for informational and support purposes only. They are not intended to replace professional medical, mental health, or emergency care. ACVS does not endorse or guarantee any specific provider, service, or resource. Supervisors should encourage residents to seek care from qualified professionals and to use their own judgment when accessing these resources. If a resident you supervise or you are experiencing a mental health emergency or are in immediate danger, please contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline right away.
AVMA Unconscious Bias Training
As part of this initiative, ACVS strongly recommends that supervisors complete unconscious bias training once every six years.
Here is a free on-demand webinar from the American Veterinary Medical Association. If you are not a AVMA member, you will need to create a free nonmember account when registering for this free webinar
- Suicide & Crisis Lifeline– Call, text, or chat 988
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- Connects callers to their local crisis center and a trained crisis counselor
- Can be called on behalf of someone who is in crisis for guidance on how to support them
- Crisis Text Line
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- Text-based support from a trained crisis counselor
- Text HOME to 741-741 for immediate assistance
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
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- Call (800) 799-SAFE (7233) for immediate support
- National Sexual Assault Hotline
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- Call (800) 656-HOPE (4653) for immediate support
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline
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- Free, confidential, 24/7/365 treatment referral and information service
- Call (800) 662-HELP (4357)
* Not veterinary medicine specific
- Mentor Vet Articles
- Columbia University: Guide to Best Practices in Faculty Mentoring*
- University of Michigan: Giving and Getting Career Advice*
- National Academies: The Science of Effective Mentoring in STEMM*
- The VIN Foundation: Mentorship is a Mutually Beneficial Professional Friendship
- International Coaching Federation: Expanding Coaching Possibilities with the Coaching Spectrum Framework™*
- James Clear: Deliberate Practice: What It Is and How to Use It*
- PMC PubMed Central: R2C2 in Action: Testing an Evidence-Based Model to Facilitate Feedback and Coaching in Residency
- ACVS webinar: Coaching, Feedback, and Appreciation: The Role for Each in Resident Training
- ACVS Connect: Platform for professional connection
- Dr. Marie Holowaychuk: a small animal emergency and critical care specialist and certified yoga and meditation teach who passionately advocates for the mental health and well-being of veterinary teams.
- ACVIM Wellbeing Support
- AVMA Axon: has several free webinars available, including Leadership, Well-being, Personal Finance, and Career Development
- Thanks for the Feedback (Stone and Heen)
- Radical Candor (Kim Scott)
- Emotional Intelligence (Goldman)
- Emotional Intelligence 2.0 (Bradberry and Greaves)
- Difficult Conversations (Stone, Patton and Heen)
- Fierce Conversations (Susan Scott)
- Crucial Conversations (Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler)
* Not veterinary medicine specific
- Adam Grant: Organizational Psychologist*
- Harvard Business Review: HBR on Leadership*
* Not veterinary medicine specific
