Veterinary Student Well-being
As a veterinary student, you face an extraordinary amount of pressure. Coursework, labs, exams... all of this, combined with financial stressors and the overall expectations around animal care, can be overwhelming at times.
The CVM well-being team encourages you to peruse the resources below, take a look at some of the CVM-specific webinars available to you, keep up to date on any upcoming college wellbeing events and, as always, please reach out to the CVM Well-being Committee at CVMWellbeing@cornell.edu with any questions or suggestions.
Learn more about the seven dimensions of well-being via Cornell's Human Resources.
Additional resources for veterinary students on the seven dimensions of well-being
Mental well-being
Cornell and CVM Resources
Counseling, life coaching and support
- Cornell Health's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). In 2023, CVM welcomed the first CAPS embedded therapist, Genel Gronkowski. Visit this page to learn what an embedded therapist is.
- Mental Health at Cornell: A one-stop shop with across-campus resources for yourself, others, and ways to get involved.
- Grieving a loss
- Review the resources specifically for graduate and professional students created by Cornell Health here.
- CVM student disability services: It is our intention to provide reasonable accommodations for students with qualifying disabilities who are admitted to the DVM program. Students who believe they are entitled to an accommodation should contact the assistant dean of student services and admissions, Dr. Jai Sweet (jr27). More about accommodations here.
- D.V.M. Academic Support Program for general career, academic and student support. Note that this is an Intranet page so you will either need to be on the CVM network or have access to the CVM VPN.
- CVM veterinary student support services is a page with information about accommodations, faculty advisors, peer mentors and counseling services.
- Let's Talk
- Cornell Community 'Get Help' Resources
- Sexual Assault and Response
- Empathy and Referral Services
- Office of the University Ombudsman
Meditation and relaxation
Self-care
- Cornell fitness centers
- Self-care guides from Cornell Health
- Massage therapy at Cornell Health
- Body Positive Cornell by Cornell Health
- Restorative spaces on campus
- Take a walk at Cornell Botanic Gardens to get fresh air and breathe
External Resources
- AVMA: Focus on wellbeing
- 25 CBT techniques and worksheets
- CBT worksheets, handouts and self-help resources
- Unhelpful thinking styles (pdf)
- CBT manual for those with depression (pdf)
- What is emotion regulation and how do we do it? (pdf)
- Grounding and self-soothing for emotion regulation
- How to stop absorbing other people's emotions
- Achieving "Wise Mind"
- Alternatives to self-harm
Relationship well-being
Cornell and CVM Resources
- Review the resources specifically for graduate and professional students created by Cornell Health here.
- CVM student disability services: It is our intention to provide reasonable accommodations for students with qualifying disabilities who are admitted to the DVM program. Students who believe they are entitled to an accommodation should contact the assistant dean of student services and admissions, Dr. Jai Sweet (jr27). More about accommodations here.
- CVM veterinary student support services is a page with information about accommodations, faculty advisors, peer mentors and counseling services.
- Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives
- Women’s Resource Center
- Faculty Institute for Diversity
- Center for Intercultural Dialogue
- LGBT Resource Center
- Student Organizations
- University Policy Office
- Bias Reporting
- Counseling and Psychiatric Services
- Empathy, Assistance and Referral Service
- Let’s Talk
- Recreational Services
- Cornell University Police Department
External Resources
Physical well-being
Cornell and CVM Resources
- Review the resources specifically for graduate and professional students created by Cornell Health here.
- CVM student disability services: It is our intention to provide reasonable accommodations for students with qualifying disabilities who are admitted to the DVM program. Students who believe they are entitled to an accommodation should contact the assistant dean of student services and admissions, Dr. Jai Sweet (jr27). More about accommodations here.
- CVM veterinary student support services is a page with information about accommodations, faculty advisors, peer mentors and counseling services.
- Cornell Healthy Eating Program for students
- Cornell Outdoor Education
- Cornell Recreational Services, Fitness Centers and Intramural Sports
- Cornell Healthy Living Program
- Cornell Wellness Facebook page
- Cornell Group Nutrition Programs
- Body Positive Cornell
- Cornell Pharmacy
- Body image and disordered eating information / resources (Cornell Health)
- NatureRx, maps to trails and green spaces on and off campus
- Ithaca is Trails
External Resources
- Body acceptance and social justice
- Eating disorders from the inside out (TED Talk)
- Orthorexia (obsessive pursuit of healthy diet)
- Managing orthorexia
- Intuitive eating quiz
Cultural well-being
Cornell and CVM Resources
- Lets Meditate yoga classes at Cornell
- Office of Spirituality and Meaning-Making
- LGBT Resource Center
- Diversity and Equity at Cornell
- Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives
- Asian and Asian American Center
- Undocumented/DACA Support
- English Language Support Office
External Resources
- Calm Meditation App
- Headspace Meditation App
- Transcendental Meditation in Ithaca
- Podcasts
- Mandala coloring as a meditative practice: here
- Mixed at Cornell (short documentary video on/by biracial students)
- Racism's psychological toll
- The cost of balancing academia and racism
- The Steve Fund
- Young people of color self-help guide
- People of color online support group (for students)
Environmental well-being
Cornell and CVM Resources
- Cornell Composting
- Cornell Sustainability
-
Sustainable transportation options
- Big Red Bike Share Program
- Campus to Campus Bus
- Ithaca Car Share
- ZimRide Ridematching Services
- Way2Go Transportation Education Program
- Cornell Wellness offers environmentally conscious cooking demos and events
- Stay informed about campus sustainability events and initiatives
- Use ReUse Programs at work and home
- Learn how to recycle and compost properly at Cornell
- Join a President’s Sustainable Campus Committee
- Become a Cornell Green Ambassador and help Green Your Office
- Green your campus event or your laboratory
- Participate in Cornell’s annual waste reduction competition, Recyclemania!
- Nominate a Staff Sustainability Champion
- Lend at hand at the Dilmun Hill Student Farm or enroll in their CSA Program
- View the Campus Sustainability Map to locate water bottle refill stations, bikes, electric car charging stations and more
External Resources
Occupational well-being
Cornell and CVM Resources
- Review the resources specifically for graduate and professional students created by Cornell Health here.
- CVM student disability services: It is our intention to provide reasonable accommodations for students with qualifying disabilities who are admitted to the DVM program. Students who believe they are entitled to an accommodation should contact the assistant dean of student services and admissions, Dr. Jai Sweet (jr27). More about accommodations here.
- CVM veterinary student support services is a page with information about accommodations, faculty advisors, peer mentors and counseling services.
- Participate in the yearly Career Connections Forum when employers visit the college for one-on-one interviews.
- Career Services: D.V.M. students can make an appointment with Dr. Jai Sweet in the Office of Student and Academic Services to review their resumes and cover letters by stopping in or emailing: vet_sas@cornell.edu
- Externship/opportunity database
- Vet Career Services (job posts)
- Lynda.com - Online courses for professional development
- Environmental health and safety
- Student Disability Services
External Resources
Financial well-being
Student loan debt can be an overwhelming stressor. Taking time to keep up with your financial responsibilities will help you to avoid the anxiety and fear that comes with the unknown. Focusing on your financial well-being now is an investment toward achieving your future goals.
Cornell and CVM Resources
- Financial aid for D.V.M. students
- Federal student aid - Fill out your FAFSA, find information on what types of aid are available and repayment options
- Child Care Grant Program
- Student Loan Repayment Calculator
- Financial Counseling: D.V.M. students can make an appointment with Kristin Pennock, Director of Financial Aid to receive financial counseling by emailing vetfinaid@cornell.edu
- Cornell Personal Finance
- Keep an eye out for financial planning events happening throughout the academic year
External Resources
- Mint (budgeting software and app)
- Credit Karma (free credit score monitoring website)
- Cornell Cooperative Extension offers educational programming and services to support financial wellbeing, such as home energy savings: